 Hi, art lovers! | | |  | (Tim Singleton/CBC Arts) | | | How did Harry Potter help one writer embrace the many intersections of her identity — and why did she wait so damned long to finally watch the movies? And did you ever stop to think how Anora, one of the top films in this year’s Oscar race, is an “accidental trans-girl romantic tragicomedy”?
You probably saw both of those stories if you spent any time on the site last week. They’re the first two entries in a new personal essay series called Emerging Queer Voices, a project that’s been percolating since the fall. Peter Knegt announced the initial plans in October when he signed off from his own long-running column, Queeries. And in an update last week, he shared a bit of a mission statement on what readers can look forward to.
Peter writes: “It was important for me to launch Emerging Queer Voices for a few reasons. For one, I know what a challenging landscape it has become in this country for writers, especially if you're just starting out. And it gets even harder if you want to write pieces that offer an uncompromising queer viewpoint, which is what this series intends to do.”
Every month, a different writer will be in the spotlight to cover LGBTQ arts and culture “through a personal lens.” And if that sounds like your dream assignment … say hello already! Peter is looking for writers, and everything you need to know about pitching an essay can be found at this link. Good luck!
| | | | | Because we promised you eye candy ... | | | | |  | Xiaojing Yan | | Happy Lunar New Year! Ontario artist Xiaojing Yan (seen here) welcomed the Year of the Snake last week by sharing this brass sculpture, Circle of Life, on Instagram. As she wrote in the post, it “combines the Ouroboros [of ancient Egypt and Greece] and Nuwa, from Chinese mythology, symbolizing the eternal cycle of life, death and rebirth, and highlighting the interconnectedness and cyclical nature of life.” | | | | |  | Nicole Beno | | The Climb by Nicole Beno. Nicole just closed the doors on a pop-up exhibition in Kitchener, Ont., but you can still see loads of sensational pictures from the show on Instagram. | | | | |  | Artwork: Hangama Amiri; Photo: T293 | | In Calgary, Esker Foundation recently launched its Winter 2025 season, and among the new shows is an exhibition from Hangama Amiri (seen here). Pictured: Man With Vase of Tulips. | | | | |  | Artwork: David Hanes; Photo: Guy L’Heureux/McBride Contemporain | | And in Montreal, you can find this piece by David Hanes (I’m Not Afraid to Die) at McBride Contemporain. It’s appearing there alongside work by Alice Zerini-Le Reste. According to the gallery, the show “highlights artworks that bear the imprints of travelled landscapes, evoking the intangible relationships between past and present.” | | | | |  | Delali Cofie | | | | | With work appearing in two Toronto exhibitions, artist Delali Cofie is coming into his own. | | | | |  | Nova Scotia Retro Film Festo | | | | | The Nova Scotia Retro Film Festo is all about celebrating rare indie classics that haven’t been screened for decades. | | | | |  | CBC | | | | | | | Set on the titular island, the cop show is like nothing else. | | |  | Misbah Ahmed | | Have you ever heard of dry thunder? That’s the name of Misbah’s new show at the Art Gallery of Burlington in Ontario, a title that was inspired by an actual weather phenomenon — something she experienced while visiting family in Pakistan. She told us more about the project last week. | | | | | Share this newsletter | | 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! | | | | | |
