Mona Hatoum, Map (red), 2026
25 mm clear red glass balls, 6 m x 10.30 m
Photo credit: Mona Hatoum

Award-winning artist Mona Hatoum’s site-specific exhibition Over, under and in between, at the Fondazione Prada in Milan, Italy, from January 29 to November 9, 2026.

War is the cult of the desperate and the despicable.
So much to consider about how this tragic moment partitions again our shared history as people of/from West Asia residing in North America. 
We, and so many others like us who study the region or have attachments to Southwest Asia and North Africa (SWANA), are not bystanders to these world events. (I think that we should support the emerging shift away from the terms Mideast and Near East in favor of Southwest Asia).

This moment could be as historic as WW II. We need to think about the regional situation, from Desert Storm (the US attack on Iraq in 1991) to Epic Fury (the US-Israel 2026 attack on Iran) as one very long American war, whose prelude was the almost decade long Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988). This generational war most probably will not conclude with this latest episode of imperial aggression, but it may possibly bring about the end of the US dominated international rules-based order and the demise of the relatively feeble UN, at least as we know it. 

Given the global uncertainty of the present, one of the main questions being asked is: “what comes next,” not only in Iran, but also regionally and globally. Change of regime or not, so much is at stake in terms of what comes next in a world apparently dominated by the US and Israel, political regimes with techno-military supremacy, but bereft of ethico-political legitimacy.
Diplomacy, negotiations and agreements - the foreign policy means of civil society - are despised by adherents to the war cult. International relations, long governed by the alliance of the wealthy and powerful nations (Davos), have given way to the naked use of force to protect the prosperity and privilege of the few in the face of the swirling unrest of the “wretched of the earth” (Fanon).

Anyone paying attention over the last 12 months to the seemingly endless violence visited upon Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Iran foresaw the US-Israeli war of 2026. Over the last weeks of February, the US media earnestly prepared the public; the question was not if, but when would the US and Israel administrations launch their joint attack on Iran. A foreign war seemed especially inevitable given domestic crises facing Trump and Netanyahu. Are these heads of state using this war as a diversion from their problems of declining popularity? Or is the war part of a more calculated effort to transform the region? Or both? Is the intrigue about the contents of the Epstein files another distraction from another crime against humanity?

Some believe that Netanyahu and Trump envision an Iran that looks more like Iraq, Syria, Libya, and Afghanistan rather than a stable regional power. Will Iran be partitioned, resulting in an orchestrated civil war stoked by Israel and with US forces controlling oil production? Meanwhile the member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)—a political and economic union established in 1981 that includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)—must contend with the consequences of their ill-fated alliance with the US and Israel. 

That said, Iranian progressives face an impossible situation. They oppose the regime and the war. They will never embrace neocolonialist royalists who fantasize about installing Reza Pahlavi. 
Anybody who welcomes more war in Southwest Asia, believing that the US-Israel war on Iran will produce stability and democracy, is naive and heartless. 

Across the region, from the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean to the Persian Gulf, US and Israeli military operations have left landscapes of death and destruction.
In the context of the ongoing US–Israeli attacks against Iran and the broader escalation in Lebanon and the occupied Palestinian territories, how can we best articulate an anti-war position while also acknowledging the failure of political leadership across the region and beyond? Since October 7, 2023, despite massive popular protests across the globe, the international community has with noteworthy exceptions, allowed, or abetted, Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
The US has no independent policy. It has long outsourced its Middle East foreign policy to Israel, generally with the cooperation of the US Department of State. This now transparent situation explains why US officials have difficulty justifying their war on Iran. 

What are Israel’s intentions? What is Israel’s policy? Even as US public opinion shifts in favor of Palestinians and is clearly opposed to the war in Iran, most US politicians continue to support Israel unconditionally.

Conversely, the GCC member states, notably Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, have submitted to US military power and signed a formal agreement (the Abraham Accords) with Israel. These wealthy Arab monarchies entered security agreements with the US and Israel on the mistaken premise that having US bases in their countries would provide them with military protection. They were duped into believing that the US presence would protect them from a military attack.

Instead, the US and Israel brought the war to the Arab Gulf countries. The UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain have surrendered their sovereignty to Donald Trump’s America, and for the time being they are little more than 21st-century US colonies. 

Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya and Yemen, were destroyed because they resisted US domination. The GCC countries are being bombed because they submitted to the US.

For Israel, the destruction of Iran and the submission of the GCC countries to US military dominance eliminates all regional
rivals —except Turkey and Pakistan. Will this U.S-Israeli Gulf War conclude with uncontested Israeli domination over the entirety of West Asia or with Israel’s defeat? Will the war lead to nuclear proliferation, or more ominously a nuclear attack by the desperate and despicable?

Salah D. Hassan is Director of Global Studies in the Arts & Humanities at Michigan State University. He resides in Lansing, Michigan and wrote these notes between February 28 and April 20, 2026.

Congratulations to ECH contributing editor Blessy Augustine on the successful presentation of her PhD thesis, Four Artworks on the Theory and Practice of Citizenship. 

Put on your calendar ECH’s upcoming publication event at Critical Distance Centre for Curators, 401 Richmond St. West, #122, Toronto, on Thursday, April 30, from 6 - 9 PM. Check out the Akimbo website for details.

The Embassy Cultural House will be presenting ECH materials at the annual Vancouver Art Book Fair (VABF) 2026 at the Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre from May 15 to May 17. On Sunday, May 17, Ron Benner and Jamelie Hassan will be participating on a panel during the VABF, which addresses issues of activism / rest / resistance. The fair is free and open to the public.

We would like to welcome Siddhesh Inamdar as a contributor with ECH and Incé Husain as a contributing editor. Incé Husain's prints of her ink drawings are available to purchase at $75 each or 3 for $200. 

Scheduled Upcoming Events

Thursday, April 30 - Critical Distance Centre for Curators, Toronto, ON, Check out the Embassy Cultural House on the CDCC website

Thursday, May 15 - Sunday, May 17 - Vancouver Art Book Fair, Vancouver, B.C, A Roundhouse Partnership with OCCW Arts & Publishing Foundation. View the Roundhouse website for more information.

The postcards are now available at Shop Museum London, Little Wren Books and are coming soon on the ECH website.
Price: $3.00 each/5 for $10.00 + postage in Canada

Estamos Con Cuba is a fundraiser organized by the Latin American Canadian Solidarity Association (LACASA) and People for Peace London to deliver life-saving support to the Cuban people, who are being starved and deprived of necessities by the US blockade.

A night for London, ON, to come together in support of the Cuban people. There will be performances, a silent auction, food and drink available for purchase, and a DJ and dance.

They welcome donations of medical and personal hygiene supplies!

