AWE at Night - December 2024

Save the date! Join us on December 12th for AWE at Night. Art Windsor-Essex is open late for an evening of art activities, community conversations, guided tours, and good vibes.

Sandwich Visionaries: Community Display and Meet-Up⎮  5pm – 5:30pm, 2nd floor galleries 

Sandwich Visionaries is a 24-week after-school arts program for children in Sandwich Town and West Windsor, led by local artists. In partnership with community groups, it celebrates the neighborhood’s history while equipping youth with skills to shape its future. Through creative activities, participants will explore local crafts like quilting and build skills in art, research, and communication. See what the participants have been up to and meet the Outreach Facilitator, Marc Ngui!

Youth Fashion Show: Healing & Wellness through Indigenous Wear & Fashion⎮  5pm – 5:30pm, 3rd floor, Rodzik Gallery 

This past November, 15 young Indigenous designers spent three days creating unique head-to-toe looks with guidance from creative mentors. These designs celebrate their cultural heritage and personal identities. From ribbon skirts and vests to accessories, the designers gave traditional garments a modern twist. This project was co-developed by Indigenous community members in partnership with AWE and SOAHAC. Join us in celebrating their amazing work!

This program is supported by The Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund.

Graffiti Fences with Emma McGee⎮  5pm – 8:30pm, Education Studio, 2nd floor 

Explore the art of street art with emerging artist, Emma McGee! Use popsicle sticks to build a miniature fence. Before adding your graffiti message onto your fence, sketch out your ideas and practice using different techniques. Use graffiti fonts and shapes to add your graffiti artist tag, motto, or mural to your miniature fence. This activity is organized by the AWE Teen Arts Council and supported by the Solcz Family Foundation.

Emerging artist, Emma McGee, combines unconventional materials with formal training to create art inspired by the allure of romantic and baroque aesthetics. In her work, she explores the impact of her cultural and gender identity on both her creative process and her interactions with the Fine Art realm. Emma strives to discover a balance between the idealized women and the undeniable magnetism of Black culture.

Crafting Connections: On Track to Success with United Way/Centraide Windsor-Essex County ⎮ 6pm – 6:30pm, 3rd floor galleries 

Since February 2024, a group of creative teenagers have participated in monthly art workshops led by local artist Catherine Hois. Through poetry, journaling, and intuitive art techniques, the students explored their emotions and created artworks that reflect their personal journeys. This December, their inspiring pieces will be showcased in a group display at Art Windsor-Essex. Come support their achievements and experience the power of art to foster wellness, confidence, and connection!

• 6:00pm – opening remarks by United Way/Centraide Windsor-Essex County and AWE
• 6:10pm – artist talk with some of the youth participants
• 6:25pm – video remarks by Catherine Hois, artist facilitator
• 6:30pm – group photos!

Community Conversation: AWE-inspiring Reads ⎮ 6:30pm – 7pm, 3rd floor galleries

As Ontario prepares to mandate Black history education in September 2025, a new opportunity opens for Windsor-Essex teachers and students to explore stories of resilience, representation, and identity. This community conversation takes inspiration from a story of “stolen books” — titles that disappeared from one teacher’s classroom library, like the autobiography of Malcolm X and a collection of Somalian poetry, claimed by students hungry for stories that speak to them.

This community conversation will invite educators, parents, and community members to reflect on the power of literature to spark curiosity and connection. Our panelists will explore how literature and art reveal the transformative power of storytelling, sharing ways we can all support meaningful representation in classrooms.

Speakers coming soon! 

North is Freedom: Descendants of Freedom-Seekers on the Underground Railroad⎮ 7pm – 7:30pm, 3rd floor galleries

Hear from the subjects pictured in this photographic exhibition by Yuri Dojc and curated by Dorothy Abbott. Hear their voices as they share the stories and messages behind these photographs, revealing intimate glimpses into their lives and experiences.

Artist Talk: Jessica Cook⎮ 7:30pm – 8pm, 3rd floor galleries

Jessica Rachel Cook is an Oji-cree from the wolf clan whose family is from Constance Lake First Nation and Bkejwanong First Nation. She is a formerly trained fine artist who works with traditional and contemporary mediums, photography, and multimedia to create works of art. She also is an educator who enjoys outreach initiatives with local communities and group art projects.

Cook’s work Under the blanket, 2023, is featured in the exhibition Seeds of Plenty: Indigenous Works from AWE’s Collection. Seeds of Plenty brings together new acquisitions and unseen works by Indigenous artists from AWE’s collection. This rotating display also functions as a digitization gallery for AWE staff to professionally document these important works.

Music, food, and drink ⎮ 7pm – 9pm, 3rd floor

Let’s celebrate! Head up to the third floor to join us for music by Brent Scudder, food and drinks by Windsor Eats, and good vibes.