Hosted by local artist and McMaster alumna Julianna Biernacki, this free talk series gives artists a chance to share their creative processes

Open Window Artist Talks is a talk series that runs bimonthly at Rooney’s Cafe and was an event featured at Hamilton’s Supercrawl. At this event, artists are given the opportunity to speak about their craft, creative process and artistic journey.

Supercrawl is an annual festival showcasing many mediums of art, talent and culture which this year took place from Sept. 13 to Sept. 15. In partnership with the Hamilton Public Library, Julianna Biernacki hosted the Open Window Artist Talks series. This was a two-day event that happened on Sept. 14 and 15.

At Supercrawl, Biernacki organized a lineup of six artists, with three artists performing on each day. The artists featured were Zoë Pinnell, Douglas Tewksbury, Mikey Gracie, Melanie Cheung, Chelsea Reynolds and Ashes.

Julianna Biernacki is a local textile artist and McMaster University alumna. After graduating from the McMaster Studio Arts program in 2021, she missed the occasional artist talks she had during her undergrad. "In school I really enjoyed going to the artist talks that professors would bring in the program. Once I graduated and I was doing my own thing in the Hamilton art community, I noticed there was nothing like that going on," said Biernacki.

In school I really enjoyed going to the artist talks that professors would bring in the program. Once I graduated and I was doing my own thing in the Hamilton art community, I noticed there was nothing like that going on.

Julianna Biernacki, Founder
Open Window Artist Talks

"I was catching up with a friend one day, I told her about this and she said that I should just run my own artist talks," stated Biernacki. This conversation eventually led to the creation of the Open Artist Talk Series where attendees can have an open and comfortable discussion with featured artists about their creative journeys.

When Biernacki initially approached Rooney’s Cafe, she noticed Rooney's already hosted events after hours and was integrated in the Hamilton community. "I reached out to Rooney's and they let me host an event there. Lots of people showed up, it was a fun time and they kept letting me host them after that," said Biernacki. "The first one was December of last year, December 2023."

This year, Open Window was able to take place at Hamilton's annual Supercrawl. "For Supercrawl, I was put into contact with one of the organizers. She said I could run the event there and put me in contact with the library," said Biernacki.

This recurring event gives Hamilton residents and visitors a chance to be inspired by local talent and unique artistry. "Hearing someone talk about something that they're passionate about and spend hours doing is just so inspiring," said Biernacki when asked about the impact of her series in the community. "It makes me want to leave Rooney's after the talk and go straight to the studio," said Biernacki.

Hearing someone talk about something that they're passionate about and spend hours doing is just so inspiring.

Julianna Biernacki, Founder
Open Window Artist Talks

These talks were designed with an informal and open format, allowing attendees to engage directly with the artists. "Rooney's also stays open for a duration of the talk so people can get a tea . . . it's also a BYOB event if people want to have a drink with friends," said Biernacki.

This setup encouraged a dynamic exchange of ideas and insights in a cozy environment, providing the audience a chance to ask questions and gain a deeper understanding of the artists' creative processes.

Biernacki’s goal with the talk series is to ensure that these events remain accessible to everyone, which is why they are always free to attend. "I wanted to make sure the events would be free so they'd be accessible for everyone to come," said Biernacki.

I wanted to make sure the events would be free so they'd be accessible for everyone to come.

Julianna Biernacki, Founder
Open Window Artist Talks

By providing this platform, Biernacki aims to foster inspiration and dialogue within Hamilton’s artistic community. The talks also serve as a bridge between emerging and established artists, creating valuable networking opportunities and fostering a sense of community among art enthusiasts.

"I'm just really lucky that Hamilton has so many talented artists. It really feels like I'm pulling from an endless bag of names," said Biernacki when asked about finding new featured artists in each Open Window event.

I'm just really lucky that Hamilton has so many talented artists. It really feels like I'm pulling from an endless bag of names.

Julianna Biernacki, Founder
Open Window Artist Talks

Julianna Biernacki’s initiative highlights her commitment to making art accessible and engaging. For those interested in experiencing these enriching discussions and exploring Hamilton’s vibrant art scene, attending future Open Window Artist Talks is a fantastic opportunity. Keep an eye on upcoming events through Biernacki's Instagram to catch a glimpse into the studios of some of the most exciting local artists.

Arts for All presents "fabric > fabric," an interactive exhibit that invited Supercrawl attendees to celebrate the joy of creating together

Arts for All, formerly Culture for Kids in the Arts, is a charitable organization run by the Hamilton Conservatory of Arts that provides access to arts education programming to children and youth throughout Hamilton and surrounding areas.

One of Arts for All's initiatives is Artasia, a summer program which mentors and equips young adults to deliver a five-week arts program to children in their neighbourhoods. Selections from this year’s program, “fabric > fabric,” were displayed at Supercrawl alongside an interactive tapestry exhibit.

