By: Natalie Clark
Since graduating from McMaster in 2008, the Arkells have become one of Hamilton’s greatest accomplishments. “You write what you know,” mentions lead singer of the Arkells, Max Kerman, who accredits not only Hamilton, but McMaster, to the inspiration behind many of the band’s greatest hits.
“You write material based on your own life experiences; you’re trying to tell a story about a person, a friend, or someone you admire,” said Kerman.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bsf4rhpF8fD/
The multiple Juno-award winning band’s career began in Hamilton where Kerman met the other members of the band. Their band name was even inspired by one of Westdale’s own street name; Arkell Street. Their first gig was played at the annual Battle of the Bands at McMaster in spring of their first year and a few of their songs feature campus landmarks such as the Brandon Hall residence in “Where U Goin”.
The Arkell’s music video sets and album titles have included places beyond campus including Cheapies Records, Jackson Square and even a Hamilton Street Railway bus.
McMaster and Hamilton are clearly places that the band admire. For Kerman, the buildings we spend long hours studying in, the neighbourhoods we settle into and the downtown spots we find excitement in paint the setting of his coming of age story, despite winding up there for other reasons.
“I went to McMaster because my high school girlfriend who was older than me was already there in the year ahead of me… I wanted to go to a school that wasn’t near my parents’ house, and McMaster took me in,” said Kerman.
Kerman went on to graduate as a political science major and describes his passion for politics as stemming from his family.
“My mom is a high school teacher and my dad is a social worker, which are two very community-based jobs…because I had this in my house growing up, it makes you think about how you are a part of a bigger thing,” explained Kerman.
He described political science as constantly asking questions about how we understand and figure things out together and how we coexist in this world. His education informed the way he sees the world and Kerman often translates this passion for politics into the band’s lyrics.
The Arkells have had more than a few hits with political messaging including “Knocking at the Door” which is inspired by The Women’s March on Washington and their most recent single, “People’s Champ”, is a protest against American President Donald Trump.
The Arkells are making their way across Canada and the United States this February to tour their new album Rally Cry. Their most local show will take place at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Feb. 16 with special guests Lord Huron.
“Getting the chance to play our new material is something we are most looking forward to, and when we were working on the songs in the studio, we were really thinking about how these songs would come off live,” mentioned Kerman.
The tour comes after their record-breaking show, The Rally, this past June at the Tim Horton’s Field. In true Arkells fashion, where better to have their biggest performance to date than in their hometown? As the Arkells continue to thrive, it’s exciting to see where their momentum will take them next.
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By: Sam Marchetti
When you think of downtown Hamilton, I wouldn’t be surprised if the first thought that comes to mind is “sketchy.” Downtown, specifically along King Street and anywhere east of Queen Street North, has often been considered as a run-down ghost of what was once a thriving, central hub.
Centered around the Jackson Square complex, my mother — a born-and-raised Hamiltonian — has told me many stories of how she and her friends used to hang around the area. The mall was initially built as an attraction for residents across the city, and for a short time, it was just that.
Now, however, it feels like that same downtown area is only a hub for the homeless and the number of clubs that exist nearby. If anyone heads to downtown Hamilton, it’s usually to visit Locke Street South or James Street North, where one can typically find highly-recommended restaurants and quaint little spots, and avoid the much less recommended walk along King Street. But is King Street really so bad? Is that downtown stretch so vastly different from how it used to and was intended to be?
I would argue it’s not. Hidden behind the stigma of being run-down, there are some great, welcoming spots in downtown. In the east end, if you walk west down King, you’ll soon find 1UP Games. This retro video game store may look in-need of a facelift, but upon entry you are greeted instantly by one of the many employees that can recommend a game or tell you about one of the many events the store runs.
To highlight how welcoming this store is, my brother, a 23-year-old-man with special needs visited the shop this past Sunday. Due to his learning curve, my brother has never really excelled at or even enjoyed many video games. However, not only was he welcomed, he was given valuable assistance and taught how to play by the community, and he now plans to return as often as possible.
For a fancier vibe, you can continue down to James Street North and head north for one block to King William Street. Although this isn’t exactly on King, you can find a stretch of nice restaurants and just across from Club Absinthe, you find Mezza, a great little Italian cafe with some high-quality pastries and drinks.
Even going inside Jackson Square, you can find two of my favourite spots. First, Landmark Cinemas, which has perhaps the nicest luxury seating I’ve ever experienced in a movie theatre. Picture full-motorized reclining seats in pairs of two, absolutely amazing for a date.
