EMBASSY CULTURAL HOUSE
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    • Past Programming >
      • Exhibitions 1983-1990 >
        • Index of Curators
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        • Index of Visual Artists
      • Film 1983-1990
      • Music 1983-1990 >
        • Index of Musicians
      • Performances 1983-1990 >
        • Index of Performers
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  • About

CO-FOUNDERS &
​CURATORIAL ​ADVISORS 

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RON BENNER

Ron Benner is an internationally recognized, London, Ontario-based artist whose longstanding practice investigates the history and political economics of food cultures. Ron was one of the founders of the Embassy Cultural House.
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JAMELIE HASSAN

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Jamelie Hassan is a visual artist and activist based in London, Ontario. Since the 1970s she has exhibited widely and is also active as a lecturer, writer, and independent curator. ​In 2001 she received a Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts in recognition of her artistic achievement. 
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COORDINATING
​EDITOR

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TARIQ HASSAN GORDON

​Tariq Hassan Gordon was a child of the art community in London, Ontario. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in July 2020, Tariq, working with Ron and Jamelie, re-envisioned the Embassy Cultural House (ECH) as a virtual art space and website. 
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​COORDINATING EDITOR

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OLIVIA MOSSUTO 

Olivia Mossuto is an emerging artist, curator, and writer based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Her practice engages painting, sculpture, and installation as a way to conceptualize affective and intimate encounters with beings, images, and objects. 
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ADVISORY CIRCLE

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SAMER ABDELNOUR

Samer Abdelnour is an academic and activist. He works as a Senior Lecturer at the University of Edinburgh Business School. He studied for his PhD at the London School of Economics. Before that, he spent three years living in London, Ontario, where he got to know Jamelie Hassan and Ron Benner.
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MARNIE FLEMING 

Marnie Fleming was raised in Windsor, Ontario. From 1991 to her retirement in 2014, Fleming took on a new challenge as Curator of Contemporary Art at Oakville Galleries. In 2016, Marnie Fleming was awarded the Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts for Outstanding Contributions.
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WYN GELEYNSE

Wyn Geleynse was a member of the Embassy Cultural House (ECH) board and also co-edited the ECH tabloid and curated the film program. Wyn is a multimedia artist living and working in London, Ontario. Considered one of Canada's pioneer film and video projection artists, Geleynse's career spans a period of nearly 40 years.
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FERN HELFAND

Fern Helfand is a photo-based artist and educator living in Kelowna, BC. Helfand’s art production has always been influenced  by the environments and cultures in which she has lived, worked and travelled.  Fern was part of the ECH community in the 80s.
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S F HO

​S F Ho is an artist living on the unceded Coast Salish territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ nations. S F Ho’s  practice considers intersections of culture, history, and embodied experience from racialized, queer perspectives. 
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LORRAINE KLAASEN

Lorraine Klaasen is an internationally renown performer, a JUNO award-winner, and received in 2020 the Forest City London Music Award  (FCLMA) in the category of World Music. Originally from South Africa and formerly living in Montreal, Lorraine now lives in London, Ontario.
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JUDITH RODGER

Judith Rodger is a writer, art historian, and free-lance curator. She studied at McGill University, Montreal where she received her B.A in English and Psychology. She began her career at Museum London, followed by the Art Gallery of Ontario, and the McIntosh Gallery at Western University.
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RUTH SKINNER

Ruth Skinner works as an arts organizer, researcher, sessional instructor, and publisher in London, Ontario. She is finishing a doctoral degree in Art and Visual Culture at Western University. She is a co-organizer of Support project space and operates the art imprint Edna Press.
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DAN SMOKE

Dan and his wife Mary Lou have hosted "The Smoke Signals Aboriginal Radio Program," since 1990 and continue with this Western University campus-based radio program offering interviews with indigenous cultural workers and advocates from across Turtle Island.
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MARY LOU SMOKE

Mary Lou is a gifted traditional and contemporary singer. Recently, she was inducted into the Forest City London Music Hall of Fame for Lifetime Achievement on April. 28, 2019. 
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​CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

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MARIA AWARAJI

Maria Awaraji is an artist currently residing in London, Ontario, Canada. She is finalizing her BA Honours Double Major in Kinesiology, Studio Art and Art History at Western University, all while uncovering her heritage and discovering her voice through experimentation with diverse media. 
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BLESSY AUGUSTINE

Blessy Augustine is currently pursuing her PhD in the Department of Visual Arts at Western University, Ontario. She has an MFA in Art Writing from the School of Visual Arts, New York, and an MA in Arts and Aesthetics from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi.

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IMOGEN CLENDINNING

Imogen Clendinning is a settler video artist, emerging curator, and arts historian. She is currently pursuing an MA in Art History and Curatorial Study at Western University. Clendinning's found footage films have shown in London, Toronto, Windsor and North Bay, ON.