All proceeds will be donated to the Canadian Network on Cuba.

Congratulations to UPwithART for another successful year of their annual exhibition & auction for Unity Project for Relief of Homelessness and Museum London.

The Legends of Madiba: In Their Own Words, is a powerful documentary celebrating Black South African jazz singers who created, performed, and resisted during the apartheid era (1948–1990s).

This special screening is presented in affiliation with Lido Pimienta: Love and Resistance, on view until May 31, and deepens the exhibition’s themes of artistic expression, resilience, and political defiance.

Presented by London, Ontario–based Juno Award–winning artist Lorraine Klassen, alongside TD Curator of Collections Zahra McDoom, the film honours the lineage of Black women whose creativity sustained community, joy, and resistance in the face of systemic injustice.

Registration is recommended. 

Mona Hatoum, Map (red), 2026
25 mm clear red glass balls, 6 m x 10.30 m
Photo credit: Mona Hatoum

Award-winning artist Mona Hatoum’s site-specific exhibition Over, under and in between, at the Fondazione Prada in Milan, Italy, from January 29 to November 9, 2026.

We are happy to share some fantastic news and send our BIG congratulations to Lily Cho on receiving the Dorothy Killam Fellowship for her project Shaping national memory and identity through the archival materials of contemporary Chinese Canadian artists. Read Lily Cho's text, SUPERFAKE in ECH's recent publication Not/For the Money available from ECH, Museum London Shop, Little Wren Books, and Attic Books. Lily Cho's text is available to read on the ECH website here.

Also put on your calendar ECH’s upcoming publication event at Critical Distance Centre for Curators, 401 Richmond St. West, #122, Toronto on Thursday, April 30 from 3 - 7 PM.

As we reflect on the last 5 years, we give our sincere thanks to all the cultural workers who have joined the ECH team since 2020 and to those whose contributions have been presented in our numerous various projects. Thank you to our subscribers, readers and visitors to our projects, both online and in-person. We encourage others to subscribe and to learn about ECH and our collective work. Subscription is free but donations are welcome which enables ECH to continue to pay fees to contributors for their work.

Our gratitude to Marnie Fleming, Fern Helfand and SF Ho for their support over 5 years on the ECH advisory circle. In stepping down at this time, their contributions will continue to be included and recognized as among the early contributors and continued supporters of the Embassy Cultural House.
We are happy to welcome Olivia Mossuto and Iraboty Kazi in their new capacity to the ECH advisory circle.  

Scheduled Upcoming Events

Thursday, April 30 - Critical Distance Centre for Curators, Toronto, ON, Check out the Embassy Cultural House on the CDCC website

Thursday, May 15 - Sunday, May 17 - Vancouver Art Book Fair, Vancouver, B.C, A Roundhouse Partnership with OCCW Arts & Publishing Foundation. View the Roundhouse website for more information.

The postcards are now available at Shop Museum London, Little Wren Books and are coming soon on the ECH website.
Price: $3.00 each/5 for $10.00 + postage in Canada

April 16th-25th, 2026
Museum London

The 16th Annual UPwithART is almost here, raising crucial support for Unity Project and Museum London!

This year’s event theme is The Future of Joy, and you’re invited to help shape it. Your participation, your bids, and your presence all contribute to building a future filled with creativity, compassion, and community care. Browse and bid on 50 exceptional artworks by established and emerging artists, including Unity Project participants, along with remarkable pieces generously donated by local collectors.

On April 25, join the UPwithART! team at Museum London for arty-party, featuring live performances from local musicians, interactive art experiences, delicious cocktails and tasty treats, and so much more!

The Legends of Madiba: In Their Own Words, is a powerful documentary celebrating Black South African jazz singers who created, performed, and resisted during the apartheid era (1948–1990s).

This special screening is presented in affiliation with Lido Pimienta: Love and Resistance, on view until May 31, and deepens the exhibition’s themes of artistic expression, resilience, and political defiance.

Presented by London, Ontario–based Juno Award–winning artist Lorraine Klassen, alongside TD Curator of Collections Zahra McDoom, the film honours the lineage of Black women whose creativity sustained community, joy, and resistance in the face of systemic injustice.

Registration is recommended. 

• Zeteo, From Gaza to Iran, Children Have Always Been Sacrificed by Western Imperial Aims https://zeteo.com/p/gaza-iran-children-minab-killed-western-imperialism-israel-us?utm_medium=ios
• CBC News, Indigenous artist slams Ontario premier's basket weaving comments https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/indigenous-artist-slams-ontario-premier-s-basket-weaving-comments-9.7096091 
• The Conversation, What Bad Bunny meant when he said 'Canada' - and why we're still talking about it https://theconversation.com/what-bad-bunny-meant-when-he-said-canada-and-why-were-still-talking-about-it-277148
• The Guardian, Cannon by Lee Lai review - a meditative graphic novel laced with horror and humour https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/sep/26/cannon-lee-lai-review-meditative-graphic-novel-horror-and-humour
• Facebook, History SA ZAR's post, 1970: Thandi Klaasen (musician) with her daughter, Lorraine. Source: Drum Archive https://www.facebook.com/61576050696957/posts/c-1970-thandi-klaasen-musician-with-her-daughter-lorraine-source-drum-archive/122163609308868356/

Please join us for an event featuring Embassy Cultural House on Sunday, March 15th, 2026, at Lake House Books in Port Stanley. See the flyer below for more details. 

We hope to see you there!

Thursday, April 30 - Critical Distance, Toronto, ON, Check out the Embassy Cultural House on the CDCC website

Thursday, May 15 - Sunday, May 17 - Vancouver Art Book Fair, Vancouver, B.C

The postcards are now available at Shop Museum London, Little Wren Books and are coming soon on the ECH website.
Price: $3.00 each/5 for $10.00 + postage in Canada

March 12th, 2026
5pm
Conron Hall, UC3110, Western University
 

Leanne Betasamosake Simpson is a renowned Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg musician, writer and academic. She is the author of eight books, including several nationally and internationally recognized nonfiction bestsellers. Leanne’s new work, Theory of Water, a national bestseller, was shortlisted for the Writers’ Trust Prize for Nonfiction. Leanne has lectured and taught extensively at universities across Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Europe and has over twenty years’ experience with Indigenous land-based education. Leanne holds a PhD from the University of Manitoba and is a member of Alderville First Nation. 

In light of the recent escalations in the region, we remain deeply attentive to the weight of all that is unfolding. We will continue our programming and keep our doors open to the public, monitoring the situation day-by-day and guided by public safety advice.

We hope for the safety and well-being of everyone during this time.

