While Indigenous communities still lack access to safe drinking water, we continue to pollute and take for granted our most precious, life-sustaining resource
If you are a citizen of a major urban city who is lucky enough to have four walls and a roof to come home to and a livable income, it is likely that without even realizing it, you take water for granted. If you ever feel the slightest bit of thirst, you merely turn on the tap, maybe even run the water through a Brita filter and just like that your thirst is quenched.
People might not think about where that water comes from or what happens to it when it passes through our sewage systems. Nor about the fact that not far from us are Indigenous communities which do have to worry daily about the safety of their drinking water.
Although we all live within the same country, Indigenous communities have faced and continue to face a lack of access to clean drinking water, posing a prominent health concern for decades.
Although we all live within the same country, Indigenous communities have faced and continue to face a lack of access to clean drinking water, posing a prominent health concern for decades.
Since 1995 the Neskantaga First Nation community has been living under a drinking water advisory. For 29 years this community, much like other Indigenous communities, have had to boil their water before consuming. The uncertain health risk has led to some communities only drinking bottled water. Imagine the only trustable source of water you have access to throughout your life was water that came in plastic bottles.
On top of this, Ontario has been and continues to release only partially treated sewage water into Lake Ontario. This has led to our waterfronts being unsafe to drink from or even swim in. In addition, the Great Lakes are now polluted with microplastics.
Recently in Hamilton there has been an increase of sewage flowing into Lake Ontario. Not only has this been an ongoing issue, but it’s becoming worse as the years progress. As wastewater spreads into our waterways, it negatively impacts the biodiversity found within these ecosystems which further feeds into the negative spiral of poor water quality.
Recently in Hamilton there has been an increase of sewage flowing into Lake Ontario. Not only has this been an ongoing issue, but it’s becoming worse as the years progress.
The Hamilton sewage leakage in 2019 was reported to leak approximately 24 billion litres of wastewater into Chedoke Creek over four years. The latest reports on the progress of addressing this issue state that the city is still working on cleaning up the contamination of sewage.
We all share Earth’s water supply because water is fluid. How one region of the globe pollutes its water supply impacts all of us. Just because our pollution is localized to the Great Lakes doesn’t mean that this water hasn’t travelled internationally.
Our communities are all connected. Thus, we need to do better in how we treat our water before we return the water we have used to nature. If you have not yet experienced direct impacts of this issue, we can assure you that consequences are beginning to appear.
For example, there have been frequent E. coli warnings at the Ontario beaches this summer preventing people from enjoying the water. The dangerous levels of E. coli have been attributed to the poor management of rainwater during storms, leading to a backlog of sewage seeping into our beach water.
We hope that we can safely assume our readers believe that access to safe drinking water is a human right. Water being a human right means that we ought to ensure everyone has access to it and that we treat it with great care.
The next time you go to turn on the tap, think about why you and not someone else doesn’t have to fear they won’t be hydrated one day.
The next time you go to turn on the tap, think about why you and not someone else doesn’t have to fear they won’t be hydrated one day. We encourage you reflect on the immense privilege so many of us possess and speak up about what today should no longer be an issue.
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.
With the competitive job market, students are struggling to prioritize their academic goals
Have you noticed that it's becoming more difficult to get a job?
Some are fortunate to have an established network of people who help make securing a job easier. However, seeking a job solely on your own which can involve sending out several cold emails, endlessly browsing job boards, and creating a network, often proves to be more difficult than anticipated.
As a co-op student, it felt harder than necessary to secure a job for my first placement. Out of the 70 jobs I applied to, I only received four interviews.
Although this may not be the case for everyone, many students have also experienced this when it comes to job hunting.
The co-op program at McMaster University requires students to secure a job placement before their allotted work term. If a student is unable to get a job their work-term can either be moved to another semester, they may only be required to complete three work terms or they may also be removed from the program if they have not been actively searching for a position.
With limited prospects in the current job market, having to pursue one of the alternatives listed above can significantly impact our academic terms.
For many co-op students, in third year we often have our fall semester as an academic term whereas our winter and spring/summer terms are work placements. We then have a regular term during our fourth fall semester. In the winter of our fourth year, we begin looking for our next placement for the upcoming spring/summer and fall semesters of fifth year. We finally end our undergraduate careers on with one last academic term.
For a student whose work term is moved to another semester, also known as resequencing, they may not get into their required classes. We must enroll for the co-op course instead, while some of our required courses are only available during certain terms. Since students will be on work terms during the spring/summer semesters, it may become more difficult to catch up on missed pre-requisites as they are on a co-op placement during this time.
