Watch FreeUp! Emancipation Day 2023 on CBC Gem.
CBC

View in browser

Hi, Art!

Sunday, July 30, 2023

Hi, Art!

Sunday, July 30, 2023

Hi, art lovers!

 
Still from FreeUp! Emancipation Day 2023. Black and white photo of a Black performer in a medium shot, appearing in profile. They wear a suit jacket with bold shoulders and a chunky chain choker. Holding a microphone stand, they sing with their eyes closed. Text in yellow and black reads

CBC

 
Watching the FreeUp! Emancipation Day special has become a summer tradition at CBC Arts, and this year’s program arrives Tuesday, streaming live on CBC Gem at 8 p.m. (8:30 p.m. NT). A mix of documentary and all-new musical performances, the show is a celebration of freedom, marking the 189th anniversary of the Slavery Abolition Act, which took effect in 1834. And from its origins as a Toronto open mic night, the event has grown into an acclaimed showcase of homegrown talent, with last year’s special earning three nominations at the Canadian Screen Awards. On deck for the 2023 show: appearances from folk singer-songwriter Kaïa Kater, rapper DijahSB, ballroom artist James Baley and more. All the programming details, including info on how to tune in, can be found right here.
 

And because we promised you eye candy ...

 
Detail of artwork by Deanna Bowen. A collection of archival images, some in silhouette, against a black backdrop.

Deanna Bowen

Another noteworthy announcement for Emancipation Day: on Tuesday, the National Gallery of Canada will unveil The Black Canadians (after Cooke), a new installation by Deanna Bowen (seen here). The piece will envelop the gallery’s south facade through fall of 2024, and it’s one of the largest works they’ve ever presented. It’s a project that involved extensive archival research, and to get some of that background, I’d suggest watching this video interview with Deanna, as she discusses her own family’s story and how it merges with the complicated history of Black migration and discrimination in North America.
 
Photographic image suggesting a 3D diorama of a colourful and surreal ocean floor.

Séamus Gallagher

You’ll find an interview with Sobey nominee Michèle Pearson Clarke in the section below, but first, feast your eyes on this fantasy seascape by her fellow nominee, Séamus Gallagher. Séamus opens a new exhibition, Mother Memory Cellophane, at Momenta Biennale de l’image in Montreal Sept. 8.
 
Circle-cropped photo of a dark acetate rotary phone case suspended against a gold tinsel backdrop.

Caitlind r.c. Brown and Wayne Garrett

“Where is home for you? How do you keep in touch with people far away? Who do you wish you could be closer to?” Artists Caitlind r.c. Brown and Wayne Garrett want to know, and they’re asking you to answer those questions by sending them a photo, message or voice mail. It’s all part of a new public art project (Play It By Ear), which is coming to Edmonton’s Butler Memorial Park later this year. (Deadline for photos is July 31, and they’ll be collecting messages until Aug. 1.)
 
PHoto of bananas growing on a tree. Glass champagne flutes are stored in the bushel of bananas, encasing individual fruits.

Pionara

Picture from How to store your stuff in nature by Pionara. (As someone living with limited closet space, I’m tempted to interpret the entire photo project as practical advice.)
 
 

You've got to see this

 
 
 
Close-up portrait of artist Michele Pearson Clarke. She is a Black woman with a shaved head wearing a leopard-print Adidas T-shirt and she looks directly at the viewer with pursed lips.
Kristy Boyce

She became an artist at 40. Now, Michèle Pearson Clarke is a Sobey nominee at 50

 
Before the Sobey’s age restriction was lifted, the Toronto-based artist wouldn't have qualified for the prize.
 
Still from CBC Arts short doc about Rocky Dobey. A street scene in downtown Toronto. In the foreground, a spherical metal sculpture on a concrete plinth. An intersection and 7-11 can be seen in the background.
CBC Arts

Once you’ve seen Rocky Dobey’s art, you’ll realize it’s everywhere in Toronto

 
Rocky’s been making street art since the ‘70s, and his metal plaques and sculptures are hiding in plain sight. 
 
Medium closeup of Devery Jacobs. An Indigenous woman with long, straight, dark hair, she smiles and looks away from the viewer. Wearing a white moto jacket, she is seated on a couch.

CBC Arts

 

Here & Queer with Devery Jacobs

 
Through her work in Reservation Dogs and This Place, the star is blazing a trail for a new generation of talent.
 

Follow this artist

 
 
 
Instagram

Jace Junggyu Kim

@jacethekim
Realistic painting with surreal elements. Close-up portrait of an Asian man in profile. He frowns and is pictured against a black backdrop. A spot on his head above his ear is painted in a rough, 3D texture unlike the rest of the painting. It is speckles of peach and pink tones.

Jace Junggyu Kim

The Art Battle 2023 Canadian National Championship went down in Toronto last week, and before the tournament kicked off, Jace gave us a primer on what it’s all about. 
 

Share this newsletter

Facebook Twitter

or subscribe if this was
forwarded to you.

 
 

Got questions? Typo catches? Story ideas?

 

We're just an email away. Send us a note, and we'll do our best to get back to you.

If someone forwarded you this message and you like what you've read, here's where to subscribe for more.

I’m Leah Collins, senior writer at CBC Arts. Until next time!

 
XOXO CBC Arts
XOXO CBC Arts
 
Follow us
Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Instragram Subscribe on YouTube
View in browser Preferences Feedback Unsubscribe
CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
250 Front St. W, Toronto, Ontario M5V 3G5
cbc.radio-canada.ca | radio-canada.ca | cbc.ca

 
Get this newsletter delivered to you