EMBASSY CULTURAL HOUSE
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EMBASSY CULTURAL HOUSE

Established in 1983, the Embassy Cultural House was a community-driven gallery and hosted interdisciplinary programs. It closed its physical doors in 1990. In 2020 the Embassy Cultural House was re-envisioned as a virtual artist-run space and community website.
A not for profit initiative, ECH delivers its projects through a dedicated team of volunteers, partners, community contributions and   angel investors. Occassional funding through project arts grants also supports ECH to enable the collective to honour the principle of payment of fees to contributors.

CURRENT PROJECTS

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Pandemic Gardens: Resilience Through Nature

The Embassy Cultural House presents, 
Pandemic Gardens: Resilience Through Nature, the first online exhibition of 2022.

Pandemic Gardens is an international and interdisciplinary group exhibition organized by Ron Benner and Rachel MacGillivray, with the assistance of JoAnna Weil,  Jamelie Hassan, and Olivia Mossuto. The exhibition explores artworks, coping mechanisms, community engagements and the resilience of the human spirit during the pandemic, through the ways in which people have engaged with gardens and nature. 
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On Saturday, June 18, 2022, a billboard will be installed at the Fredericton Botanic Garden in Fredericton, NB. A garden will also be planted beneath the billboard with the assistance of local children and volunteers.

A publication for this exhibition will be available in August 2022. More details to follow. Please enjoy this timely programming by clicking the poster or the link below. 
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VIEW THE EXHIBITION

Sleepwalking with Bob Black, Wu'er Kaixi,
Yam Lau and Scott Savitt 


The Embassy Cultural House (ECH) and the Words Festival are pleased to present the fourth installment of Sleepwalking: Embassy Cultural House stands with Hong Kong. In-conversation with ECH members Bob Black and Yam Lau are esteemed guests Wu'er Kaixi and Scott Savitt, talking about the state of democracy in Hong Kong and abroad. 
WATCH THE RECORDING
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To Dissent exhibition documentation - now online! 

Embassy Cultural House at
Support Project Space


Dissent can be (and has been) expressed in the form of unlawful gatherings, attendance of banned vigils, smuggling of illicit literature, overt acts of sedition and encouraging subversion amongst youth. Dissent can be (and has been) expressed through the fight for political and cultural sovereignty, gathering and mourning for lives lost, selling books, exercising freedom of speech and the intentioned fight for democracy. 

Curated by ECH assistant co-ordinating editor, Olivia Mossuto, this exhibition includes works by Bob Black, Chun Hua Catherine Dong, Jamelie Hassan, Yam Lau, Petrina Ng, and two important, anonymous artists/organizers. 
VIEW THE EXHIBITION

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The State of Palestine
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The George Floyd Project
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A Guest + A Host = A Ghost

Visit the Hiding in Plain Sight Virtual Tour

Hiding in Plain Sight Exhibition

ONGOING DIGITAL PROJECTS @ ECH

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Afzaal Family Tribute
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name the children

ONLINE TEXTS

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Art As Engagement
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at the ECH by Marwan Hassan
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Patrick Mahon & Jeff Thomas


Embassy Cultural House catalogue now online

It is with great pleasure that we are sharing an online version of the now out-of-print The Embassy Cultural House, 1983 to 1990 catalogue. This catalogue was published in 2012 to accompany the survey exhibit "The Embassy Cultural House, 1983 to 1990" presented at Museum London.

The late Robert (Bob) McKaskell curated the survey exhibit and the catalogue was edited by the late Melanie Townsend. The catalogue also includes essays by historical curator Michael Baker and Toronto-based artist, educator and activist Rebecca Deiderichs. The Museum London public program included a sold-out concert of an improvisational jazz performance by Eric Stach and local musicians.

