Legends Are the Rivers that Take Us Home

Guest Curator: Cara Eastcott
January 17 – March 15, 2020

Curator Talk: March 1, 2020

Legends Are the Rivers that Take Us Home celebrates a collection of storytellers and storytelling through art based on sound, fine craftsmanship, film-making, dance, movement, and space. It highlights those who endeavour, through their stories, to shape the meaning of “now” – through concepts of place, history, and the power of listening. This thought-provoking exhibition encourages us to explore our own paths and the paths of others, and examine the places where these paths intersect.

Artists: Roger McTair, Claire Prieto, Nep Sidhu, Sterling Toles, Chemical Valley Project By Broad Leaf Theatre in collaboration with Vanessa and Beze Grey, Zab Maboungou, Zoe Gordon, Khari McClelland, Great Lakes Secondary School, Chatham-Kent High School, Bryan Prince, Shannon Prince, Buxton Next Generation

Screening of Home to Buxton
February 29, 2020 | 1PM | Studio One | FREE

Buxton has been a Black settlement since the middle of the last century, when it was one of the destinations of escaped slaves traveling north on the Underground Railroad. Clair Prieto and Roger McTair went to Buxton to record one year’s ‘homecoming,’ and came back with a celebratory reminder of the history of the Black community has had in Canada. Join us for a screening and conversational discussion of this much-loved film. Featured in this conversation are Buxton community compasses, historians, and animators, Bryan and Shannon Prince.

Concert: Khari McClelland
February 29, 2020 | 8PM | Studio One

Khari Wendell McClelland is a diversely talented and ever-evolving artist. Originally from Detroit, Khari has become a darling on the Canadian music scene with reviewers lauding his performances as a clever mix of soul and gospel. Khari’s songwriting crosses genres and generations, joyfully invoking the spirit of his ancestors who straddled the US-Canadian border in efforts to escape slavery and discrimination. His music draws from this rich history, integrating the rhythms and folklore of early African-Americans with contemporary sounds and stories of struggle. Recently, Khari received critical acclaim for his Freedom Singer project, recreating the music fugitive slaves carried on their journey north into Canada.