Then there’s Nations, a grocery store which contains some of the most unique items I’ve ever seen. Going into Nations is akin to being transported around the world in about 30 minutes. You can buy fresh fish and produce from around the world, as well as pre-packaged products only found on other continents and my personal favourite, Chinese-style roasted peanuts.
None of these places are particularly “sketchy” or run-down; in fact, all of them are fairly well-kept and are run by friendly, enthusiastic staff who you could not feel more comfortable around. For students it’s definitely worth a look! Perhaps you’ll end up changing your definition of downtown Hamilton.
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In a few weeks, the question of whether Hamilton should host private cannabis stores goes before the city’s planning committee.
Within the year before marijuana was legalized, the number of marijuana dispensaries operating in Hamilton had nearly tripled. With nearly 80 dispensaries popping up around the city, Hamilton had the most dispensaries per capita across Ontario, a testament to how huge the weed market really is in our city.
Right now, the only legal way to buy recreational cannabis is through the Ontario Cannabis Store’s website. Come April 2019, the province will roll out a tightly regulated, private retail model which will see the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario granting licenses to private retailers.
Until then, effectively speaking, cannabis dispensaries in Hamilton are illegal and unregulated. But what will happen to the remaining 21 dispensaries that the city has left?
In a presentation in January 2018 by Supt. Ryan Diodati, head of Hamilton’s police’s investigative services, Supt. Diodati noted that nearly 130 hours of staffing time had been invested in one investigation that had taken place in December 2017.
In many cases like this, that same dispensary could reopen the next day, ultimately demonstrating that overall, raids and closures resolve to be ineffective ways to shut down the climbing number of dispensaries across the city.
Municipal governments have until January to opt out of private cannabis stores within their jurisdictions, and there has been lots of talk within city council as to what will happen in April 2019.
Many councillors have put forward their concerns about the fate of dispensaries in the city. Namely Ward 4 Councillor Sam Merulla, who put forward a motion surrounding the fact that a lack of sustainable revenue sharing from the province in relation to the retail sale of cannabis to municipalities will amplify the regressive downloading crisis in Hamilton.
Considering the effect of nearly 130 hours of police staffing time that goes into one investigation and considering just how obsolete this work really is in shutting dispensaries down, where do we go from here?
Is there a reasonable point in shutting down the remaining dispensaries in Hamilton if they have the resources to open up again within hours? Is there a point to reallocating resources from our police department towards something that has proven to be ineffective?
As of April 2019, storefront dispensaries will have to be licensed by the province, but there will be no cap on the number of outlets within the city. Instead of wasting resources, energy and money on eliminating existing dispensaries within Hamilton, providing these businesses with a license would mean a more accessible and regulated approach to legalization.
The city’s planning committee will decide whether they want to host private cannabis stores on Dec. 11.
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A long table draped with cloth and vases filled with fresh flowers may have transformed Hamilton Artists Inc.’s gallery space into a typical dining room, but the scattered blank cards and copies of the Hamilton Tenants Solidarity Network newsletter foreshadowed much more than a meal will be shared.
The room was quiet as a few artists and community members stirred around the table. Little Theo sat on the ground preoccupied with a puzzle, seemingly unaware of the projection of multidisciplinary artist Lisa Lipton’s experiential feature film, The Impossible Blue Rose, behind him.
As special guests from the Stoney Creek Towers trickled into the room, small talk turned into big conversations around the topics of displacement in Hamilton, tenant rights, the East Hamilton rent strike and the city’s development plans.
The voices culminated to discussions around gentrification in the city, a perfect fit in terms of time and place, as traffic reached its peak along James Street North outside of the gallery. By now the artists, community members and tenants were serving themselves tabbouleh, falafel and shawarma with rice.
[spacer height="20px"]Abedar Kamgari, the programming director at Hamilton Artists Inc., welcomed everyone and led introductions. She asked the guests to look around and identify whose present and whose absent and perhaps needs to be brought to the table.
Kamgari highlighted the importance of hosting the Shared Conversations: Community Dinner event at an artist-run centre and the responsibility Hamilton Artists Inc. has to the community. The dinner is part of a series of synchronized events happening at the same time across artists-run centres around the country.
The conversation seamlessly transitioned to the economic injustices happening in Hamilton that are being driven by gentrification.
