Tompalski’s Afghan Boxers at Gage Gallery Victoria  Canada, 2017.

Efren Quiroz’s YouTube and Website exhibit-V, provides an extensive monthly calendar of openings in Victoria B.C. Canada. He covers the Boxers and Beauties show with interviews of Sherry Tompalski and Arden Rose at Gage gallery Arts Collective.

On Tuesdays through Saturdays between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. the show continues to Mar 11, 2017.

See a 360 degree panorama of the show provided by photographer Barry Herring. Click to view interactively and then play with the buttons. CLICK http://360.io/XJP7w2 . The gallery is Located in Oak Bay Village, the Gage is close to the corner of Oak Bay and Foul Bay avenues.

Tompalski’s new work is based on and inspired by pictures of the Afghan women who train in the basement of the Kabul stadium where the Taliban used to publicly execute women accused of adultery.

Sadaf Rahimi, a female boxer from Afghanistan who made history by being the first Afghan female boxer to be invited to the Olympics recounts, “In Afghanistan, there is so much violence and prejudice towards women. Because of that, when I come here and box, I feel freedom. Here we are all girls, and we talk with each other and practice. Here is freedom for me and for every girl.” The Boxers & Beauties Show was covered by Christine van Reeuwyk of the OakBay News.

Boxers debut with Beauties at Gage Gallery

Oak Bay artist Sherry Tompalski prepares to unveil her boxers, inspired by Afghan female athletes, during her first show as a Gage Gallery artist collective member. — image credit: Christine van Reeuwyk/Oak Bay News

A series of boxers enjoy time in the spotlight this month after waiting three years for a chance in the ring. Boxers, created by Oak Bay artist Sherry Tompalski, were inspired by the Female Afghan Boxing Club in Kabul. “I’ve never exhibited the boxers,” said the new Oak Bay resident. “I’m looking froward to seeing how people respond to them.” Tompalski returned west from Ottawa last June after a dual career as an artist and psychiatrist. Decades ago, after medical school in Vancouver she and her husband Graham Thompson moved to Ottawa for practicum. “We went for one year and ended up being there or 30,” she said. Upon their return, they opted for Victoria, which reminded them of Vancouver as it was three decades ago. Tompalski’s new work is based on and inspired by pictures of the Afghan women who train in the basement of the Kabul stadium where the Taliban used to publicly execute women accused of adultery. She learned of the women after a boxer made history as the first Afghan female boxer invited to the Olympics. “If was shocked, it just sounded almost surreal,” she said.

Artist Sherry Tompalski’s new show at the Gage Gallery opens on Feb 23, (5-8pm) featuring her Female Boxers.”This work began as large graphite drawings that are torn up and reassembled with fragments of musical scores, portraying the process of coming undone, reforming and coming together. The Boxers incorporate a fragmented, difficult history which hopefully with healing and strength becomes music.” Tompalski’s Boxers are accompanied by Artist Arden Rose’s Beauties at the Gage Gallery from February 21 to March 11, 2017.

The Feb 23 Vernissage

Vernissage has its roots in the old practice of setting aside a day before an exhibition’s opening for artists to varnish and put finishing touches to their paintings-a tradition that reportedly dates to at least 1809, when it was instituted by England’s Royal Academy of Arts. (One famous member of the Academy, Joseph Mallord William Turner, was notorious for making major changes to his paintings on this day.) English speakers originally referred to this day of finishing touches simply as “varnishing day,” but sometime around 1912 we also began using the French term vernissage (literally, “varnishing”). Today, however, you are more likely to encounter sparkling water and truffles than varnish at a vernissage, which is how Tompalski’s February 23 opening unfolded. See pictures below.

Arden Rose and Parents in front of Tompalski’s Afghan Women’s Boxing Club

Tompalski in Traditional Afghan Dress

In the show, Tompalski also exhibited Bahara of Kabul #1, #2 & #3, along with Hawa of Guinea West Africa. See below

The show also featured videos of Bahara of Kabul and Hawa of Guinea. See below.