From the Khalid Shoman Foundation Darat al Funun, March Newsletter, 2026

• The Guardian, Owen Jones, The Palestine Action ruling vindicates the courageous - and shames the complicity      https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/feb/13/palestine-action-ruling-vindicates-courageous-shames-complicit
• Zeteo, Citizens in a Democracy Must Be Allowed to Criticize Isreal  https://zeteo.com/p/democracy-criticize-israel-netanyahu-iran-trump?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=2325511&post_id=190386344&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=false&r=1x6a7d&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email 
• Counterpunch, MAGA Aesthetics and Fascist Power: Spectacles of White Supremacy https://www.counterpunch.org/2026/02/13/maga-aesthetics-and-fascist-power-spectacles-of-white-supremacy/ 
• miscellanea, Stephanie White, Is this the life we really want?https://onsitereview.substack.com/p/is-this-the-life-we-really-want?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=1437774&post_id=190306291&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=1x6a7d&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email
• The Conversation, Author Saeed Teebi writes beyond exile in his memoir of Palestine https://theconversation.com/author-saeed-teebi-writes-beyond-exile-in-his-memoir-of-palestine-and-writing-in-dark-times-270130 

February 22nd, 2026
11am-4pm
 Art Gallery of Guelph

Rock / Paper / Scissors is co-presented by PS Guelph, Musagetes, and Art Gallery of Guelph. The Book & Print Fair event space is accessible by both a ramp and stairs leading to the front entrance, with stair and elevator access to the washrooms. Masks are encouraged, and some will be available at the door. We encourage vendors and guests to stay home if they feel unwell. Please reduce the use of scented products (e.g. perfume, cologne) for this event.

ECH postcards and publications are available to purchase. If you don’t have a copy of the ECH anthology, An Alternative Cultural History of London, Ontario, this is your chance to get one! Available to purchase through ECH, Art Metropole, book stores and Museum London. Our publications are available for public viewing through the London Room at the Central London Library.

The postcards are now available at Shop Museum London, Little Wren Books and are coming soon on the ECH website.
Price: $3.00 each/5 for $10.00 + postage in Canada

Following our successful book launch in the Department of Visual Arts at Western University, we have other scheduled upcoming events.

Sunday, Feb. 22 - Rock Paper Scissors, PS Guelph at Art Gallery of Guelph, Guelph, ON

Sunday, March 15 - Lake House Books, Port Stanley, ON

Thursday, April 30 - Critical Distance, Toronto, ON, Check out the Embassy Cultural House on the CDCC website

Thursday, May 15 - Sunday, May 17 - Vancouver Art Book Fair, Vancouver, B.C

“Hey Ron - we’re just pulling into the station. I’ve got a brown wool coat, keffiyeh and a bundle of sticks!“ Text message from Andrew Maize

Artist Andrew Maize arrived to London, Ontario from East Dover, Nova Scotia on Jan. 11 2026 to begin his artist in residence at the McIntosh Gallery, Western University.

Andrew stayed in London for a month at ECH headquarters while working on his project and he was able to meet many involved in the ECH and the regional community.

One of his last acts in his McIntosh Gallery interactive studio installation,*(s)twer, was to hang Saeed Teebi’s book from the ceiling at chest height directly in front of the entrance doorway and halfway to the opposite wall. Teebi's book, You Will Not Kill Our Imagination, is without its dust jacket. Matte black with title, author’s name and publisher’s logo on spine in embossed gold. It looks like a yearbook diary one could purchase from Bijan’s Art Supply Store in downtown Deshkan Ziibi/ London, Ontario. "An unresigned" act of solidarity against an ongoing genocide of the people of Palestine. 

While Andrew departed Feb. 12, his exhibition continues at the McIntosh Gallery until Sat. May 16, 2026. Check it out. Watch for Andrew’s ECH contributor's page coming soon on the website.

February 22nd, 2026
filter Cafe located in Reimagine Co, 206 Piccadilly St., London, ON

The filter Cafe is hosting a free screening of "Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat" in recognition of Black History Month and as a fundraiser for the charity Hope of St. Joseph Shelters. 

 Hope of St. Joseph runs two shelters in the Congo to help those affected by the ongoing violence surrounding the mining industry. Christophe Lwiyando, from the Congo, will be speaking about the charity and the work they do and the state of the Congo today. 

For more information on the event, click here.
Registration is recommended.

Recommended reading: RWANDA and the New Scramble for Africa: From Tragedy to Useful Imperial Fiction by Robin Philpot, Baraka Books, Montreal, QC, 2013

October 3, 2025 – March 14, 2026
Judith & Normal Alix Art Gallery
147 Lochliel Street, Sarnia, ON
 

Boundaries spans four-decades of Larry Towell’s prolific career, revealing his emotionally charged and deeply humanist vision as a photographer. His work explores themes of land, landlessness, and control, ranging from a personal account of his family’s life in rural Ontario to the plight of civilians caught in the crossfire of war. 

April 16th-25th, 2026
Museum London

The 16th Annual UPwithART is almost here, raising crucial support for Unity Project and Museum London!

This year’s event theme is The Future of Joy, and you’re invited to help shape it. Your participation, your bids, and your presence all contribute to building a future filled with creativity, compassion, and community care. Browse and bid on 50 exceptional artworks by established and emerging artists, including Unity Project participants, along with remarkable pieces generously donated by local collectors.

On April 25, join the UPwithART! team at Museum London for arty-party, featuring live performances from local musicians, interactive art experiences, delicious cocktails and tasty treats, and so much more!

Special thanks to Jessica Joyce for helping us manage the ECH social media page.

Thanks to Liza Eurich for planning our book launch event, January 22nd, 2026, in the Visual Arts Department.

Incé Husain and Mireya Seymour for recent designs of ECH postcards. 

Best wishes to Adi Berardini as she departs from her position as Executive Director of Forest City Gallery (FCG). 

Congrats to Maxwell Hyett, interim Executive Director of FCG.

