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In 1984 a group of women artists joined together to do something about the effacement of women from art history. They developed WARC's Curatorial Research Library to facilitate the documentation and representation of women within contemporary culture and supported curatorial and artistic experimentation from diverse ideological, cultural and theoretical perspectives. WARC also created and continues to provide a program of public discussions as well as theoretical and practical professional development opportunities that respond to the evolving needs of the professional arts environment. We present conferences every few years to encourage theoretical discourse and exchange amongst diverse artists and communities. Benchmarks include the "Feminism and Art Conference", 1987; "Empowerment and Marginalization", 1990; "The Status of Canadian Women in the Arts", 1994; "Crossing Borders, Mapping Boundaries", presented in collaboration with Women's Caucus for Art (USA),1997; 20/20 Vision: Seeing Our Way Through Change, 2004; Mapping Cultural Time Zones, presented in collaboration with the Goethe Insitut, 2005. To mark the 2001 millennium, WARC teamed with Kellogg Canada to curate and produce the calendar, "Celebrating Canadian Women Artists". Six hundred and fifty thousand copies were distributed across Canada. In 1990 WARC introduced Matriart magazine to expand critical discourse and enhance the profile of women's art within the broader public and educational sector. The magazine was subscribed to by individuals as well as educational and art institutions across Canada and the USA. Funding cuts in the late 1990's forced the magazine to cease publishing. In 1994, WARC published a landmark survey of gender representation at the National Gallery of Canada, entitled Who Counts and Who's Counting. The majority of public art galleries across Canada subsequently participated in this survey. A documentary video featuring WARC's 2004 update of the survey and a contextualized perspective of gender and cultural representation within the National Gallery of Canada will be disseminated in celebration of our 25th anniversary (2009). In 1998, we established WARC Gallery at 401 Richmond St. West, a Toronto cultural landmark in the Queen St. West district, to present exhibitions of visual, media and performance art featuring Canadian as well as international artists. WARC Gallery regularly liaises with visual and media arts festivals, cultural and educational institutes and consulate offices to foster diverse audiences and promote cultural exchanges. Our commitment to a culture of peace has propelled the development of special outreach projects that highlight both the tangible and theoretical potential of artistic vision and innovation. WARC continues to evolve through World Wide WARC. We strive to challenge the exchange between artist and audience within a global perspective. |
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Tribute to Ayanna May Black
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Ayanna, poet, author, anthologist, and literary curator, was born in Jamaica in 1939. She traveled to England in 1957, where she trained as a psychiatric nurse. In 1964, she immigrated to Canada and began her writing career, while continuing to work as a health care professional. Ayanna figured prominently in the development of contemporary African Canadian culture. She led the way, co-founding Tiger Lily, a literary magazine devoted to women of colour. She was a founding member of Canadian Artists Network: Black Arts in Action, (CAN:BAIA), which produced Celafi, a ground-breaking Toronto festival. As chair of the programming committee of Toronto Arts Against Apartheid (1987), she met with renowned entertainer Harry Belafonte, and enlisted his help to bring Bishop Tutu to Toronto, a visit that marked a pivotal point in Canada’s stand against apartheid. In 1997, she was instrumental in organizing an historic visit by civil rights activist Rosa Parks for the exhibition, Emerging into Spirit, sponsored by Celafi Festival and presented at the ROM. Ayanna shared her compassion with those struggling to create new cultural opportunities and WARC was honoured to be one of the organizations that she offered her leadership to. She served as President of WARC, guiding the development of WARC’s exhibition gallery. She coordinated successful projects, such as Mapping Cultural Time Zones, a Berlin / Toronto exchange, presented jointly by WARC and Goethe Institut, and brought her generous spirit, as a mentor, to Youth Leaders Through The Arts, a community arts project created by WARC for ‘at risk’ youth. Ayanna Black’s contributions have enriched and inspired many to dream bigger, better. Her legacy will resonate for generations to come. Linda Abrahams Co Director, WARC Recent Images of Ayanna Black at WARC Gallery
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| Obituary Notice Peacefully, on July 21, 2009, at her residence after a long illness, during which she was lovingly cared for by her partner Eckehard. She will be sadly missed by relatives and her friends in the art and medical communities. A Celebration of Ayanna’s Life will be held on Saturday, August 8, 2009 at 11 a.m. in the chapel of Cardinal Funeral Homes, 366 Bathurst St. (near Dundas). Cremation has taken place. Memorial donations may be made to Women’s Art Resource Centre (W.A.R.C.). Online condolences may be made at cardinalfuneralhomes.com WARC's Charitable Registration No. 131083271 RR 0001 |