Tompalski Featured as March 2017 Artist of the Month at Exhibit-V

SEE: http://exhibit-v.blogspot.ca/2017/03/sherry-tompalski-march-2017-artist-of.html

CONTACT SHERRY TOMPALSKI
quitecontrarysherry@gmail.com

GAGE GALLERY INFO,
open Tues-Sat 11 am – 5 pm, Sun 1 PM – 4 PM
2031 Oak Bay Avenue,
Victoria, BC, V8R 1E5
250-592-2760

WEB SITES
http://gagegallery.ca/
http://sherrypaints.info/
http://ardenroseart.com/

Noxious Sector Collective exhibits Wet Nurses at Welcome Back Ye Annunaki show at Open Space Victoria, 2012

The Noxious Sector Collective features Sherry Tompalski’s “Wet Nurses” at the  Welcome Back Ye Annunaki show at Open Space Gallery in Victoria, British Columbia in November 2012

The Noxious Sector Collective – Welcome Back Ye Annunaki Show – Curated by Ted Hiebert & Doug Jarvis

Welcome Back Ye Annunaki merges inquiry about home and hospitality with speculation on the ancient alien theories of Zacharia Sitchin and others, who claim that humanity is a product of alien intervention, genetically engineered by a race called the Annunaki.

According to Sitchin the story of the Annunaki is engraved on the clay tablets of the ancient Sumerian people, along with details of the planet they come from, called Nibiru or Planet X. According to the myth, Nibiru is on a long elliptical orbit that brings it into proximity with our solar system only once every 3,600 years.

If the story proves true, the winter solstice of 2012 may mark the return of the Annunaki, as Nibiru re-enters proximity to the Earth. Welcome Back Ye Annunaki invites gestures of hospitality–host families willing to open their homes, hearts and imaginations, to guests from another world. In the spirit of cultural exchange, this exhibition seeks to bring together communities–real and imaginary–in a celebration of home and Earthly hospitality.

Welcome Back Ye Annunaki at Open Space Gallery Victoria from Nov. 16, 2012 – Dec. 21, 2012 – Participating artists

Sherry TompalskiCindy Baker & Megan Morman
Katie Bethune-Leamen
Marlaina Buch & Ross Macaulay
Roy Green
Robert Gallup & Josh Kopel
Karen Hibbard Kruno Jost
Serena Kataoka
Robin Kirkpatrick
Kegan McFadden
Mary-Anne McTrowe
Ella Morton
Ryan Park
IO Sound
Shawn Shepherd
Rhonda Usipiuk
Christine Walde

Curatorial Statement

How would you host an imaginary friend, a special guest from an alien world returning to Earth after a 3600 year journey? What would you make them to eat? Where would you set them up in your house to sleep? What kind of gift would you give them to welcome them to your home?

There is a curious version of the human story that comes from the pseudo-archeologist, Zecharia Sitchin, who claims that humanity is a product of alien intervention, genetically engineered by a race called the Annunaki. Sitchin claims that the story of the Annunaki is engraved on the clay tablets of the ancient Sumerian people, along with details of the planet they come from, called Nibiru or Planet X. According to Sumerian myth, Nibiru is on a long elliptical orbit that brings it into proximity with our solar system only once every 3,600 years. If the Sumerian myths prove correct, the winter solstice of 2012 may mark the return of the Annunaki, as Nibiru re-enters proximity to the Earth. The science and the story may be contested–but we might nonetheless wonder what it might mean if these gods of ancient times returned to a world they helped to create–even if such a story exists only in our imaginations.

Welcome Back Ye Annunaki invites gestures of hospitality–host families willing to open their homes, hearts and imaginations, to guests from another world. One might think of an ancient alien as an imaginary friend waiting to be made, an ethereal companion to whom one might extend a spirit of Earthly generosity and community. The idea of hosting ancient aliens is–in this way–a questioning of our own personal space, speculating on what it means to make it accessible to others, and in so doing expose us to a larger imaginary community. This act of hospitality is meant as a way to reveal to us, and our own community, the biases and assumptions that we hold close to our heads and hearts, as our ways of being in the world. In the spirit of cultural exchange, this exhibition seeks to bring together communities–real and imaginary–in a celebration of home and Earthly hospitality.

