Embedded Histories: Exploring the Intersections of Care and Flora

Jennifer Long, Mended Leaves, 2020-ongoing, archival inkjet photograph, 18″x18″
Image credit: Document original

Exploring the Intersections of Care and Flora
Embedded Histories at ARTSPLACE Gallery

April 5 – May 24, 2025
Opening Reception: Saturday, April 5, 2025
ARTSPLACE Gallery, Annapolis Royal, NS
www.arcac.ca

ARTSPLACE Gallery presents Embedded Histories, a thought-provoking group exhibition curated by artist and educator Ursula Handleigh. Featuring works by Carrie Allison, Anna Heywood-Jones, April Hickox, and Jennifer Long, this exhibition explores the intricate connections between flora, memory, and acts of care.

Whether through the meticulous craft of beading (Allison), the delicate process of mending (Long), the transformative imprint of botanical dyes (Heywood-Jones), or the evocative arrangement of florals and objects (Hickox), these artists transform natural elements into poignant reflections on loss, resilience, and connection to place. Embedded Histories highlights the intersection of flora and the human touch in ways that are deeply personal yet universally resonant.

Allison’s beaded works honour medicinal plants from her ancestral home in northwest Alberta, drawing on Métis and nêhiyaw traditions to emphasize cultural connection. Long’s delicate interventions with found foliage reflect on the unseen labour of caregiving, exploring the balance between self-care and community. Heywood-Jones employs botanical dyeing processes to mark the profound transformation of motherhood, tracing the shared cycles of plant and human life. Hickox’s still-life photography and video works use floral arrangements as a meditation on loss, memory, and the passage of time. Together, their works form a layered dialogue on care—its gestures, histories, and lasting imprints.

“Embedded Histories is a meditation on the ways we care for the past, the present, and the future. By weaving together narratives of healing, remembrance, and transformation, this exhibition offers an immersive and evocative experience for visitors,” said ARTSPLACE Gallery Director Sophie Paskins.

“Embedded Histories” opening reception Saturday, April 5, 2025, 12 – 2pm. Light refreshments served, all welcome. Exhibition continues through May 24. Check the website for associated programming.

Carrie Allison, First Family, 2019-2020, Miyuki and toho beads on stroud, 13 1/8″ x 15 1/4″
Image credit: Document original

About the Curator:
Ursula Handleigh is a Tkaronto (Scarborough)-born artist of Filipinx/a/o mixed ancestry, working in expanded photography and alternative image-making processes. Her practice explores identity, memory, and ancestral knowledge through storytelling and archival reconstruction. Handleigh holds an MFA from NSCAD University and a BFA from OCAD University. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally.

ARTSPLACE is a public art gallery that is operated by the Annapolis Region Community Arts Council (ARCAC). ARCAC is a registered charity, dedicated to encouraging and promoting the arts. Supported through the Province of Nova Scotia and the Canada Council for the Arts.

ARTSPLACE Gallery
396 St. George Street, Annapolis Royal, NS
www.arcac.ca
admin@arcac.ca
902-532-7069

Facebook @ARTSPLACEGallery
Instagram @arcac.artsplace

Accessibility:
ARTSPLACE is accessible via an outdoor ramp to the main floor galleries. There is an accessible, gender neutral washroom on the main floor.