Guests spoke about their experiences at the Stoney Creek Towers and across the city, from unaffordable rent hikes, lack of heating during the winter, several month waits on repairs and alarming rates of bug and pest infestations, new and legacy tenants are being impacted by the sidelining of Hamiltonians’ home rights in favour of gentrification.
The guests were also humble in their approach, some identifying their privilege and roles in gentrification. One couple moved to Hamilton after their rented Toronto home was bought out by a tech millionaire. Another recalled the story of her neighbour who moved to the Stoney Creek Towers out of fear of being homeless.
A professor of English and writing studies at Western University made Hamilton her new home after being impacted by gentrification in North-end Halifax and London. The guests shared a consistent pattern of recognizing the complex relationship of being negatively impacted by gentrification and contributing to it.
The multi-layered conversation also focused on deciphering the roles of artists and art spaces in gentrification in Hamilton. The guests spoke about finding a balance between utilizing artists’ practice to revitalize the downtown core and ensuring that art remains accessible and affordable.
While this may paint artists as drivers of gentrification, a key part of the issue is the appropriation and misuse of art spaces by community members, developers and the city. For example, gallery spaces along James Street North have acquired an elitist persona, often used as a selling points by realtors.
One guest remarked that many artists and art spaces are unknowingly the foot soldiers of gentrification. Groups are utilizing art to invest and further their own profit without permission from the artists.
[spacer height="20px"]Sales representatives and the city of Hamilton market James Street North as a cultural hub for investors, boasting the short walk to the GO station and accessibility to the Greater Toronto Area, but efforts towards providing artists with resources, funding programming and investing in affordable housing are being called into question.
At this point in the conversation, everyone’s plates are cleared. The guests thoughtfully calculated how much they could eat, leaving no remnants behind. Coffee and tea pots are passed around the table as talks of solutions take over.
Artists can learn from the striking tenants of Stoney Creek Towers and seek out advice from their experiences working towards the goal of justice by challenging, lobbying and putting pressure on the community to change for the better. Motivation to overcome the negative effects of gentrification can be fostered by looking at the exemplary successes of dedicated individuals.
While there is no one simple solution towards overcoming the intersecting issues contributing to gentrification, artists and the community still have a responsibility to address them. Artists have to work with their neighbours, listen to their perspectives and continue having these conversations.
The Impossible Blue Rose continued to play in the background till the end of the dinner, a consistent reminder that art will always be there, but how it’s used to change the city’s landscapes and the experiences of its people is in the hands of the community.
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It all started with an illustration of Mulberry Coffeehouse at the end of July. From there, the Instagram account Hamont Doodles has accumulated 1720 followers, from local businesses to Hamilton residents.
The account depicts iconic Hamilton spots, such as Westdale Theatre and Bayview Park. Dotted between the streets and businesses everyone knows are illustrations of pretty Hamilton houses, mostly commissions from one of the account’s hundreds of followers.
[spacer height="20px"]Sara Sandham is behind Hamont Doodles, the Instagram account showing off Hamilton’s good side. Although she’s been drawing since she was young, art was never something she seriously considered as a career. It was only during this past summer that she was inspired to pick it up.
“[M]y brother had been in the hospital for a couple months and I just needed something to do… [H]e had this amazing corner room with the craziest view of the entire city. So while he was there I… started drawing and then he was basically the one who [said to] put them online,” Sandham recalled.
By putting up her pieces online, Sandham has formulated a supportive community. She’s been able to meet people who love her work and have personal connections to the spots that she’s depicted.
[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id="156" gal_title="Hamont Doodles"]
Sandham didn’t grow up in Hamilton. Her mother moved to the city when she was in university and by spending summers in Hamilton, she grew to love the city and its unique character. Now the city has grown to inspire her art.
“[A] lot of my colors and subject matter just come from photos I take when I'm out and about. So if I'm out around golden hour and I see a nice sunset, I'll take a photo of the sunset and then use those colors from that photo later in another piece,” Sandham explained.
Sandham draws digitally, using her photos of Hamilton as reference images. She starts with an outline, moves on to perspective and then works on the colours.
During the month of October, Sandham challenged herself to depart from reference images by participating in Inktober. The drawing challenge encourages artists all over the world to ink daily, using a series of 31 prompts.
[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id="157" gal_title="Hamont Doodles-2"]
She’s fallen a bit behind, but Sandham asked her followers at the start to be patient. It’s been a busy month for her. In addition to Inktober and her commissions, she is balancing two jobs. On top of that, Sandham challenged herself further by choosing to make all of her drawings Hamilton related in theme.