Although it is possible to begin catching up while on a work placement, co-op students are only allowed to complete one course per semester during a work term with permission from their supervisor. If your course is offered during these semesters, it can be difficult to balance this and full-time work.
If we fall behind, we don't have much room to catch up with courses. Failing to find a co-op placement in part due to the current job market being so limited faces us with dire consequences when it comes to obtaining our degrees. We are disadvantaged from successfully completing our academic requirements. We also may be putting our dreams of a thesis at risk as resequencing causes us to have a work term during our fourth year.
However, this struggle is not only limited to co-op students. The current job market has not been kind to any student. With positions being more difficult to secure, the stress we experience interferes with our academics.
The process of actually finding a job may not be the cause of stress for non-co-op students. The financial aspect of what a job promises can cause students to displace their focus from academics to job seeking. Meanwhile, many students need a part-time job to pay their expenses that OSAP and other financial aid services might not cover cover.
With jobs difficult to secure and the rising cost of living, we are detracted from prioritizing our studies. How can we, if we have to worry about next month's rent with no income to support ourselves?
When we worry about fulfilling our most basic needs like rent, food and tuition, it becomes difficult for us to focus on our education.
When we worry about fulfilling our most basic needs like rent, food and tuition, it becomes difficult for us to focus on our education.
I am not sure if you can relate, but I am more inclined to skip a lecture when I have more urgent matters to attend. Can't get into a course that is crucial for a concurrent certificate? I'm skipping a lecture to talk with an academic advisor. Can't secure a position for co-op with the deadline fast approaching? I'm skipping another lecture to try and find a solution.
Although these are conscious choices that I am making, the external influence of the tight job market becomes detracts greatly from my academics as I worry about the implications of not having a job.
This is something many students face. I hear it frequently when talking to my peers. Many of us are seeking jobs to help supplement what OSAP does not cover, but are struggling to get a job because of the current market. This constant struggle keeps us distracted from our academics, negatively impacting our performance.
It's tough finding a job in the real world.
As undergraduate students, we have access to resources that make the job-hunting process slightly less challenging. Jobs listed under the student-work program and co-op-specific job board are exclusive to McMaster students. Access to these resources limits the size of the applicant pool, increasing students' odds of securing a job.
Nevertheless, the process of job hunting doesn't get easier after we graduate. The co-op job hunting process is not a reflection of real-world competitiveness due to the supports and exclusive job board we are given.
With many companies cutting back their available positions due to a lack of funding, everything has become increasingly competitive. Being thrown into this without support can be challenging.
However, using university resources to your advantage to create a network can help improve your chances of securing a job. By connecting with your professors early on and attending campus events, you are building bridges to help facilitate the connections needed to get you into your field of work.
Using university to your advantage to create a network can help improve your chances of securing a job. By connecting with your professors early on and attending campus events, you are building bridges to help facilitate the connections to get you into your field.
Although job hunting is not easy, my biggest piece of advice is to keep working away at it. Maintaining resilience and working early ahead are the best things you can do to overcome the challenges we all face as students while maintaining your academic performance. By starting the job application process earlier, you will increase your chances of securing a position because the more jobs you apply to, the more likely it is to secure a position - it's a numbers game.
And remember, you aren't alone! Take advantage of the support McMaster has to offer. It may take some time, but you will be able to secure a position.
MSU-organized initiative offers daily 90 minute access to Hamilton Social Bikes at a reduced rate
Earlier this March, the McMaster Student Union held a referendum to include a discounted Hamilton bike share pass as a part of student fees starting in September 2024. This initiative will offer students a sustainable and affordable way to get to and around campus, with an option to opt out for those who do not wish to bike.
Following the successful bike share referendum passed by the MSU last academic year, an incidental fee of $24.50 including tax has been added to the tuition of full-time McMaster undergraduate students. This fee grants them membership to the Hamilton Bike Share program.
Students who do not opt out of the program will receive an annual bike pass, providing access to a network of publicly shared bicycles across 130 locations in Hamilton, including the seven stations located on McMaster's campus.
The pass will be accessible through the Bike Share SoBi mobile app, where students can create an account and register using their MacID information. After registering, students can use the app to unlock bikes, pay for rides, and enjoy 90 minutes of riding each day. Users will also receive a $10 credit for additional features that may incur a fee, such as locking a bicycle outside a designated station off campus.