This past summer, Artasia brought arts education to over two thousand children in 44 neighbourhoods including Waterdown, Crown Point and Binbrook. Participants explored the meaning that can be both found and created in fabric and fabric-based art practices such as drawing with fabric markers, gluing fabric scraps and tie-dying. The “fabric > fabric” program considered and included themes related to community, cultural identity and sustainability.

Artasia facilitator Setareh Masoumbeiki discussed the inspiration for this year’s program in an interview with the Silhouette. “What I really enjoy about Artasia, and what Artasia is to me, is that it always starts with a question. And this year we started with a question of when is fabric more than fabric? How can we look at fabric with different eyes, with new ways of looking?” said Masoumbeiki.

What I really enjoy about Artasia, and what Artasia is to me is that it always starts with a question. And this year we started with a question of when is fabric more than fabric? How can we look at fabric with different eyes, with new ways of looking?

Setareh Masoumbeiki, Artasia Facilitator
Arts for All

At the conclusion of each summer, Arts for All puts together an artwork that incorporates the children’s artwork from Artasia. This year, the “fabric > fabric” exhibit at Supercrawl featured two quilts made up of tie-dyed and flower-pounded fabric created during the program.

The quilts were hung up on a rope between two trees and incorporated over 400 individual squares of fabric. Masoumbeiki described the impact the scale of the exhibit had on her. "You come and you look at them and it’s just breathtaking. All of [the kids], all these neighbourhoods, all these organizations," said Masoumbeiki.

Masoumbeiki described the quilts as a testament to the children’s abilities. “It’s a quilt but it’s also a banner. It’s a statement of the children’s voices, what children can do and how capable they are in creating art and being creative,” said Masoumbeiki.

It’s a quilt but it’s also a banner. It’s a statement of the children’s voices, what children can do and how capable they are in creating art and being creative.

Setareh Masoumbeiki, Artasia Facilitator
Arts for All

In addition to displaying work from the summer program, the “fabric > fabric” exhibit also featured an interactive community tapestry. Nine looms were constructed with metal frames and orange fencing. Supercrawl attendees were invited to participate in the exhibit by writing ideas and stories on strips of fabric and weaving them into the looms. Participants also knotted and braided the pieces of fabric.

Masoumbeiki said that the exhibit was designed with kids in mind. The looms were low enough to the ground that young children could participate in the tapestry.

To create fabric strips for the community tapestry, the Artasia team repurposed and naturally dyed donated bed sheets. Masoumbeiki stated that she hoped the exhibit would prompt people to think about sustainability, something that is central to Artasia’s practices. She said that she hopes people will start to understand that “things can be one thing, and then you can use them to create so many other things.”

"We always want to have something to be interactive, because that interactive part of it, that community art is always part of what we believe in," said Masoumbeiki. She also noted that the looms will be donated to the community organizations that supported Artasia 2024.

If you are interested in learning more about Arts for All and the programs they provide, check out their website, Instagram and Facebook.

By Nisha Gill, Staff Writer

“My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get to be so late so soon?” wrote Dr. Seuss.

Over the last year, there has been increasing awareness and action on a number of important issues: including accountability, accessibility, climate change, diversity and 2SLGBTQIA+ rights. The arts and culture community in Hamilton, including the Arts & Culture section here at the Silhouette, have been working to raise awareness and to spur action on the aforementioned issues. Here are a few memorable events from the past year. 

Early in September 2019, A&C Editor Andrew Mrozowski had a chance to sit down with the Right Honourable David Johnston, former Governor General of Canada, and chat about a variety of topics. Their conversation covered everything from his career within politics to his advice for students as well as his new book Trust: 20 Ways to Build a Better Country. This was a great way to kick off the year, with an emphasis on collaboration, trust and the power of storytelling; all of which are going to be very important for the year ahead.

Next up was Supercrawl, Hamilton’s annual weekend-long street festival. As always, there were a number of spectacular events and exhibitions, but two in particular stood out for the way that they addressed important issues. First, McMaster professor Adrienne Crossman’s installation art “Flags” addressed what it means to be a queer person in the 21st century as well as the oppression faced by the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. 

“It’s just the continuation of a conversation. So the text reads ‘subvert’, ‘deviate’ and ‘resist’ as forms of resisting oppression but on the back where it says resist it more speaks to the fact that existing as a queer person, a visibly queer person or anybody that doesn’t suit the way that people might perceive as normal just existing itself is a form of resistance which I think can be a very radical sentiment,” Crossman said, when interviewed for the original article

Second from Supercrawl was McMaster alumnus Christopher McLeod’s “EMERGENCY Pt. 2: Structures of Actions” installation exhibition. This was a follow up to a previous piece that the artist set up for Supercrawl in 2018. This year’s installation had taken the key issues people had highlighted last year safe streets, health and the environment and put the focus on what individuals can do about them, by asking attendees to commit to a level of action on those issues.

