October Updates with Embassy Cultural House: Annual Hassan Lecture, Forest City Film Festival, and Lorraine Klaasen in Concert

News of the ceasefire declared on October 9, 2025, is a welcome reprieve for Palestinians living in Gaza.

View this email in your browser While the brutality of Israel’s genocide in Gaza has carried on for over two years, news of the ceasefire declared on October 9, 2025, is a welcome reprieve for Palestinians living in Gaza. The release of 1968 Palestinian political prisoners and detainees has been met with celebration across Gaza, the West Bank, and the world. However, it is unforgivable that the occupation of the Palestinian people both in Gaza and the West Bank continues, even after the UN’s declaration of the genocide in Gaza on September 16, 2025, and repeated resolutions by the UN Security Council and General Assembly that the Israeli annexation of Palestinian occupied territory is unlawful. The efforts of ordinary citizens on the Global Sumud Flotilla illustrate the drastic actions taken by citizens to break this inhumane siege on a population that has had their basic needs—water, food, baby formula, shelter—withheld for over 730 days and restricted for more than 18 years through the Israeli blockade. It is in our power as community members and allies to advocate for the Palestinian people and to disrupt an ethnic cleansing that has carried on as though “business as usual.” From Mehdi Hasan and Molly Jong-Fast on Zeteo: “We need hope and optimism in these dark times” 20 Years of Ron Benner’s As The Crow Flies and Maiz Barbacoa  Ron Benner in front of "As The Crow Flies" at Museum London, September 20, 2025. Photo credit: Angela Antonopoulos For over 20 years, artist Ron Benner has championed the story of maize, or more colloquially—corn. Many of his works honour the plant with a 9000-year history of cultivation and trans/mission. At the center of Benner’s works—that which cannot be overstated—is his unyielding respect for the Indigenous peoples of the Americas that are responsible for the widespread use of the world’s most important crop. Corn is the central material in Ron’s Benner’s Maiz Barbacoa, and figures prominently on the south side of As The Crow Flies, planted among other flowers and foods native to the Americas. 2025 marks 20 years of As The Crow Flies, a reflecting pool turned photographic/garden installation that is planted and re-planted every spring. The occasion was celebrated on September 20 at Museum London with the usual fanfare: cobs of corn roasted by Ron Benner with musical accompaniment by Frank Ridsdale on guitar. Such a combination can only be matched by the mighty corn, garnished with chili, lime, butter, and salt. Ron Benner (left) with Larry Towell (right) at Museum London, September 20, 2025. Photo credit: Angela Antonopoulos National Day for Truth and Reconciliation at the Woodland Cultural Center Former Mohawk Residential School with crowds on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Photo credit: Ron Benner Tuesday, September 30, 2025, marks the fifth time the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation has been observed across Canada. Prior to the designation as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the day was colloquially known as “Orange Shirt Day.” Hundreds of people gathered at the Woodland Cultural Centre (WCC) for the grand unveiling, marking a significant day of cross-cultural events and activities in solidarity with Indigenous families and communities. A small delegation from the Embassy Cultural House visited the WCC on this day to be present for the grand unveiling of the Former Mohawk Institute (Canada’s longest-running residential school), which now stands as an interpretive historic site and educational resource. UAAC-AAUC Conference 2025 at York University 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.    REGISTER NOW The More Elegant and Graceful Plant opens at ArtLAB Gallery 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.  2025 Hassan Lecture: An Evening with Nadeem Mansour 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).  Named after the author's mother, Thuraya is a story of love, heritage, and the power of food to bridge distances across countries, cultures and communities. At its heart, Thuraya is a culinary diary and loving tribute to the plates of Jordan and the Middle East, documenting and preserving the recipes and traditions passed down from mother to son.  For more information, please visit the Western University website.   REGISTER NOW Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk at Forest City Film Festival Fatima Hassouna in Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk (2025)   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. Struck by the power of her photos, a film director decides to make a film interviewing a young Palestinian photojournalist, Fatima Hassouna, whose images capture daily life in Gaza, post-October 7th. Seeing as it’s impossible to get into Gaza to conduct any interviews, every conversation must be recorded over WhatsApp video calls. In a series of digital exchanges stretching over a year and a half, we see the forming of a beautiful friendship between two women, and get a glimpse into the strength of the spirit of the Palestinian people. For more information, visit the Forest City Film Festival website.    BUY TICKETS SASAH Speakers' Series presents: Heather George Tuesday, October 28, 2025 at 12PM  UC 1405, Western University 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON Museology is a fundamentally colonial discipline, however since 1972 Woodland Cultural Centre has been engaging in story-telling, caring for belongings and asserting Indigenous sovereignty. Behind every exhibition, program and policy we seek to undo the harms of Residential School and demonstrate the continuity and vibrancy of our nations. Heather George, (Kanienʼkehá:ka, Akwesasne and Euro-Canadian) is the Executive Director and Chief Curator at Woodland Cultural Centre. As a UWO alumni from the Public History M.A. Program, she brings two decades of community based, Indigenous practices to her work. As a mother, beader, gardener and curator Heather's PhD research through University of Waterloo is examining the historical and philosophical underpinnings of contemporary museum practice specifically grounded in Haudenosaunee (Six Nations / Iroquois) philosophies. She seeks to challenge the colonial basis of cultural preservation methods and museology and better understand how we engage with material culture to heal trauma and engage in cross-cultural dialogues. In 2022 Heather served as the President of the Canadian Museums Association supporting the release of the Moved to Action Report responding to TRC #67 and as a current board member of the Indigenous Heritage Circle she advocates for better legal and funding mechanisms to support the implementation of UNDRIP in the museum sector. Heather George is a guest of Professor Sarah Bassnett's second-year SASAH course, "Photography and Social Justice." For more information, please visit the Western University website. An Intimate Concert with Lorraine Klaasen and Mongezi Ntaka 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.   BUY TICKETS Larry Towell: Boundaries opens at Judith & Norman Alix Art Gallery  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.  The exhibition highlights selections from Towell’s extensive photographic series, including: The Mennonites, which exposes the extreme poverty endured by the Canadian/Mexican Mennonite community as they struggle to resist modernity; The World From My Front Porch, which offers a personal account of Towell’s family life and home in Dawn-Euphemia Township; El Salvador, the award winning No Man’s Land which intimately examines the struggle for survival in the conflict zones of El Salvador and Palestine; Afghanistan, released in 2014, plus his most recent project, The History War, which documents Ukraine’s long struggle for independence. For more information, please visit the Judith & Norman Alix Art Gallery website.  Colour by Schubert is retiring after 43 Years Relevant and Related Links   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 Visit the ECH Website Embassy Cultural House 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. Copyright © 2025 Embassy Cultural House. All rights reserved. Our mailing address: 514 Pall Mall Street, London, ON, N5Y 2Z6, Canada Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.