Students who exceed the 90-minute daily limit will be charged $0.15 per minute on their account, which is the normal rate for Sobi users. The regular annual pass is priced at $192, meaning full-time undergraduate students benefit from a discount of 88.7 per cent.
The bike share initiative was driven by a group of seven students who advocated for the program on campus. In 2023, the group circulated a petition to investigate if students would support the pass and collected about 870 valid signatures. Following this, they worked to establish a memorandum of understanding between Hamilton Bike Share and the MSU.
In an interview with the Silhouette, Xin Law-Gallagher, one of the co-organizers of the program, spoke about how they raised awareness about the proposed program leading up to the referendum in March 2024. "We went around to everyone chilling in libraries, in the student centre, and in study spaces, handing out stickers and a little information card with a QR code saying, "Have you heard about this referendum?" ... the answer was always no," said Law-Gallagher.
We went around to everyone chilling in libraries, in the student centre, and in study spaces, handing out stickers and a little information card with a QR code saying, "Have you heard about this referendum?"... the answer was always no.
Xin Law-Gallagher, co-organizer, Student Bike Pass
The co-organizers mentioned that they thought the most effective methods to boost voter turnout was visiting popular classes. They contacted professors across various faculties and gave presentations at the start of each class, encouraging students to vote.
Paris Liu, another co-organizer of the bike pass, shared her motivations with The Silhouette, emphasizing her concerns about the climate crisis. "I think everyone in the group joined for different reasons … for me, it was mostly the climate crisis with seeing how urgent that was and how the transport sector in Canada contributes [to it]", said Liu.
Liu mentioned that she hopes this program will contribute to encouraging a culture of biking across Canada and increases active transportation. "I hope that [the] success [of the pass] initiates a culture of biking across Canada because in Canada, it's just not really prevalent...whereas [in] Europe, this is very normal ... to have a bike share discount pass for students in most European universities", said Liu.
On March 6 and 7, 2024, students were able to vote for or against the bike share referendum held by the MSU. A total of 4,264 of 25,714 eligible undergraduate students, approximately 17 per cent, voted. Of those who voted, 94.5 percent were in favour of creating a 12-month bike share pass at McMaster.
The referendum needed to meet a simple majority, and required a minimum voter turnout of 10 per cent for the ballots to be counted as valid. A previous referendum in 2016 failed by a narrow margin of three percent.
Michael Wooder, who is responsible for the operations and management of the MSU, spoke to the Silhouette prior to the share program's launch." "I see tremendous value in this program as it is offering yet another enhancement to student transportation options in a sustainable way. Coupled with the fact that it is based on an opt-out model … a student potentially looked at this as a win-win option if they don't care to cycle," said Wooder.
I see tremendous value in this program as it is offering yet another enhancement to student transportation options in a sustainable way. Coupled with the fact that it is based on an opt-out model…a student potentially looked at this as a win-win option if they don't care to cycle.
Michael Wooder, general manager, MSU
The new student fee will provide over $600,000 annually to Hamilton Bike Share. This will make McMaster students the largest single source of revenue for Hamilton Bike Share.
Wooder mentioned that after the referendum, Hamilton Bike Share and the MSU had been in collaboration to implement the program for all full-time students, including establishing privacy policies and data-sharing procedures with the university.
"…there is a memorandum of understanding between the MSU, [Hamilton] Bike Share, and McMaster University … that says that SoBi will maintain a minimum of 100 bicycles in service on campus at all times during classes… that doesn't limit them to only 100, but that's the operational floor," said Wooder. He added that Hamilton Bike Share will monitor student usage trends to plan to meet the growing demand for social bikes.
Wooder expressed his hope that the program will become a long-term mode of convenient and sustainable transportation.
Marketing for the bike-sharing program will begin in the coming weeks, with the opt-out option available from September 1 to September 30.
Hamilton-based band Babbage Industries joins worldwide celebration encouraging everyone to
stop and listen to the music
On Aug. 30, local band Babbage Industries played a free concert from the porch of a house near Churchill Park in Westdale. Members of the Westdale community gathered to enjoy an evening of music.
Play Music on the Porch Day was started in 2014 by artist Brian Mallman who wondered, “What if for one day everything stopped and we all just listened to the music?” The event is held on the last Saturday in August and has grown to include thousands of musicians from over 70 countries. To participate you simply go outside and play music.
What if one day everything stopped and we all just listened to the music?
