The Arts in Evolution

Prince Edward County is a special place, despite being in a rural environment, the county has a large presence and concentration of both artists and those working to facilitate arts and culture. Surrounded by various beaches, close-knit community, non-urban environments, and highly visible arts and culture, the county creates a unique context for artistic explorations. Prince Edward County is less impacted by issues of hierarchies of “art” versus “craft,” inaccessibility of arts & culture events, the difficulty of finding arts & culture communities in rural places, among others. At our summer symposium you are invited to explore and learn from diverse speakers on county arts and its futures. Each speaker will draw on their unique experiences as creators and organizers, exploring the impact of locality/location on their work and the place of craft and craftsmanship in contemporary art. Through this symposium we invite speakers and attendees to consider the presence and history of arts in the county, and all the potential for our future.

This summer, Dahlia S L gallery is hosting a symposium (a series of talks) over the course of an afternoon, featuring 6 speakers and a keynote by Dahlia Labatte, curator of the gallery. The talks will all centre around the theme which invites analysis of the arts as it is impacted by the place and location of Prince Edward County, in artistic practice, artistic concerns, and arts & culture events.

Schedule 
2:00pm-2:30pm       Welcome and Snacks

2:30pm-3:00pm       Keynote by Dahlia Labatte

3:00pm-3:45pm       Presentation by Delane Cooper

3:50pm-4:35pm       Presentation by Noella Noel

4:40pm-5:25pm       Presentation by Jamie Janx Johnston

5:30pm-6:00pm       Closing Reception

*Keep in mind this is an approximate schedule, and as a courtesy for our speakers: if you’re planning on staying for only part of the event, please do not leave or arrive during a presentation.

With this symposium we want to sponsor creative discussion, question-asking, and relationship building surrounding the arts in an environment that is open and inviting. We invite artists, creators, craftspeople, those working in arts & culture events and organizing, and those simply interested in becoming a larger part of the arts community in the county to join us in listening and discussion.

Delane Cooper
Delane Cooper is an artist and goldsmith, based in Prince Edward County. Her work is a marriage between expert craftsmanship, and creative and experimental explorations. At The Arts in Evolution symposium she will use her own artistic practice as a reference for explorations based around the terms ‘set & setting.’ Though the terms have been used primarily as referencing journeying on a psychedelic experience, Delane Cooper, artist & goldsmith will share how her practice has evolved through the lens of ‘set & setting’ from an urban to rural environment over the last decade.

Jamie Janx Johnston
Jamie Janx Johnston is an artist and educator internationally recognized through awards, publishing, and positions such as the Montreal Mural Festival, LNDMRK, Station 16, among others. Working in a variety of mediums including photography, painting, and public art he has helped create numerous artistic landmakrs in the Canadian landscape. At the symposium he will bring to the forefront a variety of topics surrounding experiences of art management and education, and art creation, particularly concerning public art. 

Noella Noel
Noella Noel is a mixed media painter based in Prince Edward County, having exhibited across Prince Edward County and with Dahlia S L for several exhibitions. Through a conversational format, in the symposium she will explore facets of her artistic practice as it relates to space, environment, routine, and community. Drawing attention to the specifics and lived aspects of a creative career.