• The Conversation, Author Saeed Teebi writes beyond exile in his memoir of Palestine https://theconversation.com/author-saeed-teebi-writes-beyond-exile-in-his-memoir-of-palestine-and-writing-in-dark-times-270130 
• Zeteo, Why Is the World Silent When the Gaza Genocide Is Not Over? https://zeteo.com/p/why-is-the-world-silent-when-the?utm_campaign=email-post&r=1x6a7d&token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxMTYxODY2NjUsInBvc3RfaWQiOjE4NzY1OTkxNywiaWF0IjoxNzcwOTA5MDQ0LCJleHAiOjE3NzM1MDEwNDQsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0yMzI1NTExIiwic3ViIjoicG9zdC1yZWFjdGlvbiJ9.CLxbeuBdyelq65zy3IxShfU2_SEGDVsXTEU4wgdE0tI&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
• Counterpunch, MAGA Aesthetics and Fascist Power: Spectacles of White Supremacy https://www.counterpunch.org/2026/02/13/maga-aesthetics-and-fascist-power-spectacles-of-white-supremacy/ 
• The Conversation, Unpacking Bad Bunny's Superbowl Show - An Alternative Joyful Vision for America https://theconversation.com/unpacking-bad-bunnys-superbowl-show-an-alternative-joyful-vision-for-america-275545
• Bruce Springsteen's newest song, The Streets of Minneapolis https://brucespringsteen.net/news/2026/streets-of-minneapolis
• Aljazeera, Arundahti Roy 'shocked' by jury's remarks, quits Berlin film festival https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/2/14/arundhati-roy-shocked-by-jurys-gaza-remarks-quits-berlin-film-festival
• Peoples Dispatch, Over 100 Cuban artists call for international solidarity https://peoplesdispatch.org/2026/02/16/over-100-cuban-artists-call-for-international-solidarity/

January 22, 2026 from 4 - 6 PM
Cohen Commons, John Labatt Visual Arts Centre

The Embassy Cultural House (ECH) is pleased to launch its most recent publication Not/For the Money, in partnership with Western University's Department of Visual Arts.  Not/For the Money is an international online group exhibition that highlights contributions by artists and cultural workers that examines themes related to money, capital, and value. 

This publication is ECH's 10th publication since its relaunch in 2020 and has been designed by Olivia Mossuto, Coordinating Editor of the ECH, and is printed in an edition of 500 copies, full colour, 52 pages.

Money is a very urgent issue for many artists. An aspect of this issue is the general public’s inability to value the arts and cultural workers’ vital role and impact within any community. There is a lack of understanding in the way cultural workers survive and build meaningful lives, often with a minimum of resources. The issue of money, the impact of economic disparity, and insecurity dominates many of our lives. Without a stable income, most people struggle to afford basic necessities that are required for quality of life.

The theme of money is addressed frequently within the art world, but usually it is in the context of the art “market,” commercial auctions, and wealthy collectors. Many artists work to imagine and engender new relationships, value systems, and ways of being. As journalist Eric Reguly wrote in The Globe and Mail  business section, “You don’t necessarily need buckets of money to succeed. Sometimes imagination and the courage to break the rules can do the trick.”

Not/For the Money includes contributions by Ron Benner, Karl Beveridge, Lily Cho, Matthew Dawkins, Holly English, Soheila Esfahani, Kelly Greene, Jamelie Hassan, SF Ho, Michael Maranda, Alistair MacKinnon, Patrick Mahon, David Merritt, Mohamed Monaiseer, Sheri Osden Nault, Wanda Nanibush, Shelley Niro, Claudia Sambo, Ruth Strebe, and Jeff Thomas. This ECH project has been organized by Ron Benner, Jamelie Hassan, Olivia Mossuto, and Mireya Seymour. 

From the Art Lab website: https://www.uwo.ca/visarts/artlab/upcoming/index.html

February 5th, 2026
7:00PM-8:30PM
Museum London
 

Local artist Billy Bert Young shares insights into his latest series of paintings created over the past four years and featured in the exhibition Billy Bert Young: Cloudburst. Drawing inspiration from nostalgic advertisements, movie posters, children’s book illustrations, and historical prints, Young combines high realism with pop culture and collage to create striking, fantastical, and thought-provoking works.

Presented in partnership with the Department of Visual Arts at Western University, all Art Now! Speakers’ Series talks are free to students and educators. Registration is required. 

About the Artist:
A graduate of the prestigious H.B. Beal Secondary School in 2002, Billy Bert Young also attended the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Halifax, Nova Scotia. His practice has included drawing and design, zines, found object work, and murals.

October 3, 2025 – March 14, 2026
Judith & Normal Alix Art Gallery
147 Lochliel Street, Sarnia, ON
 

Boundaries spans four-decades of Larry Towell’s prolific career, revealing his emotionally charged and deeply humanist vision as a photographer. His work explores themes of land, landlessness, and control, ranging from a personal account of his family’s life in rural Ontario to the plight of civilians caught in the crossfire of war. 

April 16th-25th, 2026
Museum London

The 16th Annual UPwithART is almost here, raising crucial support for Unity Project and Museum London!

This year’s event theme is The Future of Joy, and you’re invited to help shape it. Your participation, your bids, and your presence all contribute to building a future filled with creativity, compassion, and community care. Browse and bid on 50 exceptional artworks by established and emerging artists, including Unity Project participants, along with remarkable pieces generously donated by local collectors.

On April 25, join the UPwithART! team at Museum London for arty-party, featuring live performances from local musicians, interactive art experiences, delicious cocktails and tasty treats, and so much more!

• Carthage Must be Destroyed: The Rise and Fall of an Ancient Civilization, Richard Miles, Published by Viking Books, New York, 2011
• They Knew: How a Culture of Conspiracy Keeps America Complacent, Sarah Kendzior, Published by Flat Iron Books, New York, 2022
• *(s)twerH/Andrew Maize, Lisa Hirmer, Pascal Dufaux, Sarah Wendt, sophia bartholomew, Printed by McLaren Art Centre, PS Guelph, 2026
• The Destruction of Palestine Is the Destruction of the Earth, Andreas Malm, Published by Verso, London, New York, 2024

• The South African Pavillion is Betraying Its Own History https://hyperallergic.com/the-south-african-pavilion-is-betraying-its-own-history/
• ICE vs. the People of Minnesota: A Special Report https://www.democracynow.org/2026/1/20/minneapolis_minnesota_ice?utm_source=Democracy+Now%21&utm_campaign=18bdf12f42-Daily_Digest_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_fa2346a853-18bdf12f42-193235784
• A Night of Funk: By Ottawa's Funk Yourself https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/a-night-of-funk-by-ottawas-funk-yo-self-tickets-1980149700057
• McIntosh Gallery, Atmospheric Shifts, Featuring Wally Dion, Lisa Hirmer, David Spriggs https://mcintoshgallery.ca/exhibitions/Upcoming.html 