Sandham has been creative in how she’s done this. She started with a bottle of Ticat Tears for the prompt poisonous, drew a chicken crossing the Pride Sidewalk for the prompt chicken and drew buildings on James Street for the prompt precious.
The colours are one of the features that makes Sandham’s doodles so visually appealing. While she’s found Hamilton to be several shades of brown, those aren’t the only colours that can be seen in her illustrations. She changes up the colours, tinting browns with orange and turning greys into teal.
Sandham leaves drawing her favourite part, the sky, for last. Taking inspiration from Hamilton’s stunning sunsets, she incorporates pleasing purples and warm yellows into her skies. Most interesting is the way she formulates the sky in a series of geometric shapes.
Her followers await the colourful illustrations she will concoct in the future as Hamont Doodles continues to grow.
“Honestly I think it's happened so fast that I feel like I haven't really given a huge amount of thought to the future. I mean at some point I'd love to have my art in the Art Gallery of Hamilton–that would be a pretty cool accomplishment, but honestly I just want to make my art more accessible to people,” said Sandham.
Her following would love that as well. The beauty of Sandham’s doodles is the love and joy with which she depicts Hamilton. Everyone wants to own the snippets of the city that she creates.
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In only four days from now, McMaster students with a Hamilton address will have the opportunity to vote in the 2018 Hamilton municipal election. Here is a guide to the day of to help you find your way to a voting station and come armed with all the information you need to successfully cast your ballot.
The municipal election will take place on Oct. 22.
You have the chance to vote for the next mayor, Ward 1 city councillor and Ward 1 and 2 school board trustee.
If you are a Canadian citizen 18 or older and have a Hamilton address, you are eligible to vote in Hamilton.
As a student, you are eligible to vote both in your “home” municipality, if it is not Hamilton, and in the Hamilton municipality where you live. The bottom line is, if you have an address in Ward 1, temporary or permanent, you can vote in Ward 1. All you need is some ID that shows you live there.
Near McMaster and in the surrounding area. If you are in Ward 1, you have 11 polling stations. The closest station to McMaster is Church of God Hamilton at 265 Bowman Street. If you are coming from either the east or west side of Main Street, you can take the 5 to Main Street West and Emerson Street and walk from there or hop on the 51 to Whitney Avenue and Emerson Street.
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The polling station will be open from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm.
The nearest polling station to campus is a 25-minute walk from the McMaster University Student Centre. If you choose to bus from campus, you can take the 51 at Sterling Street and University Avenue to Whitney Avenue and Emerson Street. From there, it is a few minutes to Bowman Street and Willowcrest Avenue, where the church is located.
You will need to bring a document that shows your name and Ward 1 address.
Possible documents include:
A full list of documents can be found on the City of Hamilton website.
It is ultimately up to you. Below, you can find a list of online sources that highlight information on candidates and feature their respective platforms.
Ward 1:
- The Silhouette: www.thesil.ca/meet-your-ward-1-councillor-candidates
- The Hamilton Spectator: www.thespec.com/news-story/8891703-ward-1-information-for-hamilton-voters/
- The McMaster Students Union’s MacVotes campaign: www.msumcmaster.ca/macvotes/macvotes-municipal-elections-2018/ward-1-candidates
Mayor:
- The Hamilton Spectator: www.thespec.com/news-story/8894782-mayor-race-information-for-hamilton-voters/
- The McMaster Students Union’s MacVotes campaign: www.msumcmaster.ca/macvotes/macvotes-municipal-elections-2018/mayoral-candidates
Because you can and you should. Voting gives you an opportunity to exercise your democratic right and have the potential to impact what Hamilton will look today, tomorrow and in many years in the future. So do some research, get to the polling station, warm-up your ballot-checking fingers and cast a vote.
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[spacer height="20px"]By Elliot Fung
The Ward 1 councillor candidates are promising a number of changes that aim to improve McMaster student life. While ideas such as support for landlord licensing and the light rail transit project can be found in multiple platforms, the candidates differ in their approach to some key areas.
With the constant rise of housing prices, affordable housing, which includes student housing, is considered a top priority for all candidates. However, there are many unique proposed methods to tackle this election issue.
Carol Lazich proposes cooperative student housing initiatives and the purchase of excess land for construction of student housing complexes. Sophie Geffros proposes that new developments be required to have 15 to 25 per cent affordable and geared-to-income units.
On the other hand, Both Ela Eroglu and Sharon Cole propose intensification and infill developments. Harrison White also supports cooperative student housing initiatives and proposes the re-introduction of rental-property based tax breaks.
