Let's talk food, art and environment

On Friday, June 13, the Art Gallery of Algoma will present Intersections: Connecting food, art and environment, a day-long symposium to discuss the environment, food security, health, and how the artistic community is addressing these and other issues.

The day's guest speakers include environmentalist Kathie Brosemer, City Councillor Steve Butland, Clean North's Don McGorman, Entomica entomologist Amanda Roe, RAIN Research Project Coordinator Dave Thompson, and urban bee keeper Laura Wyper.

The symposium will begin at 11 a.m. with a welcome address from Art Gallery of Algoma Director Jasmina Jovanovic followed by an artist talk with Aganetha Dyck.

Aganetha Dyck's BioArt exhibit Surreal Transformations opens at the Art Gallery of Algoma on Thursday, June 12.

Since the early 1990’s Dyck, aided by partner and apiary assistant Peter, has created hundreds of sculptures with honeybees by placing into commercial beehives found and handmade objects. The bees, having adjusted to the presence of the inserted item, continue their everyday routines by collecting and making honey and building their hive around the newly placed object. The result is the production of stunning, uncanny objects that have been altered by the bees. Some of the bee-altered items include hockey equipment, hand-made dresses, women’s shoes and porcelain figurines in 18th century dress that have been surrealistically transformed making items that are common place refreshingly new and exciting. Aganetha openly confesses that 'the bees do most of the work' and that she is a happy collaborator.

"I'm really interested in what's happening to the honey bees because they are threatened internationally by something called Colony Collapse Disease," said Dyck. "It's pretty serious if they go. There are other pollinators, but honey bees are the best pollinators that we have."

Admission to Intersections: Connecting food, art and environment is $15 for Art Gallery of Algoma members and students, or $20 for the general public.

Those who are unable to attend are invited to tweet questions @ArtAlgoma #intersections2014

For more information about this and other Art Gallery of Algoma programming, please click here

Intersections: Connecting food, art and environment agenda:

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