In the summer of 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic caused havoc across the world, and lockdown was in place, a very unlikely and unexpected project was launched. The Embassy Cultural House was reimagined as an online archive by Tariq Hassan Gordon. As the ECH rapidly took shape, Olivia Mossuto entered our lives after interviewing Ron Benner in the spring of that year. Having just returned from London, UK where she was completing her Masters in Fine Arts at the Chelsea School of Art, she offered to join our team and became the first ECH intern. We could not have predicted that over the next five years, the Embassy Cultural House would become an incredible collective – with an unrivalled program of exhibitions and publications for an artist-run centre – due to the commitment of Tariq and Olivia's working together in the early stages of establishing the website and in-person community projects. As the projects evolved, Olivia took on a leadership role as coordinating editor that involved all aspects of the ECH. While continuing to pursue her own art practice, she managed her multiple and demanding roles as ECH's coordinating editor, curator, writer, designer and copy editor. To her credit - this involved working on 6 publications, including ECH's best-selling anthology, "An Alternative Cultural History of London, Ontario: Art & Activism" which was published in 2024. Olivia's skills in her work with the ECH team included curating exhibitions, both online and in-person. Throughout the five years of our working together, her energy, complimented by thoughtfulness and compassion, brought to life our numerous cultural programs that addressed a range of issues - giving focus to justice and equity. She proposed and organized the group exhibition "To Dissent" at the Support Project Space in London in 2021 which was part of Sleepwalking: Embassy Cultural House Stands with Hong Kong and included works by artists as the protests and crisis in Hong Kong was happening on the streets. Most recently, in June 2025, Olivia participated in the Accenti Fest conference at the University of Prince Edward Island in Charlottetown, which presented aspects of individual works and histories related to Italy. We express our profound gratitude to Olivia for her work with us and the ECH team and we are pleased that she will continue in her new position as part of the ECH Advisory Circle and a good friend to many of us in the ECH community.

We are excited to welcome Mireya Seymour as the incoming Coordinating Editor. Over the last five months, Mireya and Olivia have had the opportunity to work together as Mireya transitions into the position of Coordinating Editor. Mireya completed her BA in the Honours Specialization for Museum and Curatorial Studies and Art History program at the University of Western Ontario in June 2025. She completed her internship with ECH as part of her 4th year program at Western. From the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation, Mireya is focused on strengthening community ties between Indigenous people and museums. Mireya is also a creator of bead works and has been involved in beading workshop programs in high schools in London through the London Arts Council. Since graduating, Mireya has been involved in supporting ECH's ongoing work, including coordinating our 2025 fundraising exhibition "Art Speaks" in partnership with the not for profit Across Languages and strengthening our relationship with the Woodland Cultural Centre, Six Nations on the Grand River.

Together, Mireya and Olivia have co-organized with Jamelie Hassan and Ron Benner, the group exhibition Not/For the Money, which is the ECH's most recent online exhibition with a printed publication forthcoming December 2025, designed by Olivia. This exhibition has been selected to be presented at the artist-run centre Hamilton Artist Inc in the summer of 2027. The publications and programs over the last five years have been accomplished through the generous financial support of the London Arts Council, the Ontario Arts Council, the Canada Council for the Arts, Western University's Visual Art Department and friends. The ECH gratefully acknowledges this support, which has allowed the collective to honour the principle of payment of contributors' professional fees and salaries.

The ECH team expresses our thanks to all in our community for their ongoing support and we look forward to continuing our collaborations in 2026. We will be back in January as we take a much needed break and we wish you all a safe, healthy and happy holiday season.

November 8, 2025
Embassy Cultural House was happy to partner with Klaasen Connexion for this one-night event at Museum London featuring Juno Award winner Lorraine Klassen and acclaimed guitarist Mongezi Ntaka. Congratulations on a successful, energetic evening!

Quotes from attendees:

Nadine Mcnalty, Artistic Director, Batuki Music Society Toronto
The Queen of South African music Lorraine Klaasen is a quintessential performing artist. Her concert in the London museum demonstrated why she is an essential voice in the African and global music scene in Canada and abroad. It was a journey into South Africa’s turbulent history and vibrant cultures through music, dance, spoken word and visual images. A celebration of South Africa’s unique characteristics, rhythms, stories, and traditions, and how they shaped the values and connections of its people. The talented musicians accompanying her for the concert helped to deliver  a wonderful performance.

Marsha Clyne
I drove all the way from Ottawa to London for Lorraine Klaasen’s intimate concert. It’s very rare to experience such an up-close and personal performance. Her music, her voice, and her powerful advocacy through art created an atmosphere that was both joyful and deeply moving. I absolutely loved her performance, it’s truly a must-see experience. Every kilometre was worth it.

The Auction opened for bidding Thursday, 23 October at 10:00 a.m. and will close on Sunday, 7 December at 8:00 p.m.

​​KWAG’s Equitable and Inclusive Future Campaign raises funds to make important equity and access improvements at the Gallery. In 2025, your support will directly benefit accessibility upgrades to our Art Studio for individuals with sensory processing needs, motor challenges, or attention and mobility-related disabilities. These upgrades will be integrated into existing free educational programs, including KWAG’s Youth Council and community workshops, removing barriers for art lovers throughout Waterloo Region. 

Embassy Cultural House contributors in this campaign: Danielle Petti, Soheila Esfahani, Jamelie Hassan and Ron Benner

October 25, 2025 - December 5, 2025
Pride Library, Western University

Students of Dr. Iraboty Kazi’s Queer Archives course (AH/MCS 4640F/VISARTS 9582) invite you to A Look into the Royal Imperial Court Archives at the Pride Library (1st floor of D.B. Weldon Library). This exciting exhibition brings together selected archival materials donated to the Pride Library by The Royal Imperial Sovereign Court of London Southwestern Ontario Inc., a LGBTQIA+ non-profit organization that participates in and produces fundraising events for the community and various charities.

The students have spent time researching, selecting, and physically interacting with the records and memorabilia from the Imperial Court Fonds in preparation for the exhibition. In three vitrines, they explore themes and objects connected to parody, performance and fantasy, and the coronation culture of the Imperial Court. These ephemeral objects act as visual evidence of the queer organization’s history and connection to the local London community, Western University, and the International Court System.  

Special thanks to Alec Mullender, project manager of the Imperial Court Fonds and Pride Library volunteer, and Dr. James Miller, director of the Pride Library.

