ECH November Updates: Olivia Mossuto joins Advisory Circle, Mireya Seymour incoming Coording Editor

Recognizing Olivia and her work with ECH who continues her new position on the Advisory Circle. Welcome Mireya Seymour, incoming Coordinating Editor.

View this email in your browser Statement by Jamelie Hassan and Ron Benner November 9th, 2025 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. Olivia Mossuto and Mireya Seymour working at Pall Mall, May 29th, 2025 Photo Credit: Ron Benner From Olivia Mossuto, Outgoing Coordinating Editor: For over five years, I have had the pleasure of working with Embassy Cultural House co-founders Ron Benner and Jamelie Hassan. During that time, I have been able to support and organize the programming being done by the exemplary artist collective that they helm and direct with honesty, principle, and commitment. It has been a great honour to work with them and the wider ECH community in many different capacities, including through the position of Coordinating Editor. As I transition to the team of advisors and contributors, I am excited to share that the key role of Coordinating Editor will now be embraced by Mireya Seymour. I want to express my deep thanks to Jamelie and Ron, who have been key collaborators and mentors in my life, and for the kindness of the ECH community, which has encouraged and supported my own cultural growth and understanding of the world of ad-hoc and artist-run collectives. It is a world that I continue to love.  From Mireya Seymour, Incoming Coordinating Editor:  Over the past few months, I have been going through my transition as the new Coordinating Editor with Embassy Cultural House. I am truly grateful to have been offered the role. When I started my journey at Embassy Cultural House as part of my internship at Western University, it would have ended abruptly at the end of the second term. However, it ended up being the beginning of my work with ECH. Through Ron Benner and Jamelie Hassan’s mentorship as an intern, my learning experiences were hands-on from the beginning, including learning about organizing archival documents, fine art material and artwork, installing exhibitions, writing grants, attending events, and meeting the many contributors and the advisory circle. After a successful final year at Western University, Ron, Jamelie and I chose to continue working together, and I worked closely alongside Olivia Mossuto as we planned our most recent exhibition Not/For the Money. As part of the founding team of ECH online, Olivia Mossuto is incredibly knowledgeable about our programming and has been supportive in my learning process. As I reflect on my experiences with Embassy Cultural House, Olivia has played a huge part in my success and in feeling welcome to participate in projects and events. Chi Miigwetch, Olivia. An intimate concert with Lorraine Klassen and special guest Mongezi Ntaka (Left to Right) Mongezi Ntaka, Lorraine Klassen, Kofi Ackah, Dominic Dally Photo credit: Mireya Seymour (Left to Right) Jabulina Shongwe, Jabu Shongwe, Mongezi Ntaka, Jamelie Hassan, Lorraine Klassen, Kofi Ackah, Dominic Dally, Ron Benner, Mario Circelli Photo credit: J. Guzlan Photography 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 Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery's Online Auction Ron Benner, A4 Towards Leiden, Holland. Digital print on archival paper. Framed: 22" x 22" 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   View Auction A Look Into The Royal Imperial Court Archives:  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 The Atmosphere is Always Still Being Made Lisa Hirmer/Solo exhibition   Exhibition runs from November 8 to December 6, 2025 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 An Open Letter to the Arts Community from Michelle Chawla, the Director and CEO of the Canada Council for the Arts  November 13, 2025 The arts community is being heard This past year, you delivered a strong, unified message to leaders across the country: the arts matter. You showed how your work connects Canadians, strengthens Canadian unity, fuels the economy and makes Canada stronger. And you made it clear that public support is essential to having this impact. 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. View Full Article From Turtle Island to Palestine Film Festival *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! Register 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.  Relevant and Related Links   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       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.