With special thanks to Museum London, the estates of both Bob McKaskell and Melanie Townsend, to all the contributors and supporters of the catalogue and Colour by Schubert  for making this publication available online to a broader public.  Click here to read the catalogue online
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In memory of curator & writer Bob McKaskell 1943-2020

​In Memory of Bob McKaskell

It is with the sad news, that our good friend, independent curator and writer, Bob McKaskell died on June 30, 2020 from cancer.

He was living between Port Dover, Ontario and Oaxaca, Mexico. While in Oaxaca he decided to study Spanish and he had just initiated a program of curating exhibits of Oaxacan artists in his apartment located in the centro historico of Oaxaca. He was a great cook, an excellent gardener and his pursuit of knowledge was startling wide-reaching. Anyone who knew Bob, understood that his sometimes stubborn nature contributed to his ability to intensely focus in a very particular and detailed way to whatever subjects grabbed his interest.
 
Bob taught Contemporary Art History for many years at Western University. He was a huge supporter of both Canadian and international artists and had a commitment to challenging art practices including conceptual art, performance works and independent artists' projects. While in London, he was involved in programming at The Embassy Cultural House, the Forest City Gallery, Museum London and the McIntosh Gallery. He also worked at the Winnipeg Art Gallery and and the Glenbow Museum in Calgary where he built strong friendships and made contributions to the arts community across Canada.
 
We have so many fond memories of Bob - especially close to our hearts is the survey exhibition he curated Embassy Cultural House - 1983 - 1990  at Museum London in 2012.



EDITORIAL TEAM

ONLINE FOUNDER
Tariq Hassan Gordon

COFOUNDERS & CURATORIAL ADVISORS 
 
Jamelie Hassan 
& Ron Benner

ADVISORY CIRCLE
Samer Abdelnour, Marnie Fleming, Wyn Geleynse, Fern Helfand, S F Ho, Lorraine Klaasen, Judith Rodger, Ruth Skinner, Mary Lou and Dan Smoke,  and Lucas Stenning 

COORDINATING EDITORS
Tariq Hassan Gordon & 
Olivia Mossuto

WEB DESIGN & SOCIAL MEDIA 
Tariq Hassan Gordon, Ira Kazi, Olivia Mossuto, Niloufar Salimi,  JoAnna Weil 

VIRTUAL TOUR
Andreas Buchwaldt

PRINT PUBLICATIONS
Blessy Augustine, Shelley Kopp, 
Olivia Mossuto

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Andreas Buchwaldt, Blessy Augustine, Anahí González, Ira Kazi, ​Shelley Kopp, Ashar Mobeen, Niloufar Salimi,  Jenna Rose Sands, JoAnna Weil & Michelle Wilson. 

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OUR STORY
Artists Jamelie Hassan and Ron Benner and jazz musician Eric Stach founded the Embassy Cultural House (1983-1990) located in the restaurant portion of the Embassy Hotel at 732 Dundas Street in East London. Other former members of the board were: Debrann Eastabrook, Henry Eastabrook, Sharron Forrest, Wyn Geleynse, Janice Gurney, Jean Hay (1929 - 2008), Doug Mitchell, Kim Moodie, Gerard Pas, Peter Rist, Wanda Sawicki, Jean Spence and Jennie White. In 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Embassy Cultural House was re-envisioned as a virtual artist-run space and website. 

This project is supported by the Ontario Arts Council and the London Arts Council through the City of London's Community Arts Investment Program.
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Thank you to our partners

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E M B A S S Y  C U L T U R A L  H O U S E . C A

​London, Ontario is on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabeg, Haudenosaunee, Lenape, Attawandaron and Huron-Wendat peoples, at the forks of Deshkan Ziibi (Antler River), an area subject to the Dish with One Spoon Wampum and other treaties.

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All rights reserved.
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    • Editorial Team & Advisors
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    • Past Programming >
      • Exhibitions 1983-1990 >
        • Index of Curators
        • Index of Photographers
        • Index of Visual Artists
      • Film 1983-1990
      • Music 1983-1990 >
        • Index of Musicians
      • Performances 1983-1990 >
        • Index of Performers
    • Embassy Hotel History
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