Curators:  Aaron Ambroso, Laura Annable, Anneke Braam, Yijing Du, Matthais Hayes, Nicole Iun, Emily Kings, Wilson Patterson, Lauren Ryan, and Amy Skodak

Pride Library, 1st floor Weldon Library, Western University

G101's final exhibition of 2025 is a solo show by Guelph-based artist Lisa Hirmer, curated by Elwood Jimmy in partnership with the Musagetes Foundation.
The Atmosphere is Always Still Being Made explores the atmospheric quality of contemporary life: the atmosphere being both a material fact of life on this planet and a strange, new awareness ushered in by climate change. The atmosphere is at once the thick layer of gas that surrounds the planet and makes life possible, everything that is beyond and between us and all beings, and something entering and leaving our bodies with each breath. It is also a place so profoundly altered by our carbon-fuelled civilization that livability as we know it is at risk. The photo-based work in this exhibition explores the feeling of living inside this realm of unbounded exchange, where actions cannot be contained but are instead drifting and ever-accumulating, suggesting profound social and political implications for how we, climate-altering humans, live on this planet where the atmosphere puts us into relationship with all things. At the same time, the works in The Atmosphere is Always Still Being Made try to make sense of the embodied experiences of living within climate change, where a constant awareness of our rapidly changing planet colours our daily experiences of life, weather, and especially seasonal change. 
Lisa acknowledges support from Musagetes, rare Charitable Research Reserve, Canada Council for the Arts, and Ontario Arts Council – an agency of the Province of Ontario.

https://g101.ca/exhibits/atmosphere-always-still-being-made

November 13, 2025

Now, we’re seeing the results: last week, with Budget 2025, the federal government signaled its support for the arts and the Canada Council. Notably, the Government announced that it will invest $6 million in the Canada Council, over the next three years, to support professional artists and arts organizations. I assure you that every dollar of this new funding will go directly to supporting the arts. We will share more details on this funding as soon as we can.

In addition, the Canada Council is not included in the list of organizations in Budget 2025 that must meet up to 15 percent in savings targets over the next three years. As such, the Canada Council’s budget remains stable so that we can continue to deliver our full suite of programs and services to the arts community with efficiency and effectiveness.
Your efforts are making a difference.    
Thank you.

*3rd Annual From Turtle Island to Palestine Film Festival*

*Nov 28th & 29th 2025* - "Resistance from Turtle Island to Palestine." Rooted in love, Indigenous resistance respects the struggles and dreams of our Ancestors and creates futures in which future generations will live free and thrive.
Elder Mary Lou Smoke will open the Film Festival on Friday evening.
*Free parking & Free registration*
Must sell out & be a full house! Please register & share!

October 3, 2025 – March 14, 2026
Judith & Normal Alix Art Gallery
147 Lochliel Street, Sarnia, ON
 

Boundaries spans four-decades of Larry Towell’s prolific career, revealing his emotionally charged and deeply humanist vision as a photographer. His work explores themes of land, landlessness, and control, ranging from a personal account of his family’s life in rural Ontario to the plight of civilians caught in the crossfire of war. 

• From Pluto Press: A Moon Will Rise from the Darkness Reports on Israel's Genocide in Palestine https://www.plutobooks.com/product/a-moon-will-rise-from-the-darkness/
• From University of Waterloo: Poetry, Pain and the Promise of Palestine https://uwaterloo.ca/arts/events/poetry-pain-and-promise-palestine
• From the London Free Press: Shuttering: Downtown London photofinisher closing after 43-year run https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/shuttering-downtown-london-photofinisher-closing-after-43-year-run
• From CBC: Tania Willard wins the 2025 Sobey Art Award https://www.cbc.ca/arts/tania-willard-wins-the-2025-sobey-art-award-9.6972494

UAAC–AAUC Conference 2025
October 16–18, 2025
York University, School of AMPD, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON
Registration Required

This year’s Universities Art Association of Canada (UAAC) host is the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (School of AMPD) at York University, in Toronto. The Conference will run from October 16 to 18, 2025, at York University’s Keele Campus. With over 200 speakers and more than 60 sessions, this edition of the Conference will touch a vast array of topics and interests. 

Embassy Cultural House will have a book table at the conference on Friday, October 17, 2025. For more information about the conference, please visit UAAC's website. 
 

October 9–October 30, 2025
ArtLAB Gallery, John Labatt Visual Arts Centre 
Western University, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON

Curated by Dr. Cody Barteet and Natalie Scola, this exhibition features works by Jamelie Hassan, Ron Benner, Olivia Mossuto, Steve Sabella, Carole Condé & Karl Beveridge, Julio Jorge Celis Polanco and archival materials from Western Archives and Special Collections and The Dr. Laurie L. Consaul Herbarium. Music for the exhibition is shared courtesy of the Digital Analysis of Chant Transmission (DACT).

Botanical art captures the worlds plants inhabit and the hands that study them. For centuries, artists have turned to plants not only as subjects to be studied and represented, but also as materials—pigments, dyes, and papers drawn from the natural world. These works map how plants were collected, named, and carried across continents. At the same time, they root us in gardens and communities, revealing how plants have cultivated knowledge, beauty, and belonging. Bringing together archival materials and contemporary art, this exhibition invites reflection on the intertwined histories of empire and science, and on the role of plants in shaping both past and future environments.

For more information, please visit the ArtLab gallery website. 

Thursday, October 23, 2025 at 5 PM
Conron Hall, UC 3110, Western University
1151 Richmond Street, London, ON
Registration Required
 

The annual Hanny & Najet Hassan Lecture in the Faculty of Arts & Humanities will be presented by Nadeem Mansour, author of the award-winning cookbook, Thuraya: Recipes from Our Family's Kitchen in Jordan. For this special evening, Nadeem will be joined in conversation by professors Soheila Esfahani (Visual Arts), Melitta Adamson (Languages and Cultures), and Benjamin Hill (Philosophy). 

Saturday, October 25, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Imagine Cinemas London, Citi Plaza Shopping Mall
355 Wellington Street, London, ON
Tickets: $15.25/$12.75
 

This striking and heart wrenching documentary follows a series of conversations with Palestinian photojournalist Fatima Hassouna, and the persistence of her joy, even in the darkest of times.

Tuesday, October 28, 2025 at 12PM 
UC 1405, Western University
1151 Richmond Street, London, ON

Saturday, November 8, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Museum London, 421 Ridout Street N, London, ON
Tickets: $25
 

Don’t miss a rare opportunity to experience the legendary Lorraine Klaasen—Juno Award and Forest City London Music Award winner—live at Museum London, joined by the acclaimed guitarist Mongezi Ntaka. Experience an intimate night of soulful vocals, infectious rhythms, and the rich sounds of South African music. Tickets are limited and going fast—secure yours now for this one-night-only celebration of music, culture, and joy! For more information, visit the London Tourism website.
 

October 3, 2025 – March 14, 2026
Judith & Normal Alix Art Gallery
147 Lochliel Street, Sarnia, ON
 

Boundaries spans four-decades of Larry Towell’s prolific career, revealing his emotionally charged and deeply humanist vision as a photographer. His work explores themes of land, landlessness, and control, ranging from a personal account of his family’s life in rural Ontario to the plight of civilians caught in the crossfire of war. 