“Are we all just going to sit around and sort of watch what’s happening, or are we going to step up and try to make a difference?” asked McLeod, when interviewed for the initial article.

In early October 2019, the membership trade association of local brewers, Ontario Craft Brewers, promoted a meeting with Sam Oosterhoff on social media. Oosterhoff is a Progressive Conservative member of provincial parliament from the Niagara-West riding, who had previously claimed he wants abortion rights removed and that he opposes the use of more gender-neutral terms. MERIT Brewing Company believed that the OCB’s post with Oosterhoff cast an unfavourable light on the industry that did not reflect MERIT’s values. They saw it as their responsibility to hold the association accountable for their actions, and to push the conversation surrounding corporate accountability.

When  interviewed for the initial article, Tej Sandu, co-owner of MERIT Brewing Company, explained: “Conversation is not enough; action needs to follow a conversation . . . You still need to have conversations to get to action . . . We’re trying to do our part. It’s inherent and embedded in what MERIT’s about, from why we are called ‘MERIT’ to what we strive to do here and has been our experience. This is something that we feel is not only our responsibility, it’s our privilege to be able to speak out on these things and it’s something that we are doing because we’re passionate about it.”

Later in the month, on Oct. 7, 2019, The Pale Blue Dot, a sustainable, environmentally conscious store in downtown Hamilton, ran their second clothing swap in partnership with Grain and Grit brewery. A great proponent of environmental consciousness, not only through their shop but also through events and workshops, the Pale Blue Dot contributed to a more sustainable Halloween with a dedicated costume section at the swap.

Nov. 9 - 10, 2019 brought a special performance by the Kronos String Quartet, as part of The Socrates Project. The group’s performance included a rendition of “Sun Rings”, composed by their friend Tyler Riley, accompanied by recordings from NASA missions. The performance was meant to foster hope and encourage solidarity and connection during difficult times. 

When interviewed, prior to the publication of the article, David Harrington, founder and violinist of the group said, “I think that by allowing ‘Sun Rings’ to enter your life, I think a person will find a larger sense of appreciation for what we have right here, right now. Music is very mysterious, we never know when we will connect with another listener . . . it just gives more of a sense of wonder and wonder is such a beautiful thing.”

We often forget that to move forward we need to first confront our past. Deanna Bowen’s exhibit A Harlem Nocturne, which debuted at the McMaster Museum of Art in January 2020, is a reminder of  Canada’s long history of systemic racism and injustice in Canada. Taking its name from the nightclub that her family operated in Vancouver decades before, Bowen’s work blended personal and public history to create an intimate and powerful exhibit that explored race, migration, historical writing and authorship.

“I would encourage people to see themselves in what I’m doing. There’s so much rich history in our own family histories. And I think it’s important to emphasize that everybody’s family story has some impact on the making of a nation . . . You know, it’s about recognizing that the power to create our history and our personal and our national narrative really does kind of boil down to people like you and I,” said Bowen when interviewed for the initial article.

February 2020 was an eventful month, coinciding with the release of our annual sex positive Sex and the Steel City issue on Valentine’s day. Full of a variety of excellent articles, including opinion pieces, artist and business profiles, this year’s issue had a special focus on identity and explored topics from queerness to body positivity, from romance to sex. 

February also saw the chance to catch up with McMaster professor Henry Giroux in a two-part article series after the publication of his newest book The Terror of the Unforeseen, which featured a forward by Julian Casablancas, the lead singer of The Strokes and Giroux's good friend. The Terror of the Unforeseen was inspired by a sense of urgency following the rise of right-winged movements across the globe and focuses on how the rise of this kind of ideology affects universities, media and culture. 

“I tried to take seriously the notion that politics follows culture, meaning that, you can’t really talk about politics unless you talk about the way in which people are experiencing their everyday lives and the problems that confront them,” Giroux explained when he was interviewed for the original article.

March 2020 turned the spotlight to sustainability initiatives once again, with pieces on Humble Bee, Hamilton’s own urban beekeeping company who has set up apiaries on campus, as well as the fabric store Needleworks. Needlework is more than just a fabric store, providing sewing lessons and workshops, which encourage their customers to express their creativity while also practicing sustainability. 

In response to escalating concerns with COVID-19, many events and exhibitions have been cancelled, and many businesses and restaurants have had to close. However, we are still committed to supporting the McMaster community as well as the arts and culture scene, by highlighting key initiatives such as community donations by restaurants and food banks, author readings on social media and festivals that have adapted to the need for physical distancing.

Awareness and action on important issues has been a central component of the arts & culture community this past year, and hopefully it is a trend that continues. Afterall, as Dr. Seuss wrote, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”

 

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