Toronto History Museums launch new outdoor Awakenings projects

TORONTO, Sept. 28, 2021 /CNW/ - This October, Toronto History Museums will launch new, in-person outdoor content for the City of Toronto Awakenings program. This new content includes a light and sound meditative experience at Fort York National Historic site, powerful art projections on Toronto History Museum sites, and a final opportunity to view Luminary Mary Ann Shadd on the exterior of Mackenzie House Museum until October 30.

Continuum
Continuum by Toronto-based artist Krista Kim will use light and sound to create a meditative experience at the Fort York National Historic site located at 250 Fort York Blvd. from Saturday, October 2 to Monday, October 4.

The in-person Continuum experience takes place outdoors for three days only, on Saturday, October 2 and Sunday, October 3 from noon to 10 p.m., and on Monday, October 4 from 5 a.m. to noon. Continuum is free to the public. Time-ticketed one hour visits must be booked in advance online at https://fortyork.streamintickets.com/events/Continuum.

Continuum features a free-standing video wall measuring 100 feet long paired with original music composed by Smashing Pumpkins guitarist Jeff Schroeder and immersive healing sound frequencies. This is the largest sound and light installation ever to be on display at Fort York. 

For those unable to attend in person, on Friday, October 1 at 8 p.m., Continuum will be livestreamed at www.youtube.com/c/TOHistoryMuseums.

The Continuum experience has been designed following Toronto Public Health recommendations. Guidelines include physical distancing, wearing a mask, reduced site capacity and health screening.

We Were Always Here 
As a continuation of the Awakenings' We Were Always Here project, parts of these films will now be presented at a free in-person experience at Toronto History Museums' historic sites. These public art projection-based installations will run from Saturday, October 9 to Monday, October 18, bringing hidden truths in Toronto's history to life.

In 2020, world-renowned director Julien Christian Lutz pka Director X, mentored 10 Black, Indigenous and people of colour Toronto-based emerging and mid-career filmmakers, to present short films that aimed to disrupt, discover and display colonial narratives from the past. This project has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada.

The following We Were Always Here projections will be available Saturday, October 9 to Monday, October 18, from 6 to 10 p.m.:

• October 9 – Mission Sankofa Awakening at Montgomery's Inn, 4709 Dundas St.
• October 10 – Mimie & the Garden at Colborne Lodge, 11 Colborne Lodge Dr.
• October 11 – Acknowledgement at Fort York National Historic Site, 250 Fort York Blvd.
• October 12 – circa at Spadina Museum, 285 Spadina Rd.
• October 13 – Reverence at St. Lawrence Market, 93 Front St. E.
• October 14 – Lanes at Mackenzie House, 82 Bond St.
• October 15 – The MIS(re)EDUCATION of The Invisible yet Furious Five at
  Zion Schoolhouse, 1091 Finch Ave. E.
• October 16 – Fuyuzakura at Gibson House Museum, 5172 Yonge St.
• October 17 – A Portrait in Red at Todmorden Mills, 67 Pottery Rd.
• October 18 – EMPIRE at Scarborough Museum, 1007 Brimley Rd.

Visuals for We Were Always Here, a public art projection-based program, were created by AVA Animations & Visual Arts Inc., a woman-led Toronto based animation studio with award winning expertise in projection mapping and interactive content for immersive spaces.

Luminary: Mary Ann Shadd
Toronto History Museums presents Luminary: Mary Ann Shadd on the exterior of Mackenzie House Museum. This is a reimagined portrait of the first Black woman in North America to publish a newspaper, in a contemporary light by Toronto-based multi-disciplinary artist, Adeyemi Adegbesan.

Mary Ann Shadd published The Provincial Freeman newspaper. Her newspaper fought for the abolition of slavery and the rights of women and helped people escaping enslavement adjust to life in Ontario. This project is available to view until Saturday, October 30.

Awakenings program details and content are available at www.toronto.ca/museums.  Additional Awakenings programming will be available throughout 2021.

The City is grateful for support from the Continuum Foundation, the continued support of community partner Toronto Raptors, technology sponsor Panasonic and media partner 106.5 ELMNT FM Toronto.

High Resolution images are available on Flickr at Toronto History Museums: www.flickr.com/photos/cityoftoronto/albums/72157706312114731

Launched in December 2020, Awakenings is a series of art projects by Black, Indigenous and artists of colour, operating under the principles of anti-oppression, anti-colonialism and anti-racism. The series is part of the City's efforts to address anti-Black racism.

Quotes:

"The new Awakenings content provides Torontonians an opportunity to reconnect with their communities through Toronto History Museums that provides equitable and inclusive access to local history. I encourage people to experience Awakenings and rediscover our city."
– Mayor John Tory

"It's exciting to see Awakenings incorporate a projection-based public art program that brings to light hidden stories in Toronto's history. With more than 80 per cent of the creators involved in these projects emerging from the Black, Indigenous and people-of-colour communities, Awakenings adds fresh and authentic perspectives to Toronto's historical narrative."
– Deputy Mayor Michael Thompson (Scarborough Centre), Chair of the City's Economic and Community Development Committee

"I believe that art can heal us, and digital technology can be used as a tool for wellness and humanity around the world. Let's come together, reconcile, and create a better future."
– Krista Kim, Continuum, Toronto-based contemporary artist

"I'm honoured to work on this project that continues my work on Awakenings for Toronto History Museums where I presented my film Acknowledgement that sheds light on the truth of what we need to learn and unlearn. Continuum held in the grounds of Fort York, is a part of a path towards reconciliation as it holds space for pain, acknowledges trauma and also provides a space for letting go of emotions. Working with the artist, Krista, we honoured traditional wampum belts (the physical representations of treaty agreements between local Indigenous nations and settlers) by incorporating their dominant colours into her work that will lay on the original shoreline in the Fort; an act of countering colonial mapping that erased Indigenous ways of navigation; changing how we see our city."
– Jon Elliot, Mohawk Nation

"As part of Panasonic's commitment to support art, culture and our communities, we are very honoured to be part of the City of Toronto's Awakenings program.

This program truly resonates with our philosophy of contributing to society by providing cutting edge technology. With our large venue laser projectors Panasonic wants to shine a light on the City's rich and diverse culture, explore untold stories and awaken new perspectives."
– Stefan Berens, Head of Media Entertainment Business Division Panasonic Canada Inc.

"These works held across all 10 historical sites will provoke, awaken and most importantly allow for erased voices from all walks of life to tell the stories about our past, present and future."
– Julien Christian Lutz pka Director X

Toronto History Museums are a group of 10 museums owned and operated by the City of Toronto that bring Toronto's history to life for residents and visitors. They include Colborne Lodge, Fort York National Historic Site, Gibson House Museum, Mackenzie House, Market Gallery, Montgomery's Inn, Scarborough Museum, Spadina Museum, Todmorden Mills and Zion Schoolhouse. More information is available at toronto.ca/museums, or follow Toronto History Museums on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TOHistory, on Instagram at www.instagram.com/TOHistoryMuseums, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TOHistoryMuseums and on YouTube at www.youtube.com/TOHistoryMuseums.

Toronto is home to more than 2.9 million people whose diversity and experiences make this great city Canada's leading economic engine and one of the world's most diverse and livable cities. As the fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is a global leader in technology, finance, film, music, culture, and innovation, and consistently places at the top of international rankings due to investments championed by its government, residents and businesses. For more information visit http://www.toronto.ca or follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/CityofToronto, on Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/cityofto or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/cityofto.

SOURCE Toronto Special Events Ltd.

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