JOIN IN CREATING A COLLABORATIVE ART INSTALLATION WITH FELLOW MUSLIM AND JEWISH WOMEN ARTISTS
LAUNCH OF BLOOD, MILK & TEARS COLLABORATIVE ART INSTALLATION
Registration deadline is January 12, 2017.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
The grassroots Shema & Iqra’: The Jewish-Muslim Text Project, founded by Dr. Shari Golberg, brings together Muslims and Jews using religious texts as a springboard for dialogue. In early 2016, Shema & Iqra’ ran a textual-study and arts collective for Jewish and Muslim women artists exploring menstruation, breastfeeding and mourning through the relationship between gender, creativity and identity in each tradition.
FENTSTER (Yiddish for ‘window’) is a new exhibition space, curated by Evelyn Tauben, in the storefront window of the grassroots community Makom at 402 College Street, Toronto. An independent artist-run initiative, FENTSTER presents site-specific installations of contemporary art connected to the Jewish experience. FENTSTER joins with Shema & Iqra’ to bring the initial Blood, Milk and Tearsparticipants together with other women artists to create a collaborative installation considering women’s roles in relation to traditional texts that have often marginalized them because of their bodies – bodies that menstruate, nourish others and weep in mourning.
ABOUT THE PROCESS
The creation of the installation will emerge out of another text study process on Sunday, January 15 led by Golberg (Religion PhD, University of Toronto) together with Dr. Nevin Reda (Assistant Professor of Muslim Studies, Emmanuel College of Victoria University in the University of Toronto). Textual sources from Muslim and Jewish traditions will be examined and lead into work on the installation piece facilitated by established artist Rochelle Rubinstein.
Participants will be provided with a 10’ paper scroll. The final installation will be a dense assemblage of multiple scrolls hanging in the window. The scrolls can be painted, cut, printed, scribed, or embroidered, to name a few approaches. The creative process will be open and fluid. Joint collaboration on scrolls is strongly encouraged. To that end, participants are expected to join two group creation days as well as the launch event on January 15.
If you have questions or if the registration fee is prohibitive, please contact info@fentster.org
KEY DATES FOR PARTICIPANTS
- Project Launch | Sunday, January 15 | The Multi-Faith Centre (advanced registration required)
- Collaborative Creation Days | Sunday, January 29 & Sunday, February 12 | 1 – 4 PM | Studio in Kensington Market (address sent to confirmed project registrants)
- Deadline to Submit Scrolls | Tuesday, February 21| Makom, 402 College Street
- Project Installed | Thursday, February 23
- Opening Event | Wednesday, March 8 | 7 – 9 PM (International Women’s Day) | FENTSTER, 402 College Street
- Blood, Milk & Tears Event | Sunday, April 30 | Noor Cultural Centre, 123 Wynford Drive
More info and application form here