Senga Nengudi & Diedrick Brackens at Oakville Galleries
Senga Nengudi: Hourglass
19 January – 10 April 2021
Oakville Galleries in Gairloch Gardens
Since the 1960s, Colorado-based Senga Nengudi has developed a ground-breaking practice that brings together sculpture, performance, and dance. For her first exhibition in Canada, Oakville Galleries will present a selection of recent and older works that foreground her innovative use of found materials, such as sand, pantyhose, water and plastic. Nengudi has written: ‘What is in a name? I propose plenty. That is why I have a different name for each medium I use.’ The writings of Lily Bea Moor—one of Nengudi’s personas—will also be featured in the exhibition in written and video form. Through her rule-breaking, playful, and eclectic reflections on the body, spirituality, materials, and movement, Nengudi has made an undeniably important contribution to the history of contemporary art, and continues to have a resonant and vital voice that speaks to the key issues of our times.
Diedrick Brackens: shape of a fever believer
19 January – 10 April 2021
Oakville Galleries at Centennial Square
The woven work of Los Angeles-based artist Diedrick Brackens emerges from a broad spectrum of references—American literature and folklore, textile traditions spanning Europe, West Africa and the U.S. South, and the artist’s own biography—to render nuanced allegories of race, gender and sexuality in the United States. Telling stories rooted as readily in beauty and joy as in danger and brutality, Brackens’ process-driven works engage the affects of black, queer life against the backdrop of American history. For this, his first exhibition in Canada, Brackens brings together a selection of his recent works, both figurative and abstract.
Seika Boye Talk
Thursday 4 February 2021, 1:00 pm–2:00 pm
Dance artist and scholar Seika Boye will reflect on Senga Nengudi’s exhibition Hourglass alongside her own research in Blackness, movement histories and the archive. She will share her own writing on working between disciplines, artistic practices, and motherhood.
Virtual Exhibition Tour
Thursday 25 February 2021, 6:30 pm–7:30 pm
Join us on Thursday February 25 at 6:30 pm over Zoom for a virtual exhibition tour led by Oakville Galleries’ Assistant Curator, Theresa Wang. Theresa will be leading us through our winter exhibitions, starting with Senga Nengudi: Hourglass in Gairloch Gardens and concluding with Diedrick Brackens: shape of a fever believer at Centennial Square. Through the tour, we will dive deeper into the artists’ practices and the works on view. Attendees are encouraged to ask questions throughout the tour or are welcome to submit questions in advance.
This virtual exhibition tour will be recorded and shared with Oakville Galleries’ Members following the event.
Online Family Art Workshop: Sustainable Dye
Sunday 7 March 2021, 1:00 pm–2:30 pm
Come join digital textile artist and educator, Khadija Aziz for a free art workshop. Using everyday pantry materials within your home such as tea, coffee, blueberries and turmeric, participants will learn how to create their own sustainable and natural dyes while following the Shibori tie-dyeing technique.
All ages are welcome and participants ages 13 and under require adult assistance when making the dye. The dye recipes will be shared through email in advance of the workshop. We encourage those with young children to make the dye in advance as it requires a stovetop and will enable an easier experience in following the Shibori tie-dye technique during the workshop. Purchased dye may also be used instead.
This program is free of charge; pre-registration required for Zoom link to be sent to registered email inbox. This workshop is limited to 20 participants.
All Ages Online Workshop: Yarn Painting
Saturday 27 March 2021, 1:00 pm–3:00 pm
Join textile and fibre artist Ixchel Suarez as we learn the art of yarn painting. Taking inspiration from Huichol art, participants will learn how to create symbolic and colourful designs while learning the traditional technique of using thread as colour application. All ages are welcome and participants age 5 and under require adult assistance.
A registration option including materials is available. A package of the required materials will be available for pickup on set dates listed in an email at the Oakville Galleries Gairloch Gardens location. If registering without the material pickup option, an email listing required materials will be sent to the registered email address prior to the workshop. This workshop is limited to 15 participants.
Cost for workshop only: $8 ($10 for non-members)
Cost for workshop and materials: $21.25 ($25 for non-members)
Health & Safety Measures
Oakville Galleries has been keeping a close eye on the health and safety guidelines advised by the Government of Ontario and are working diligently to adapt the ways we work and how our guests visit the galleries. We have a number of protocols in place to ensure the safety of our staff and guests.
We are asking that visitors pre-book their visit to the gallery online and complete a self-assessment health screening questionnaire. While visiting the galleries our staff and guests are required to wear a mask and sanitize upon entry. Our high traffic touch points are sanitized throughout the day and our exhibition handouts are available through QR codes for mobile viewing.
All of our public and educational programs are taking place virtually until it is safe to gather again. If you have any accessibility requests or need assistance navigating Zoom please email virtual@oakvillegalleries.com.
About Oakville Galleries
Oakville Galleries is a not-for-profit contemporary art museum located 30 km west of Toronto. Housed in two spaces—one alongside a public library in downtown Oakville, and another in a lakeside mansion and park—Oakville Galleries is one of Canada’s leading art museums, driven by a belief in the singular power of art and artists to deepen our understanding of ourselves and our communities and move us toward a better world.
Oakville Galleries in Gairloch Gardens
1306 Lakeshore Road East, Oakville
Tuesday: 1:00 pm–7:00 pm
Friday and Saturday: 10:00 am–5:00 pm
Oakville Galleries at Centennial Square
120 Navy Street, Oakville
Tuesday: 1:00 pm–7:00 pm
Friday and Saturday: 10:00 am–5:00 pm
Admission is free.
For more information about Oakville Galleries, our exhibitions or programs, visit www.oakvillegalleries.com or call 905.844.4402.
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Images (from top to bottom): (1) Senga Nengudi, Study for ‘Mesh Mirage’, 1977, silver gelatin print. Courtesy of the artist, Sprüth Magers, Lévy Gorvy, and Thomas Erben Gallery. Photo: Adam Avila. (2) Diedrick Brackens, shape of a fever believer, 2020. © Diedrick Brackens. Courtesy of the artist, Jack Shainman Gallery, New York and Various Small Fires, Los Angeles.
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