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ANAHÍ GONZÁLEZ

Anahí González (Saltillo, Coahuila, México. 1993) is a Mexican photographer based in London, Ontario, Canada.  She explores alternative visual narratives related to Mexican migrants and labour in Canada, in order to decenter the United States narrative within Mexican migration.
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ALEXIS GREEN

Alexis Green is a fourth year student at the University of Western Ontario, working towards an Honours Specialization in Art History and Museum Curatorial Studies. Her goal is to continue in this area by pursuing an MA in Art History.
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JARED HENDRICKS-POLACK

Jared Hendricks-Polack is an artist currently residing in London, Ontario, completing his degree at Western University and training as a combined events track and field athlete. He is in his final year of the Bachelor of Fine Arts, Honours Specialization in Studio Art program. 
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IRA KAZI

​​​Iraboty (Ira) Kazi is a PhD candidate at the University of Western Ontario, studying Art History and Visual Culture. She is the current editor of Western’s Visual Arts Department’s graduate students' journal, tba: Journal of Art, Media, & Visual Culture. 
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SHELLEY KOPP
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Shelley Kopp is a Ph.D. candidate in Visual Culture at the University of Western Ontario. She is the current editor of the visual arts graduate students' journal, TBA, as well as the founding associate editor- art history and theory, of TBA. 
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EMMY MEREDITH

Emmy Meredith is based in London, Ontario and enjoys creating works through painting, drawing, and photography. She is currently completing her BA in Art History with a minor in Thanatology at Western University.
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ASHAR MOBEEN

 Ashar (Usher) Mobeen recently commenced his MA in Art History and Visual Culture at the University of Western Ontario. He graduated from McMaster University with dual degrees in Astronomy & Astrophysics and Art History in 2019 and 2021, respectively. 

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NILOUFAR SALIMI

Niloufar Salimi​ (Shiraz, Iran. 1982) is a Visual Artist based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.  
Salimi completed her MFA at Western University and received a BFA from OCAD University. She is currently resides in Toronto. 
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JENNA ROSE SANDS

Jenna Rose Sands is a Cree Anishinaabe artist and writer who is turning her emotional exhaustion over the current state of Indigenous affairs into informative zines that educate and question wide spread prejudice regarding Indigenous people.
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GABRIELLA SOLTI

Gabriella Solti is a Hungarian-Canadian artist based in London, Ontario, whose multi-disciplinary practice encompasses drawing, painting, printmaking, book art, participatory projects and accessible technology that explore the role and value of labour, skill and play in the formation of identity and community.​
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MICHELLE WILSON

​Michelle Wilson received her BFA from the University of Ottawa in 2005 and graduated with highest honours from the School of Photographic Arts, Ottawa, in 2008. She is currently a third-year Ph.D. candidate in Art and Visual Culture at Western University, London, Ontario.
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SYLVIA XU

​Sylvia Xu 
is currently completing her MA in Art History and Curatorial Studies at Western University. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto in 2023, graduating with a double major in Media Studies and New Media Studies.
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PAST CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

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JOANNA WEIL (2021-2022)
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ANDREAS BUCHWALDT
​(2020-2021)
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MATTHEW DAWKINS
​(2021)

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CHARLOTTE EGAN
​(2020-2021)
  
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MACKENZIE SMITH
​(2020-2021)

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JADE WILLAMSON
(2020-2021)
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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 Smoke, and Lucas Stenning 

COORDINATING EDITORS
Tariq Hassan Gordon & 
Olivia Mossuto

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Blessy Augustine, Anahí González, Jared Hendricks-Polack, Jessica Irene Joyce, Ira Kazi, 
Shelley Kopp, Jenna Rose Sands, Mireya Seymour, Venus Tsao, Diana Tamblyn, and Michelle Wilson. 

VIRTUAL TOUR
Andreas Buchwaldt

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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. 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. 

The Embassy Cultural House gratefully acknowledges the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council and the London Arts Council through the City of London's Community Arts Investment Program.
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The Embassy Cultural House is thankful for the mentorship program established by Western University's Visual Arts department and the continued support of the students and Faculty of Arts & Humanities.
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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

The Embassy Cultural House (ECH) is located on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Lūnaapéewak, and Chonnonton peoples, at the forks of Deshkan Ziibi (Antler River), an area subject to the Dish with One Spoon Covenant Wampum and other treaties, colonized as London, Ontario. The ECH strives to create meaningful relationships between the Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island and our contributors. The ECH honours the stewardship of the many Indigenous peoples who have resided on these lands since time immemorial.

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  • Home
  • Recent News
  • Community
    • Advisors & Editorial Team
    • Contributors
    • Governor General Laureates
    • In Memoriam
  • Exhibitions
  • Projects
  • Publications
  • Background
    • 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
  • About