Brian Mallman, founder, Play Music on the Porch Day
Participants could register online to be on the Play Music on the Porch Day worldwide map, which showcases the global extent of the day. Monica Knott, the event host and bassist, remarked “We’re just one little dot in all of the dots. It’s everywhere. It’s kind of cool to know that everywhere in the world everybody was doing something like that.”
This was the first time Babbage Industries participated in Play Music on the Porch Day, having heard about the idea last year. However, they had been playing music on the porch since the COVID-19 pandemic. "We wanted to play music together and of course it’s really impossible to do that during COVID times. So we practiced exactly that way many times and the neighbours would sit on their porch and [cheer] and that sort of thing," said Knott.
Play Music on the Porch Day provides an opportunity for people to meet their neighbors and build community. In between songs, the band and audience talked about music and other shared interests. The audience was encouraged to sing along to songs they knew. Knott mentioned that one woman brought a melodica and played along and another passerby happened to be an accordion player.
Knott enjoyed witnessing small interactions between people, like her neighbor going to get a chair from his house for another attendee. “We consume music, for sure. We wear our headphones, but it doesn’t build interactions like we’re having right now. Even when you go to a concert, you go with your friends, you dance with your friends, but you’re not necessarily making those connections. But this made connections,” said Knott.
We consume music, for sure. We wear our headphones, but it doesn't build interactions like we're having right now. Even when you go to a concert, you go with your friends, you dance with your friends, but you're not necessarily making those connections. But this made connections.
Monica Knott, event host and bassist, Play Music on the Porch Day
Babbage Industries enjoys performing regularly. “As a band, we just love playing together. One thing we love more than anything is just hanging out, making music, being good to each other,” said Knott. The band’s upcoming engagements include the Hamilton for Haiti fundraiser and I’ll be Mother, an original musical. Knott said she hopes to host Play Music on the Porch Day again and have more musicians join in next year.
Hamilton Festival Theatre Company fosters community with a theatre-forward variety show at the Staircase
The Hamilton Festival Theatre Company hosted their third Fun House on Mar. 19 at the Staircase to showcase their work. Hosted by Franny McCabe Bennett, managing director of HFTCo, the event gave audiences a peek behind the scenes at the artists responsible for the Hamilton Fringe Festival.
HFTCo was started in 2002 and it introduced the Fringe Festival, which explore countercultural ways of doing theatre, to Hamilton.
HFTCo aims to train and showcase Hamilton’s rising theatre artists and storytellers through their platform, while making theatre accessible to everyone. Along with the annual summer Fringe Festival, HFTCo runs a number of other events and programs throughout the year. These include winter storytelling festival Frost Bites, teen performing arts program Spark and the Artistic Leadership and Entrepreneurial Training program.
This year, they started up Fun House, which is a monthly variety night that acts as a community mixer and a fundraiser. Through Fun House, HFTCo strengthens their relationships with artists in the community while also raising funds for their other community events through a "pay what you can" format.
Fun House features music, stories, comedy shows and interviews, usually with past and present Fringe performers and administrators. The Mar. 19 show featured educator and McMaster alumna Maddie Krusto and Canadian Comedy Award winner and Fringe veteran Natasha Boomer who both explored “What is Theatre?” during their segment. It also featured Christopher Stanton, the executive director at HFTCo, who did a 10-minute sing-a-long with his guitar.
Through their initiatives, such as Fun House, HFTCo hopes to bring local artists to the spotlight while bringing the Hamilton arts community together.
“We are super proud of the community work that we do [with] platforming artists and doing it together with our allies here around Hamilton,” said Christopher Stanton, the executive director of HFTCo.
Stanton hopes HFTCo's initiatives will showcase their version of theatre, which he describes as punk rock, thought-provoking and hard yet beautiful. He also hopes that HFTCo will empower the local community.
“It's our dream to be one of the things that lifts Hamilton into a place where we're all proud [of, a place] where the arts are accessible and welcoming for everybody,” said Stanton.
It's our dream to be one of the things that lifts Hamilton into a place where we're all proud [of, a place] where the arts are accessible and welcoming for everybody.
Christopher Stanton, HFTCo, executive director
In addition to the monthly Fun House shows, HFTCo will be hosting a gala fundraiser in May and their annual Fringe Festival in July.
Department of Physics and Astronomy purchased over half a million eclipse viewing glasses, hosted public lectures and a viewing party for the Apr. 8 total solar eclipse
Ahead of the total solar eclipse on Apr. 8, the Department of Physics and Astronomy at McMaster University was busy preparing plans to engage all of Hamilton with the rare astronomical event.
