Keeping Six art exhibit challenges norms and celebrates community voices

The new Art Gallery of Hamilton exhibit, This is Our Space Too, celebrates the creative perspectives of artists who have experienced homelessness and substance use

Keeping Six Hamilton Harm Reduction Action League is a community-based organization that defends the rights, dignity, and humanity of people with lived experiences of homelessness and substance use. Established in 2018 as a response to the opioid epidemic, this organization provides programming to amplify the voices of those who use drugs.

This is Our Space Too is a new exhibit at the Art Gallery of Hamilton presented by members of the Keeping Six Hamilton Harm Reduction Action League and the Keeping Six Arts Collective. 

The exhibit features work from artists with lived experience with substance use and homelessness. The title, This is Our Space Too, emphasizes the importance of feeling seen and welcome in creative, public, and city spaces. 

This initiative aims to challenge the common perception of community and encourage visitors to build compassion for individuals with different perspectives. This is Our Space Too is a powerful reminder that artists can come from many different walks of life. 

Keeping Six Arts Collective promotes harm reduction through art by hosting weekly drop-ins and workshops for writing, painting and ceramics. The collective also organizes open mic nights and contributes to the K6 Zine, Keeping Six’s quarterly magazine. 

This is Our Space Too is on exhibition from Dec 9, 2023 to Mar 16, 2024 in The Jean & Ross Fischer Gallery. For those interested, Gallery Level 2 and the Jean and Ross Fischer Gallery are always free admission. In addition, admission to the entire gallery is always free for students and free to the public every Thursday.