Join MOCA as we reopen the Museum and offer in-person March Break Programming from Monday, March 14 to Friday, March 18. The series of programmes is inspired by the theme of exploring one’s own personal narrative and identity. Each day will bring forth a new activity inspired by various forms of art-making and will be led by a different artist and/or organization. Additional details regarding each activity and its facilitators can be found below.
Day 1
The Concerned Kids: Play with Clay with Mollia Weidman
Monday, March 14
12:00 – 4:00 pm
Day 2
The Toronto Poetry Project: Blooming Joy with Jennifer Alicia
Tuesday, March 15
12:00 – 4:00 pm
Day 3
Abstract Colourful Collage with Karen Law
Wednesday, March 16, 12:00 – 4:00 pm
Day 4
Toronto Dance Community Love-In: Movement with Irma Villafeurte
Thursday, March 17
12:00 – 2:30 pm
Day 5
Sound Art with Matt Nish-Lapidus
Friday, March 18
12:00 – 4:00 pm
The Concerned Kids: Play with Clay with Mollia Weidman
Monday, March 14, 12:00 – 4:00 pm
Ignite your imagination and sculpt your ideas into fruition with The Concerned Kids (TCK) as we play with clay! In this activity, participants will explore storytelling through art as they individually sculpt and create characters and scenery that contribute to a cumulative group story. The activity invites participants to build on their own experiences through fantasy and fables, as well as explore emotional wellness and the art of sculpture. The programme will be led by TCK Art and Wellness Coordinator Mollia Weidman.
This activity will last roughly 45 minutes and sessions will take place on a drop-in basis at 12:00, 1:00, 2:00, and 3:00 pm.
The Concerned Kids (TCK) provides immersive creative arts programming through their KidPossible and KidsmARTs workshops. With the help of professional artist facilitators, TCK encourages artists of all ages to express themselves through various art mediums within a variety of workshops and programmes that promote art exploration and wellness.
Mollia Weidman (she/her) holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Psychology and is currently enrolled in a post-graduate programme as a Student Art Therapist at the Toronto Art Therapy Institute. Mollia has experience working with both children and adults in a community-based and clinical setting as a professional artist, art teacher, and research assistant.
The Toronto Poetry Project: Blooming Joy with Jennifer Alicia
Tuesday, March 15, 12:00 – 4:00 pm
In this “Blooming Joy” workshop, participants will create ode poems to honour the beauty and joy of the land. Through the exploration of ode poem examples and writing exercises, participants will gain a deeper understanding of their own connections and relationships to the natural world.
This activity will last roughly 45 minutes and sessions will take place on a drop-in basis at 12:00, 1:00, 2:00, and 3:00 pm.
The Toronto Poetry Project (TPP) features some of the most talented spoken word artists in Canada with a goal of inspiring the next generation of spoken word poets. Founded in 2005, the Toronto Poetry Slam (TPS) became Tkaronto/Toronto’s preeminent slam, “increasing the artistic capital of our city and ensuring audiences are consistently exposed to the top tier of poets from across the globe.”
Jennifer Alicia (she/they) is a queer, mixed Mi’kmaw and settler (German/Irish/Scottish) multidisciplinary artist originally from Elmastukwek, Ktaqmkuk (Bay of Islands, Newfoundland), now residing in Tkaronto/Toronto. She is a two-time national poetry slam champion and, collective member of the TPP. Alicia’s most recent publications and performances include their chapbook titled Mixed Emotions (2021) and play titled Restor9y)ing Identity, performed at the Nogojiwanong Indigenous Fringe Festival in 2021
Abstract Colourful Collage with Karen Law
Wednesday, March 16, 12:00 – 4:00 pm
Artist Karen Kar Yen Law will facilitate an in-person guided art activity that includes drawing, colouring, and collaging. The activity will engage participants to reflect on their own cultural heritage and personal experiences. Drawing from these reflections, participants will use colour theory, abstract drawing, and collaging to create a 2D artwork on paper. People of all ages are welcomed to participate.
This activity will last roughly 45 minutes and sessions will take place on a drop-in basis at 12:00, 1:00, 2:00, and 3:00 pm.
Toronto Dance Community Love-In: Movement with Irma Villafuerte
Thursday, March 17, 12:00 – 2:30pm
Local dance artist, emerging choreographer, and educator, Irma Villafuerte, will lead a movement-based workshop in relation to the overarching exhibition themes of personal and collective identity. Participants will explore creative movement through connection and storytelling based on imagination and personal historic memory. The workshop welcomes all participants and no prior history of dance or movement is required to participate.
This activity will last roughly one hour and sessions will take place on a drop-in basis at 12:00 and 1:30 pm.
Irma Villafuerte is a dance artist, choreographer and educator based in Tkaronto/Toronto from Nahuat Territory Kuskatan, post-colonial El Salvador. She serves as an educator at Randolph College for the Performing Arts, Toronto Film School, and Casa Maiz’ Semillas Latinas and has been part of festivals across the Americas and the Caribbean. Her passion for social justice and her identity as a Salvadorian in the diaspora is the driving force for creation in Irma’s choreography, performance work and pedagogy.
Love-In is a not-for-profit artist-run dance organization based in Tkaronto/Toronto. By connecting, supporting and welcoming artists locally and abroad, the Love-In provides a platform for sharing experimental approaches in dance facilitation and creative practice. The organization hosts an array of programming including virtual and in-person sessions, performance series, facilitated talks, collective practices, and their annual Summer Love-In festival.
Sound Art with Matt Nish-Lapidus
Friday, March 18, 12:00 – 4:00 pm
Sound is all around us—big and small, familiar and unfamiliar. It has the potential to communicate and to move. Using sound as an artistic material lets you highlight the often unheard, by drawing attention to specific aspects of an environment, or creating new juxtapositions and audio collages. Join artist Matt Nish-Lapidus for a one hour exploration of the expressive use of sound. During this workshop participants will practice methods of listening and honing in on sounds, recording them using everyday tools like smartphones, and working with the recorded sounds to shape them into something new and exciting.
Please note that a device such as a smartphone, iPad, laptop or tablet, is needed for this activity. Sessions for this workshop will take place on a drop-in basis at 12:00, 1:00, 2:00, and 3:00 pm.
Matt Nish-Lapidus is an artist, musician, and teacher. His interests lie in the poetics of computation and its proclivity to create meaningful relations through iteration and recombination. His work often results in diverse outputs including books, recordings, installations, performances, software, and objects. You can find Nash-Lapidus online and away-from-keyboard under various aliases and collaborations including emenel, New Tendencies, må, and <blink> .
Please note that these activities are family friendly and geared toward all ages. Every activity can be adapted to suit the needs and capabilities of each participant. Parental supervision is recommended.