The eclipse is the first of its kind to happen over Hamilton since Jan. 1925. The next total solar eclipse over Hamilton will not occur until 2144.
In a webinar live streamed in November 2023, Laura Parker, a professor and university scholar in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at McMaster, explained how total solar eclipses happen and why they are so rare.
Parker explained that a total solar eclipse is when the moon passes in front of the Earth and completely blocks out the sun over a certain area. She explained that lunar eclipses, when the moon passes behind and is blocked by the Earth, can be seen far more frequently from anywhere on our planet as the Earth is much larger than the moon and is more likely to completely block sunlight from reaching the moon.
In contrast, the moon is much smaller and does not cast a total shadow on the whole Earth during a solar eclipse. “The area of the earth which experiences a total solar eclipse when these things happen is pretty small” said Parker.
The area of the Earth which experiences a total solar eclipse when these things happen is pretty small.
Laura Parker, Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy McMaster University
Parker elaborated that when a solar eclipse does happen, a much greater area of Earth can witness a partial solar eclipse, meaning that the moon only partially blocks out the sun from that point of view. She explained that it is because the path of totality, the area of the Earth for which the entire sun is blocked, is so small that total solar eclipses are such rare events for any given place on the planet.
As they are such rare events, many within the path of totality were watching the eclipse and many who reside outside of the path travelled to cities like Hamilton to view it. However, as always looking directly at the sun causes damage to one’s eyes and so special viewing glasses that reduce the intensity of light needed to be worn to watch the eclipse progress.
For this reason, McMaster purchased more than 600,000 pairs of viewing glasses for the residents of Hamilton. McMaster partnered with local Hamilton libraries to distribute the glasses to residents. Glasses were also distributed to public libraries in Brantford, Burlington, Haldimand County and the Six Nations Public Library. Glasses were also available for students to pick up from McMaster’s libraries.
McMaster purchased more than 600,000 pairs of viewing glasses for the residents of Hamilton.
In addition, the Department of Physics and Astronomy hosted several lectures about total solar eclipses that were free to attend and open to the public, where attendees could also pick up a pair of viewing glasses.
Finally, on Apr. 8 from 1 to 5 p.m., a viewing party open to McMaster faculty, students, staff and alumni was held at the Ron Joyce Stadium.
On Cuddling: Loved to Death in the Racial Embrace is a new collection of essays and poetry by professor, activist, and McMaster alumnus Phanuel Antwi
The On Cuddling: Loved to Death in the Racial Embrace book launch will be held at the Art Gallery of Hamilton on Mar. 14 from 7-9:30 p.m.. This event is co-presented by the Art Gallery of Hamilton, Big Brother House and Pluto Press, with the support of local bookstore Epic Books.
Author Phanuel Antwi uses the concept of cuddling in essays and poems to explore the suffering of Black people at the hands of state violence and racial capitalism, as well as to address how racial violence occurs through intimacy.
Antwi is the Canada Research Chair in Black Arts and Epistemologies. He is a McMaster University alumnus and a current curator, activist and associate professor at the University of British Columbia.
He started writing this book during a peak of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2014 when there were massive protests against racial violence from police. In his book, Antwi recalled the killing of Eric Garner, an unarmed Black man who was choked to death by a police officer in 2014.
By connecting cuddling, an action that people typically enjoy, to racial violence and to the Black Lives Matter movement, he wanted to make people rethink what they may take for granted.
“A lot of folks would now pause to think about cuddling, not as an innocent practice, but also as a practice that can also be used as a weapon to actually end someone's life. And at the same time, it is also a practice that gives joy, ” said Antwi.
Antwi aims to portray cuddling as a philosophical idea that has different meanings depending on the situation while relating it back to issues that are important to him and wants to bring awareness to.
“It means a lot that I can use [cuddling] to have conversations with many people about Black lives, about something that really matters to me, which is, "How do we actually think about Black lives in a very robust way?"" explained Antwi.
It means a lot that I can use [cuddling] to have conversations with many people about Black lives, about something that really matters to me, which is, "How do we actually think about Black lives in a very robust way?"
Phanuel Antwi, On Cuddling, Author
Antwi hopes that his readers can feel like they are being cuddled after reading this book. Pre-registration is recommended for the event.
Take a break and check out these new and old exhibitions at the Art Gallery of Hamilton!