Sharon Anderson proposes an increase in the number of medium density developments through zoning by-law adjustments. Linda Narducci proposes better negotiations between existing landlords, patrons and developers.
Another issue pertinent to McMaster students concerns the health and safety problems caused by absentee landlords of student rentals and education about tenant rights.
Candidates Maureen Wilson, Cole, White, Geffros and Lyla Miklos support a licensing system for rental properties that would help to ensure that tenants’ rights are sustained. They also promote educational programs for students to ensure that students understand tenant rights and what landlords are legally allowed to do.
Geffros’ plan includes a $10 to $50 fee for landlords to lease a home; in return, the city would inspect rental units to ensure they are up to health and safety standards. Eroglu proposes a different approach through a two-year pilot project in the Ainslie Wood area aimed at enforcing rental housing by-laws. Lazich proposes the implementation of stricter regulations and penalties for landlords if properties are not maintained.
Candidates Wilson, Narducci, Jason Allen, White and Anderson aim to address street and traffic safety, an issue particularly relevant to students coming to campus every day from surrounding residential areas. Some proposed plans include better enforcement of speed limits and working with the city of Hamilton to clear roads and sidewalks after snow falls during the winter.
Retention of McMaster graduates in Hamilton is another issue that Lazich and Eroglu aim to address. In particular, Eroglu proposes to attract new businesses to set up in Hamilton. Lazich proposes partnering with corporations and small businesses and providing grants to students for startups.
Moreover, some candidates are promising the launch of new services and initiatives unrelated to the most significant issues at play.
For instance, Lazich wants to introduce a number of new services concerning students including dog therapy, an Indigenous Enriched Support Program, male support groups for first years, promotion of student success programs and education programs for cannabis use.
Geffros aims to address safety, hate crimes and sexual violence in Ward 1 by creating well-lit pedestrian paths, implementing emergency poles and funding free bystander intervention training.
With this year’s large number of candidates, there is a great deal of consistency across platforms with respect to themes and topics being prioritized. But while candidates are focusing on the same issues, they diverge when it comes to how they intend to address them.
For more information on candidates' platforms:
[button link="https://www.thesil.ca/meet-your-ward-1-councillor-candidates" color="red"]VIEW ALL CANDIDATE PLATFORMS[/button]
Questions on how to vote?
[button link="https://www.thesil.ca/ward-1-voting-101-a-voting-guide-for-mac-students" color="red"]WARD 1 VOTING GUIDE[/button]
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Students walking home on Sept. 27 were surprised to see the usually colourful crosswalks at the most eastern part of campus covered in white paint.
The crosswalks were commissioned by the city of Hamilton in an effort to honour Hamilton’s LGBTQ+ community.
Introducing the beautiful new crosswalks at the Sterling Street entrance to campus! Thank you to #HamOnt Mayor @FredEisenberger and Ward 1 Councillor @aidan_johnson for including McMaster in this initiative. | #BrighterWorld pic.twitter.com/0vDQbNhNRN
— McMaster University (@McMasterU) August 2, 2018
Pooja Sreerangan, a fourth-year student who lives in Westdale, saw the paint on her way home. She also said that the paint was clearly dry by the time she was leaving campus, sometime around 3 p.m., and that the paint had already spread out onto Sterling Street as cars drove over it.
UPDATE, Sept. 28 2018, 10:11 a.m. :
Both McMaster University and Hamilton Police are investigating the crosswalks.
"The University is concerned about this and is investigating. We are working to clean up the paint. The crosswalk is an initiative of the city that’s fully supported by the University and we are working together to repair the damage and clean up the paint," said Gord Arbeau, the McMaster director of communications, in an email.
"Hamilton Police have received a report of damage to the Rainbow painted crosswalk located at the intersection of Forsyth Avenue North and Sterling Street, Hamilton. The incident is believed to have occurred before 6:00 a.m. this morning," confirmed Jerome Stewart, Hamilton Police media relations officer, in an email.
"Detectives are currently investigating and an update will be made available early next week," he added.
McMaster University has begun cleaning up the crosswalks, as of 9:53 a.m., Sept. 28, 2018.
We’re cleaning up the Sterling entrance to campus and the rainbow crosswalk after a large quantity of white paint was spilled. Mac security is also investigating. Thanks for slowing down as you enter during the clean-up. pic.twitter.com/uUG8tPJe9E
— McMaster University (@McMasterU) September 28, 2018
This is a developing story. More information will be added to this page as the Silhouette receives it.
