We invite you to an evening of enlightening exploration of creativity and expression with captivating poetry performances by Tanecia Cromwell (T and Poetry) and Calgary's 6th Poet Laureate, Wakefield Brewster, as they respond to Deanna Bowen: Black Drones in the Hive. Joined by author, historian, and filmmaker Cheryl Foggo, the three will delve into a discussion about the importance of Black history, storytelling, narratives, and their impact on society.
We invite you to an evening of enlightening exploration of creativity and expression with captivating poetry performances by Tanecia Cromwell (T and Poetry) and Calgary's 6th Poet Laureate, Wakefield Brewster, as they respond to Deanna Bowen: Black Drones in the Hive. Joined by author, historian, and filmmaker Cheryl Foggo, the three will delve into a discussion about the importance of Black history, storytelling, narratives, and their impact on society.
Registration required.
Image: Deanna Bowen, installation view of Double Consciousness in Black Drones in the Hive, 2020. Inkjet prints on archival paper. Courtesy of the artist and the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery. Photo: Toni Hafkensheid
About Deanna Bowen:
Deanna Bowen (b. 1969, Oakland; lives in Montréal) is a descendant of two Alabama and Kentucky-born Black Prairie pioneer families from Amber Valley and Campsie, Alberta. Bowen’s family history has been central to her work since the early 1990s. She makes use of artistic gestures to define the Black body and trace its presence and movement in place and time. She is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship (2016), a Governor General Award for Visual and Media Arts Award (2020), and the Scotiabank Photography Award (2021). Bowen is editor of the 2019 publication Other Places: Reflections on Media Arts in Canada.
About Cheryl Foggo:
Cheryl Foggo is an award-winning author, playwright, and filmmaker whose work over the last 30 years has focused on the lives of Western Canadians of African descent. She directed the short film Kicking Up a Fuss: The Charles Daniels Story and is a recipient of the Sondra Kelly Award from the Writers Guild of Canada, as well as the 2015 Alberta Literary Award for Drama from the Writers’ Guild of Alberta. A well-known author, she has been published in dozens of anthologies. Her books include the recently released 30th-anniversary edition of Pourin’ Down Rain: A Black Woman Claims Her Place in the Canadian West; the young adult novels One Thing That’s True and I Have Been in Danger; and a children’s picture book, Dear Baobab.
There will be copies of Pourin' Down Rain the first book published by Cheryl Foggo available for sale at this event and the opportunity to get them signed by Cheryl !
About Wakefield Brewster:
Wakefield Brewster, Calgary's Poet Laureate from 2022 to 2024, began his career as a poet and spoken word artist in January 1999. A prominent figure in Canada’s poetry scene, he grew up in Toronto, the son of Barbadian parents, and has lived in Calgary since 2006. His works are featured in several anthologies, including "T-Dot Griots" (2004) and "The Black Prairie Archives" (2019). Brewster has released two professional recordings and holds multiple accolades, such as Calgary’s first City Slam Poetry Champion and a three-time Calgary Poetry Slam Champion.
He has held various prestigious roles, including Poet of Honour at the People’s Poetry Festival (2011), Inaugural Resident Poet at The Grand Theatre (2019-2022), and TD ARTIST INCUBATOR Poet-In-Residence (2021-2022). Brewster is also a registered massage therapist and owns WakeFull Wellness Registered Massage Therapy & HealingSpace. An advocate for literacy, the humanities, and mental wellness, he engages in community building through volunteering and mentorship.
In 2023, Brewster became the TD INCUBATOR Fellow, mentoring over 30 emerging Calgary artists. His first full-length poetry manuscript, "WakeWord," is set to be released in April 2024. Brewster continues to support the poetry and arts communities as a creator, curator, and collaborator.
There will be copies of WakeWord will be available for sale at this event and the opportunity to get them signed by Wakefield !
About Tanecia Cromwell:
Tanecia Cromwell, known as T.and.Poetry, is a multifaceted Afro-Indigenous artist and public speaker based in Canada. Her family's roots trace back to historical events such as The Book of Negroes, where her ancestor Jerome fought for freedom and settled in Nova Scotia in 1783. Tanecia's journey spans from her childhood in Nova Scotia to her experiences in Toronto and Calgary, where she confronted the incomplete narrative of Canadian Black history. Following the events of 2020, she embarked on a mission to educate and advocate for marginalized communities through public speaking and poetry. Her engagements include delivering land acknowledgments, joining organizational roles, and performing spoken word at various events. Tanecia's passion for sharing history and personal experiences drives her creative endeavors, fostering connections within Calgary's artistic community. She continues to evolve her artistry and community engagement, welcoming new opportunities for expression and connection. Follow her journey on Instagram @t.and.poetry.
About the curator:
Crystal Mowry (she/her) is the Director of Programs at the MacKenzie Art Gallery. She previously held the position of Senior Curator at the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery where she oversaw the gallery’s exhibitions, collections, and publishing activities for over a decade. As a curator operating primarily within the context of a public art museum, she treats her role as equal parts co-conspirator and translator, often seeking ways to support artists in the development of new projects. Her curatorial work includes group exhibitions such as I’ll be your Mirror, The Perennials, and What the Bat Knows. In 2013 she co-curated Romancing the Anthropocene, one of three projects commissioned for the City of Toronto’s annual Nuit Blanche event. Her solo projects with artists Maggie Groat, Ernest Daetwyler, and Deanna Bowen have received Exhibition of the Year Awards from the Ontario Association of Art Galleries (now Galleries Ontario Galeries) and in 2020 she was a recipient of a Waterloo Region Arts Award. Mowry has written curatorial and experimental texts for artist-focused publications on the work of Brendan Fernandes, Shary Boyle, August Klintberg, Annie MacDonell, and others. She lives in Treaty 4 (Regina) with her family.
About Deanna Bowen: Black Drones in the Hive
Curated by Crystal Mowry
Organized by the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery.
Circulated in partnership with the MacKenzie Art Gallery, Regina.
For more than twenty years, Deanna Bowen’s practice has evolved from its roots in experimental documentary video into a complex mapping of power as seen in public and private archives. Research and exhibitions are rarely mutually exclusive modes for Bowen, in part because her subjects are capable of revealing new perspectives over time. Whether it is through strategies of re-enactment or dense constellations of archival material, Bowen’s work traces her familial history within a broader narrative of Black survival in Canada and the United States.