Midterm season can be draining and taking a break to view exhibitions at the Art Gallery of Hamilton can be a great way to destress!
This exhibition features more than 70 works created over four decades by Shelley Niro, a Mohawk artist based in Brantford, ON. The first major retrospective exhibition of her work, 500 Year Itch highlights the following themes: matriarchy, past is present, actors and family relations. Niro aims to represent Indigenous women and girls while advocating for self-representation and sovereignty using parody, feminism and spirituality. The exhibit will be available for viewing from Feb. 10-May 26, 2024.
Alex Jacobs-Blum: Living and Lost Connections
Hamilton-based artist Alex Jacobs-Blum presents her first museum solo exhibition using photos and videos to portray the themes of continuity and legacy. "As part of her artmaking process, Jacobs-Blum immerses herself in Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫʼ (Cayuga) homelands, situated around one of the Finger Lakes in present-day upstate New York. There, she embodies Hodinöhsö:ni’ women across generations, connecting deeply with Creation. By documenting her presence in the landscape, she navigates historical narratives, displacement, responsibility, and the shaping of new futures," as mentioned on the AGH website. The exhibit will be available for viewing from Feb. 10-May 20, 2024.
RBC Artist In Residence: Melissa General
Melissa General is a Mohawk artist from Six Nations of the Grand River Territory and is the 2023-2024 RBC Artist in Residence at AGH. Her exhibition involves using photography, audio, video and installation to explore the concepts of memory, language and land of the Six Nations of the Grand River, as well as her identity as a Mohawk artist. The exhibit has been around for a year and is almost over, so don't miss it!
Kim Adams is a Canadian artist who explores mobile and industrial societies through his work. "Blending humour, satire and seriousness, he builds “worlds” as a means of social critique," as mentioned on the AGH website. His exhibition portrays satirical dystopian pieces of work, as exemplified in Bruegel-Bosch Bus. His work has been showcased in both parks and museums. This exhibition will be around for a long time, but it won't be here forever.
Have fun checking these exhibitions!
This local comedy club is all about local Canadian talent and making people laugh
Located in downtown Hamilton on King St. W, the Levity Comedy Club & Lounge features live standup shows from around the globe, with a special emphasis on Canadian comedians.
Beyond the standup shows, the club also offers a lounge area with a bar and kitchen, open for food and drink service before, throughout and after shows.
The Levity Comedy Club is dedicated to creating a fun and engaging environment. They offer Amateur Nights on Wednesdays for those who are trying to break into the standup scene. Friday and Saturday nights are booked for seasoned comedians who are sure to deliver exciting shows. The club even hosts workshops on Tuesdays for people to step into the world of standup by trying some writing or getting on stage for the first time.
The club opened in 2019 by Patrick Coppolino, a born and raised Hamiltonian who has been doing standup since 2009. Coppolino started by producing multiple shows around the city in bars and other venues. There, he gathered experience running venues and regularly putting on shows. Coppolino, who was familiar with the owners of the Anchor Bar, then started Levity Comedy Club above the bar.
Coppolino works as the manager, booker and promoter of the club. As a comedian himself, he also occasionally performs and hosts Amateur Nights.
As Hamilton's only comedy club, the Levity Comedy Club has a unique role in the city. It is the only place in Hamilton to see professional standup shows or to try it out yourself.
Now open for five years, the club continues to attract audiences and to create a welcoming and encouraging atmosphere for performers and attendees alike.
"A lot of people end up hanging out afterwards. We have a lot of regulars now that became friends from being there together. They showed up separately, [then] met each other at the bar after. Now they just regularly come to the show, which is really cool," said Coppolino.
A lot of people end up hanging out afterwards. We have a lot of regulars now that became friends from being there together. They showed up separately, [then] met each other at the bar after. Now they just regularly come to the show, which is really cool.
Patrick Coppolino, Manger/Booker/Promoter, Levity Comedy Club and Lounge
Students can come for free on Wednesdays, as long as they show their student ID. Coppolino explained that it's a small incentive to get more youth exposed to standup. With the rise of standup on the internet, including on Instagram, TikTok and Youtube, the club is a great chance to experience comedy in-person.
The Levity Comedy Club is a great way to spend a fun night with friends. Additionally, students who want to work on their standup skills––or even their public speaking skills––can look forward to Amateur Nights and workshops. No matter what day of the week it is, The Levity Comedy Club promises to have you laughing and feeling lighter!