• Book Launch for Saeed Teebi's You Will Not Kill Our Imagination at Conron Hall, Western University, London, ON
• From CBC News: Woodland Cultural Centre, ex-residential school turned museum, draws hundreds aiming to learn and share truths by Justin Chandler
• From Al Jazeera: Two years of Israel’s genocide in Gaza: By the numbers by Marium Ali, Alia, Chughtai, and Muhammet Okur
• From The Guardian: A “magic pill” made Israeli violence invisible. We need to stop swallowing it by Diana Buttu
• From Maclean’s: Larry Towell’s Visions of War by Jadine Ngan
• From Hamilton Artists Inc: The staff at Hamilton Artists Inc. is endorsing PACBI, The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel
• All Around Me, All Around You opens at Museum London, London, ON
• From the University of British Columbia’s Department of Art History, Visual Art, and Theory: AHVA to Welcome Tania Willard as Associate Professor and Belkin Gallery Director

For over fifteen years, Billy Bert Young has been a vital presence in London’s lively art community, widely recognized for his intricate, monochromatic ink drawings filled with comic book creatures, dense patterns, and playful text. Now, in Cloudburst, a solo exhibition of new paintings created over the past four years, Young shifts gears to embrace vivid colour, sculptural form, and theatrical compositions.

This bold new body of work draws from a wide range of visual motifs, including nostalgic advertisements, movie posters, children’s book illustrations, and historical prints. The result is a series of layered, dreamlike paintings that reward closer looking. Blending high realism with pop culture and collage, Young’s compositions radiate a carnivalesque energy that feels familiar and fantastical.

Each piece is a visual puzzle, rich with symbolism and surreal titles that invite viewers to explore and imagine their own unique narratives. Behind the scenes, Young’s process is rooted in avid sketching and collecting, affording old magazines, artist publications, deaccessioned textbooks, and vintage ads new life through his work.

UAAC–AAUC Conference 2025
October 16–18, 2025
York University, School of AMPD, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON
Registration required

This year’s Universities Art Association of Canada (UAAC) host is the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (School of AMPD) at York University, in Toronto. The Conference will run from October 16 to 18, 2025, at York University’s Keele Campus. With over 200 speakers and more than 60 sessions, this edition of the Conference will touch a vast array of topics and interests. 

Embassy Cultural House will have a book table at the conference on Friday, October 17, 2025. For more information about the conference, please visit UAAC's website. 

• From V&A Museum Youtube Channel: Tatreez: The Ancient Art of Palestinian Embroidery | Fashion Unpicked
• From Democracy Now!: "Time to Cut Ties with Israel": U.N. Expert Francesca Albanese on Gaza Hospital Bombing
• Fluxus Experimental Film Festival, September 26–27, 2025 at Hamilton Artists Inc. in partnership with Factory Media Centre, Hamilton, ON
• Holding Patterns: the long view, curated by Rachel Deiterding, September 25–December 6, 2025 at McIntosh Gallery, London, ON
• From CBC News: Art exhibit seeks to break down language barriers with auction to support interpreting services by Jack Sutton
• From Hyperallergic: Africa Wants a More Accurate World Map by Isa Farfan
• From CounterPunch: In Israel's Genocide of Gaza, We See the Face of Five Centuries of Western Colonialism by Patrick Mazza

Across Languages is proud to present Art Speaks: Bridging Cultures, a special exhibition and fundraising event that brings together artists, community members, and language lovers in celebration of the many ways art transcends barriers and builds understanding.

This inspiring event is made possible through the generous collaboration of Embassy Cultural House and TAP Centre for Creativity, two pillars of London's arts community. Together, we are creating space for stories to be shared, cultures to be celebrated, and voices—often unheard—to be amplified.

Join us for an unforgettable night of visual art, silent auction, and conversation. Funds raised will support Across Languages' interpretation and translation services that help newcomers access vital services and fully participate in our shared community life. Let’s come together to celebrate what connects us—art, food, and community.

Join local artist Ron Benner for special garden tours through As the Crow Flies this summer! This longstanding, living artwork blends art, ecology, and cultural history. Experience its evolution and meaning firsthand at this guided outdoor event, rain or shine! These events are a celebration of As The Crow Flies' 20th anniversary at Museum London. 

As the Crow Flies is an outdoor photographic/garden installation by London, Ontario-based artist, writer, and gardener Ron Benner (b. 1949). Installed on the western side of the Museum, overlooking the Deshkan Ziibi (Thames River), Benner’s work consists of an elliptical or egg-shaped reflecting pool. The pool is surrounded by a rich assortment of plant life, which the artist has cultivated for regeneration every year since 2005. It also supports migrating waterfowl and is an ecosystem for amphibians, insects, and fish.

The flowers and vegetables that make up As the Crow Flies all grow along the 81.14th meridian leading from Benner’s home of London, south to far-flung locations such as Cape Sable, Florida, and the Bay of Pigs, Cuba. A series of 22 black-and-white photographs document seemingly disconnected landmarks situated along the same meridian. They include colonial monuments, military infrastructure, and industrial remnants.

Benner studied agricultural engineering before becoming an artist. He considers the tension between the human imposition of order on the natural world—through mapping, trade, settlement, and colonization—and the rich cultural knowledge that plants embody. As the Crow Flies illustrates Benner’s longstanding commitment to investigating the history and political economics of food cultures. The work embodies his think-globally, act-locally approach to creative practice.
 

For more information, please visit Museum London's website. 
The last tour is being offered on August 24. Registration is required. 

• From Democracy Now!: Prof. Rashid Khalidi Slams "Crushing Repression" at Columbia, Cancels Course over Trump Settlement
• From CounterPunch: In Israel's Genocide of Gaza, We See the Face of Five Centuries of Western Colonialism by Patrick Mazza
• From The Walrus: China Secretly Executed Four Canadians. A Former Prisoner Explains Why by Michael Kovrig
• From Michigan State University: Mandela Washington Fellows Make Their Mark at MSU and Beyond by Beth Brauer 
• From C Magazine: "Composition: We Return" by Wanda Nanibush
• From Democracy Now!: “War on Children”: Doctor Tarek Loubani in Gaza on Massacres, Starvation and Israel’s Plan for Concentration Camps

Across Languages is proud to present Art Speaks: Bridging Cultures, a special exhibition and fundraising event that brings together artists, community members, and language lovers in celebration of the many ways art transcends barriers and builds understanding.

This inspiring event is made possible through the generous collaboration of TAP Centre for Creativity and the Embassy Cultural House, two pillars of London's arts community. Together, we are creating space for stories to be shared, cultures to be celebrated, and voices—often unheard—to be amplified.

Join us for an unforgettable night of visual art, silent auction, and conversation. Funds raised will support Across Languages' interpretation and translation services that help newcomers access vital services and fully participate in our shared community life. Let’s come together to celebrate what connects us—art, food, and community.