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Doug Ford and the Progressive Conservative Party’s attacks on social services have been leaving a resounding effect on our city with every cut, threat or announcement that comes to.
From announcing their plan to reduce planned increases in rates from the province’s largest social programs or cancelling Ontario’s basic income pilot project, which was meant to provide money to 4,000 low-income people in three cities, including Hamilton, a majority of social programs that have been cut have a direct impact on Hamilton’s population.
Compared to Ontario, a significantly higher portion of the Hamilton’s population live below the low income cut-off. As of December 2017, there were 20,291 households receiving assistance in Hamilton. That’s up from 18,719 in December 2014.
This city deserves a hell of a lot better than this. Turning a blind eye on a city that relies heavily on social services and assistance from its government is incredibly irresponsible on a provincial level.
There is work being done. Hamilton mayor Fred Eisenberger and other Ontario mayors asking the federal government to assumer oversight of the basic income pilot and city council has voted in favour of officially denouncing the decision to cancel the pilot project, but there is still so much more work left to do.
McMaster is a great safety net. It lets you experience Hamilton from a moderate distance while keeping you in a closely knit bubble. Unless you’re active within the community, you may not necessarily have to engage with the unique issues that the city of Hamilton is facing.
At the end of the day, however, this is still your city. Regardless of whether you’ll be here for the next four to six years or the next thirty, your city is suffering at the hands of our provincial government. It’s worth considering how your neighbour’s livelihood is being affected by these cuts, even if yours isn’t.
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Since February of this year, local media artist, Vanessa Crosbie Ramsay, has devoted hours to hand-knitting and wrapping into a ball 9000 feet of Internet cable. This knitting and wrapping culminated when the 40 feet long by 12 feet wide structure was positioned outside last Thursday for Supercrawl, along with two giant, pink knitting needles.
The piece, entitled male-dominated, speaks to the underrepresentation of women in science,technology, engineering and math fields. The idea was sparked by friends of hers who had started a technology business and employed no women or people of colour. Aware that this problem is systemic, she wanted to create a piece that commented on it in an unexpected way.
“These types of companies hire less women and… when they have women that are hired, they're [in] pretty misogynist spaces a lot of the time. [M]y work in general grows out of feminist issues and this… is just a small way to contribute to bringing attention to an issue like that,” she explained.
In creating the piece, Ramsay considered what is historically ‘women’s work’. The cables wrapped together into a semblance of a yarn ball calls to mind a past where the majority of women did work as homemakers.
However, contrasted with the technological tint of the cables, she brings onlookers back to the present, reminding them that in 2018, a lot of women are getting degrees and holding jobs outside of the home. While women might still knit, as Ramsay did to create the piece, it isn’t necessarily all that women do.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bm6BFX0nFv1/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
Ramsay herself is a good example of this. She attended York University, where she obtained a bachelor’s degree in fine arts with a minor in English. She juggles multiple roles as an arts educator, a media artist, a visual artist, a filmmaker and more.
She works in a space where women historically have been shut out from. Earlier this year, when Ramsay won a City of Hamilton Media Arts Award, she felt it was important to use her speech to talk about the disappointing representation of women in art.
“[W]e need to give more opportunities for women. I know the art gallery is working on it. Hopefully the trickledown is that all…organizations are working on it, having more women, having more diverse representation of all different types of people, rather than just white dudes. There's some amazing women artists, even just in the city and we need to do more to celebrate that.”
Ramsay’s focus on intersectional feminism has defined the trajectory of her career. Following her graduation from York, she worked in television editing, but wasn’t happy with the portrayal of women in shows. Since 2010, she has been working in visual art, allowing her to express herself and her views. She currently has a feminist art collective named the DAV(e) Collective with two other professional artists.
“I would like to see more friendly, inclusive, welcoming environments for women so [that] when they get jobs...they [would] want to stay in them. And the same in art. We just need more representation in all of these fields and safer [and] more inclusive spaces for women in general,” she explained.
There’s a definite need for more welcoming spaces in the art world where thoughtful artists like Ramsay can exist in. Unfortunately, her experiences as a woman in the art world run parallel to the experiences of women working in several different fields, including STEM.
Some days Ramsay is optimistic and some days she is not. She is encouraged by the progress that is being made towards creating better environments for women, but sees how slow this progress can be. There’s no doubt that her expansive piece and all the work that she has done is helping carve out the space she strives for.
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