The Importance of Education with Rachel Baerg
This year, 24 art educators from galleries across Canada, including the National Gallery of Canada (NGC), the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), and the Vancouver Art Gallery (VAG), joined us in Winnipeg for the annual CAGE symposium based on the theme of “Future Shaping”. The three days were filled with presentations, case studies, workshops, and tours, highlighted by a keynote address from Andrea Fatona, an independent curator and associate professor at OCAD University. Her keynote discussed her research on making visible and providing access to Black Canadian curatorial histories that have been excluded from or marginalized within dominant narratives of Canadian art. At its core, her research is rooted in a social justice approach to the study of art, culture, and art education.
Some of the topics of discussion at the conference included how to make galleries more accessible, identifying whose voices are not being heard within museum walls, and finding ways to engage with audiences who are not currently involved with the Gallery.
“We all have something to teach and something to learn,” says Rachel.
The members of CAGE meet virtually once a month to discuss various thematic topics, programs, goals, and interests. They also share programming ideas regarding community partnerships, discuss the progress of various projects, and provide support for one another. Throughout the year, each educator has the opportunity to apply what they have learned from CAGE to their institutions, collectively working to inspire and advance art programs across Canadian galleries.
WAG-Qaumajuq is a proud leader in areas of Indigenous programming and exhibitions, and sharing these strengths with other galleries was a highlight for Rachel throughout the conference. Attendees appreciated learning about the Gallery’s vast collection of Contemporary Inuit Art and discussing how WAG-Qaumajuq’s commitment to reconciliation and accessibility shapes community engagement and our education programs for all ages. A Truth and Reconciliation Through Art tour, led by Rebecca McIvor, left an impactful mark on the visiting educators.
“Art education is important, it’s not just for academics and students, it’s about ongoing, lifelong learning. The Gallery is a perfect environment where we can have important conversations, explore new perspectives, stretch our own understandings about life and others, and be open-minded to seek a greater understanding of the world we live in. Galleries are great social spaces, and we love facilitating connections between people,” says Rachel.
Rachel has worked in the education department at WAG-Qaumajuq for over 15 years, developing and overseeing school programs, WAG Studio courses and workshops, and a diverse offering of adult programs. Some of her favourite initiatives over the years have been mobile learning programs that broaden the Gallery’s reach beyond Winnipeg including Nakatamakewin, a travelling gallery bringing art to communities across Manitoba, or Art Express’d, which featured three artists who travelled to every province and territory in Canada making art with all ages in mobile shipping containers. Technology-based learning programs have also been important to Rachel, who initiated the Connected North program at the Gallery, offering sessions and workshops virtually to classrooms across Inuit Nunangat. The creation and development of the Gallery’s Visible Vault Digital Platform has also made our collections more accessible for those inside and outside of the Gallery. Currently in the works, Rachel is excited about launching a new and unique Inuit storytelling video game experience that will inspire learning through play for all ages.
Art making is also a key component of the educational programs offered at WAG-Qaumajuq. With the opening of Qaumajuq, we relocated our longstanding studio programs up to the Penthouse level of WAG-Qaumajuq, which now houses five studio spaces where various art classes for children, teens, and adults take place year-round. It’s a beautiful space where people can expand their technical skills and flex their creative muscles.
Additionally, Wellness@WAG programs have created meaningful learning opportunities in our spaces. This includes Art to Inspire, which works with Alzheimer’s patients, and our educational program for the University of Manitoba Rady School of Medicine, now an established part of curriculum for all second-year medical students.
Ultimately, our goal at WAG-Qaumajuq is to increase accessibility, build relationships, and open the circles of learning to include our larger community. Art is a catalyst for connection, social impact, and transformative change. We encourage those who have not yet been to the Gallery to check out our many programs—WAG-Qaumajuq is here for everyone!
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I would love to know what the WAG is doing in terms of being more accessible to persons with disabilities. As a member (pre-Covid) who has low vision, I struggle with reading the accompanying text next to art works. Enlarged font and higher contrast makes art more accessible. More seating that is at least 17″ from the floor would be so helpful for persons with energy limitations, Curating an exhibit that expresses the need to make space for disabled artists is another. Reaching out into the disability and Deaf community to invite them to attend events with ASL interpretation, an exhibit showing how disability has been portrayed historically with insightful commentary on what effects those portrayals had on the communities they came from and continue to influence how mainstream society fews persons with disabilities… I am brimming with ideas.
Hi Rhonda,
Thank you so much for taking the time to reach out and share your concerns about accessibility at WAG-Qaumajuq and your suggestions for exhibitions and programming. We’re currently developing an accessibility plan to outline which measures WAG-Qaumajuq will take in the next few years to identify, remove, and reduce barriers to accessibility. The process to realise all of these systems will take time, but we do have our current protocols listed online and update this page as we implement more items at the Gallery: https://www.wag.ca/visit/accessibility/
When we receive accessibility requests in advance from folks in the community, we try to work together, on a case-to-case basis, to find out what accommodations we can provide so everyone can experience the Gallery in a more meaningful way.
We understand the importance of the slogan “nothing for us without us”, which is why community consultation is so important. Thank you for sharing the services that you would like to see at WAG-Qaumajuq for physical and invisible disabilities, we have shared your suggestions with the team. If you would like to connect with one of our staff members to discuss further, please let us know by emailing communications@wag.ca.
I have been in Winnipeg over 40 years and i noticed how art is slowly eliminated from schools, and how art gallery disappeared from our city. There is luck of education and exposure. There is not enough support from government to keep our artists working and creating art. It is so sad, as in my opinion art could be our savers. Winnipeg Art Gallery should spend more effort to educate people. First, that gallery should be open evenings to let the public easy enter the shows. Sunday should be free of charged. There also should be free video about history of art, for everyone, listed on gallery sites. Our Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra has a special program to help children understand music, the Winnipeg Gallery should do is something similar.
Please, please, please do not let ART die.
Hi Wanda, thank you for your very thoughtful comments. We agree, art and art education is very important for everyone. We do currently have free admission for all on the second Sunday of the month, thanks to a partnership with Canada Life, and offer free admission for the entire first floor for all, as well as free membership and admission for all Indigenous people. We also have sponsored art classes for children and subsidized classes for adults to take part in our studio programs and we offer free activities for all to participate in once per month. Thank you again for taking the time to comment, we will share your concerns and ideas with key staff.