• From Democracy Now!: “War on Children”: Doctor Tarek Loubani in Gaza on Massacres, Starvation and Israel’s Plan for Concentration Camps
• From Democracy Now!: “I’m a Genocide Scholar. I Know It When I See It”: Prof. Omer Bartov on the Growing Consensus on Gaza
• From The New Democratic Party of Canada: NDP intends to nominate UN Special Rapporteur for the Nobel Peace Prize 
• From CounterPunch: Unmasking Fascism: Edward Said’s Pedagogy of Wakefulness in an Age of Educational Repression by Henry Giroux
• From The Guardian: I’m a queer Palestinian. Stop using my identity as cover for the destruction of Gaza by Jad Salfiti
• From CBC London: Westland Gallery bids adieu to its current home as owner searches for the ideal buyer by Isha Bhargava
• From CBC London: St. Paul's Cathedral reopens with a bold transformation and a message for London by Travis Dolynny

Bill Exley at 514 Pall Mall Street on August 20, 2024. Left to right: Norma Exley, Jamelie Hassan, Bill Exley, Robin Askew and Marta Méndez. Photo credit: Ron Benner

Bill Exley was one of my grade 13 high school teachers where he taught English at Westminster Secondary School in London in 1967 when I attended there briefly for one semester. When I left Westminster and London, Bill generously wrote a letter of reference for me regarding my desire to study art. 

While Bill and Norma Exley made a move to Elmira where they taught for 34 years, they kept their strong connection to London’s cultural community.

A few years later, on my return to London, we reconnected at a film screening of L’étranger at the former International Cinema. We were among the few people in attendance at the film and we sat together. (At that time, I continued to call Bill–Mr. Exley). After the film, Bill and Norma suggested that I come along with them to an art event at the 20/20 Gallery–a block down the street from the cinema house–on King and Ridout. From that first visit to the gallery, I was introduced to many of the city’s artists, cultural provocateurs and their families, who would become my friends (and often my critics).

During those years, my friendship with Bill and Norma involved meeting up at many Nihilist Picnics and Nihilist Spasm Band Monday night performances, at the York Hotel and later at the Forest City Gallery when it was founded in 1973.

A number of other mutual friendships developed. Bill and Norma had a connection with Julie Burnett and Chris Gittings, as Julie had also taught in the same high school in Elmira for a number of years. Julie and Chris had moved to London and lived in our building. Like many people, I have good memories from over the years with Bill and Norma.

Bill’s keen curiosity about whatever work we were doing was always encouraging and supportive. I truly feel fortunate to have had such a thoughtful and caring person in my life. Sending my sincere condolences to Norma, Laura, Sylvia, his extended family, his bandmates, friends, and community. His energy, good humour, and perseverance will always be an example to so many.

Bill, may you rest in peace but also know that a younger generation of fans will continue your example and make a spirited “noise” around us. 
 

- Jamelie Hassan -

Plastopolis by Bill Exley. Photo by Robin Askew, 2017. Image courtesy of Exley family

I will miss Bill immensely. Of all the people of his generation in London, Ontario, he was the only one with a “critical consciousness.” Our dialogues over the decades were informed by the same sources for “news,” information, and analysis, be it Le Monde Diplomatique, The Guardian Weekly–Bill cancelled his subscription in disgust as it towed the neoliberal line–or the Toronto Star which also became symptomatic of a general move to the right. Bill’s legacy will live on with his unwavering, unambiguous, “un-American” lyrics and commentary. My sincere condolences to Norma and their daughters, Laura and Sylvia, who Bill loved deeply. 
 

- Ron Benner - 

Across Languages is proud to present Art Speaks: Bridging Cultures, a special exhibition and fundraising event that brings together artists, community members, and language lovers in celebration of the many ways art transcends barriers and builds understanding.

This inspiring event is made possible through the generous collaboration of TAP Centre for Creativity and the Embassy Cultural House, two pillars of London's arts community. Together, we are creating space for stories to be shared, cultures to be celebrated, and voices—often unheard—to be amplified.

Join us for an unforgettable night of visual art, silent auction, and conversation. Funds raised will support Across Languages' interpretation and translation services that help newcomers access vital services and fully participate in our shared community life. Let’s come together to celebrate what connects us—art, food, and community.

Join local artist Ron Benner for special garden tours through As the Crow Flies this summer! This longstanding, living artwork blends art, ecology, and cultural history. Experience its evolution and meaning firsthand at this guided outdoor event, rain or shine! These events are a celebration of As The Crow Flies' 20th anniversary at Museum London. 

As the Crow Flies is an outdoor photographic/garden installation by London, Ontario-based artist, writer, and gardener Ron Benner (b. 1949). Installed on the western side of the Museum, overlooking the Deshkan Ziibi (Thames River), Benner’s work consists of an elliptical or egg-shaped reflecting pool. The pool is surrounded by a rich assortment of plant life, which the artist has cultivated for regeneration every year since 2005. It also supports migrating waterfowl and is an ecosystem for amphibians, insects, and fish.

The flowers and vegetables that make up As the Crow Flies all grow along the 81.14th meridian leading from Benner’s home of London, south to far-flung locations such as Cape Sable, Florida, and the Bay of Pigs, Cuba. A series of 22 black-and-white photographs document seemingly disconnected landmarks situated along the same meridian. They include colonial monuments, military infrastructure, and industrial remnants.

Benner studied agricultural engineering before becoming an artist. He considers the tension between the human imposition of order on the natural world—through mapping, trade, settlement, and colonization—and the rich cultural knowledge that plants embody. As the Crow Flies illustrates Benner’s longstanding commitment to investigating the history and political economics of food cultures. The work embodies his think-globally, act-locally approach to creative practice.

For more information, please visit Museum London's website. 
Tours are offered on Sunday July 27, August 3, and August 24. Registration is required. 

• From Democracy Now!: “War on Children”: Doctor Tarek Loubani in Gaza on Massacres, Starvation and Israel’s Plan for Concentration Camps
• From Democracy Now!: “I’m a Genocide Scholar. I Know It When I See It”: Prof. Omer Bartov on the Growing Consensus on Gaza
• From The New Democratic Party of Canada: NDP intends to nominate UN Special Rapporteur for the Nobel Peace Prize 
• From CounterPunch: Unmasking Fascism: Edward Said’s Pedagogy of Wakefulness in an Age of Educational Repression by Henry Giroux
• From The Guardian: I’m a queer Palestinian. Stop using my identity as cover for the destruction of Gaza by Jad Salfiti
• From CBC London: Westland Gallery bids adieu to its current home as owner searches for the ideal buyer by Isha Bhargava
• From CBC London: St. Paul's Cathedral reopens with a bold transformation and a message for London by Travis Dolynny