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PAST EXHIBITION

Two artworks suspended in a grey background; Nicholas Baier's Octobre, and Shelley Niro's Nature's Wild Children. Two artworks suspended in a grey background; Nicholas Baier's Octobre, and Shelley Niro's Nature's Wild Children.

Chasm

Chasm continues a series of recent exhibitions exploring the permanent collection at the McMaster Museum of Art through critical curatorial frameworks. This exhibition offers diverse and transcultural perspectives and interpretations of the museum’s holdings, including recent acquisitions.

Chasm takes the unique vantage point of critiquing the power dynamics of colonialism from within the museum, informed by the transcultural positions of resistance that seek Indigenous sovereignty and Black liberation.

Guest curator and former M(M)A Senior Curator Pamela Edmonds, and M(M)A Adjunct Senior Curator Betty Julian present this critical and exploratory exhibition as a project making connections to art discourses and ideologies related to modernism, critiques of the white cube gallery, alterity, and ontological space. Our interests are to consider and to actively shift hegemonic paradigms through a radical rethinking of the exhibition space.

Our curatorial conversations on how to activate critical dialogue within museums through exhibitions are meant to encourage and expand informed engagement. Our critical and curatorial tasks have been to find ways through our work to redress and resist the cultural amnesia surrounding intersecting systems of colonialism, patriarchy, capitalism and the anti-Black racism inherent in the foundation of our art institutions.

The full exhibition will be available for viewing until December 8, our fourth floor will remain on view until January 26.


Artists: Marissa Y Alexander, Sonny Assu, Nicolas Baier, Catherine Blackburn, Deanna Bowen, Joseph Calleja, Douglas Clark, Chris Cran, Paul Cvetich, Cathy Daley, Max Dean, Stan Douglas, FASTWÜRMS, Gerald Ferguson, Yves Gaucher, Betty Goodwin, Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes, Angela Grauerholz, Spring Hurlbut, Clarissa Inglis, Alfredo Jaar, Svava Thordis Juliusson, Anselm Kiefer, Kapwani Kiwanga, James Lahey, Rita Letendre, Gino Lorcini, Liz Magor, John Massey, Guido Molinari, Shelley Niro, Ed Pien, Margaret Priest, Arthur Renwick, Susan Schielle, Takao Tanabe, Michael Thompson, Graham Todd, Serge Tousignant, Jan Wade, Shellie Zhang

Gallery Maps: Second Floor, Fourth Floor

A curatorial research document is available in both English and French for this exhibition. If you are interested in receiving a copy, please contact us at museum@mcmaster.ca.


JOIN US:

Opening Reception
Thursday, September 28, 5-8 PM
Please join us for an evening celebrating the opening of the collection exhibition Chasm, co-curated by Pamela Edmonds and Betty Julian. Remarks will begin at 6:30PM. We are excited to share that many of our exhibiting artists will be in attendance. This event is free and all are welcome!

Talk with Christina Leslie
Wednesday, October 25, 12:30-1:20 PM

Curators in Conversation
Wednesday, November 1, 12:30-1:20 PM
Please register

Talk with Alex Jacobs-Blum
This event was cancelled, please enjoy the virtual talk and tour here.


Left: Nicolas Baier, Octobre, 2000. Digital print on Duraflex paper mounted on rolled steel. Gift of Miriam Shiell, 2012.

Right: Shelley Niro, Nature’s Wild Children, 2022. Archival inkjet print. Donald Murray Shepherd Trust Purchase, 2023.

Curated by: Pamela Edmonds and Betty Julian

May 18, 2023 – January 26, 2024

VIEW ARCHIVE
Link to Exhibitions Archive for a complete list of past exhibitions

PAST EXHIBITIONS

A blurred person walks in front of a wall featuring the photographic series Grace (2006). The artworks on display are photos of figures with hands covering their faces. Installation view of I'm Not Your Kinda Princess at Plug In ICA.

Lori Blondeau: I’m Not Your Kinda Princess

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Faded title

SUMMA 2024: Yearbook

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Detail of Rajni Perera, Storm, 2020.

Rajni Perera: Futures

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A collaged and layered photograph of the Grand River floats in the centre of a black background, along with the words: Arenhátyen tsi ní:tsi teyottenyonhátye’ kwató:ken tsi nī:tsi yonkwa’nikonhrayén:ta’s Image courtesy of Courtney Skye. The list of artists is displayed along the bottom: Dakota Brant, Denny Doolittle, Elizabeth Doxtater, Kaya Hill, Rick Hill, Arnold Jacobs, Ken Maracle, Shelley Niro, Protect The Tract Artist Collective, Steve Smith, Greg Staats, Kristen E. Summers, Jeff Thomas

We Remain Certain
Arenhátyen tsi ní:tsi teyottenyonhátye’ kwató:ken tsi nī:tsi yonkwa’nikonhrayén:ta’s

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Two artworks suspended in a grey background; Nicholas Baier's Octobre, and Shelley Niro's Nature's Wild Children.

Chasm

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Artist Mike MacDonald in Gage Park, photo captured by Dianne Bos.

Lisa Myers: Finding what Grows

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The SUMMA 2023 logo is an overlapping triple diamond design, featuring shapes coloured in gradient from red to yellow, purple to pink, and green to blue. The logo is suspended in the centre of a background consisting of a pink and blue swirling gradient.

SUMMA 2023 – Where We Intersect: Identities, Environments, Activisms

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Screen grab of the virtual artwork refuge (SIREN), by nichola feldman-kiss & Matheuszik with SPATIAL-ESK. The image shows an underwater landscape with an iceberg, floating scales, and a far away architectural structure surrounded by floating stools.

nichola feldman-kiss / refuge (SIREN)

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SUBMISSIONS & ASSISTANCE

SUBMISSIONS:

The McMaster Museum of Art is presently not accepting artists’ submissions for exhibitions at this time of leadership change at the museum.  Our Interim Director will be undertaking a review of the museum’s forward exhibition schedule, as well as our policies and procedures, in the coming months.  Our present focus is the ongoing maintenance of our permanent collection and storage needs for future collection activities.

The museum remains committed to our collecting priority in the continued support of early career, mid-career and established Indigenous artists, artists of the Black diaspora and racialized artists through purchases and commissions. Donations will be welcomed and reviewed at a future date which will be posted on our website.

ASSISTANCE:

The McMaster Museum of Art is a third party recommender for Ontario Arts Council (OAC) Exhibition Assistance Grants.

Please note that there has been a delay in the OAC opening the 2024-2025 program. This webpage will be updated with our deadlines as soon as possible.

Priorities:
Artists who demonstrate an interest and consideration of art as a medium for social change and action.

Please follow the guidelines established by the Ontario Arts Council, apply directly through their website, and submit the following with your applications:

Brief artist statement
Confirmation letter from the gallery/museum/venue
Budget
CV
Digital images of work