Welcome Back Ye Annunaki is a project built on the idea of welcoming back our alien ancestors, inviting gestures of hospitality from members of the community who might like to welcome an Annunaki into their home. 18 artists from around the world have responded to the call for hospitality by creating projects that engage the Annunaki myth in their own creative ways. Cindy Baker & Megan Morman created a brothel designed to service the needs of alien visitors; Ella Morton created a set of intergalactic calling cards where visitors can leave a message for the Annunaki; Mary-Anne McTrowe hosted a potluck; Serena Kataoka built a sensory deprivation chamber in her bedroom with a live-stream feed to web. Others responded in their own ways too–each artist evoking the spirit of hospitality as it relates to the question of hosting an unknown visitor.

Welcome Back Ye Annuanki. This exhibition is our way of welcoming you back–by extending the gesture of hospitality to include others who might also like to welcome a visitation–whether by aliens, the imaginary, or otherwise unknown aspects of life as we know (and don’t know) it.

Doug Jarvis, MFA and Ted Hiebert, PhD

Welcome Back Ye Annunaki! – Open Space Gallery – Victoria BC – Nov 16-Dec 21, 2012

According to Zecharia Sitchin (1920-2010), an Azerbaijani-American amateur archaeologist, a race of aliens is about to arrive back here on Earth this year after an extended absence. Sitchin’s reading of ancient Sumerian scripts and mythology reveal the existence of the Annunaki, inhabitants of Nibiru, an undiscovered planet on a 3,600 year-long orbit. The Annunaki first visited Earth 450,000 years ago in search of minerals, but when their miners rebelled, the Annunaki were forced to genetically engineer a slave race. Humans.

Doug Jarvis, MFA and Ted Hiebert, PhD are the founding members of Noxious Sector, a collaborative art project known for performance hauntings (including an FB campaign to haunt Stephen Harper) and for organizing the World Telekinesis Competition. They are curating an exhibit that asks and suggests an answer to the question: how would we play host to our own alien creators, the Annunaki? With food, shelter and gifts, of course.

Seventeen artists from Canada, the U.S. and the Czech Republic are participating in the show, each with a creative and unique approach to the idea of welcoming strangers to our planet. As part of Open Space’s HomeStay project, a series of Circle Ceremonies will be led by Gerry Adams, a Kwakwaka’wakw elder. Welcome Back Ye Annunaki! is part of a larger ongoing celebration and investigation into issues related to cultural exchange and symbiosis.

www.openspace.ca

Christine Clark

Global Voices 2012 at National Gallery of Canada, 37 paintings, 23 videos and 18 artists of Central Asia, Africa, the Americas, Cree and Mohawk Nations.

The Global Voices 2012 event at the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa Canada featured 37 paintings, 23 videos and 18 artists of Central Asia, Africa, the Americas, Cree and Mohawk Nations, including musicians Eman the Warrior & the Abezamutima Burundian Traditional Dancers and paintings and videos by Sherry Tompalski and Graham Thompson respectively in December 2012.

The Global Voices 2012 program featured:

• Afghan Portraits and the Voices from Afghanistan video.
• Native American Flute and World Beat composer David Finkle with Simon Handley (percussion, electronics) and  Andy W. Mason (percussion, guitar, vocals).
• Iranian Portraits and a video of Iranian dancer Dr. Maria Modhaddam
• The Abezamutima Burundian Traditional Dance Group
• Residential School Portraits and the Irene Lindsay  video, Thomas Louttit video and Dr. Morgan Baillargeon (actor, costume designer and concept creator) in the Campfire, Tea and Bannock video
• Eman the Warrior (Emmanuel Oletho) the Singer and Song Writer from Ethiopia
• Central American Portraits and the Victor Fuentes and Tito Medina videos
• Dr Lee’s West African Rhythms
• Central American Portraits and the Delores of Guatemala video
• African Portraits and Videos featuring the Hawa Kaba video and Hamid Ayoub vide

Who Organized the Project?

The Global Voices 2012 Event was created and organized by Sherry Tompalski (painter) and Graham Thompson (videographer). The concept was based on the realization that many refugee artists and activists arrive in Canada with highly developed artistic skills and compelling personal stories of survival. As a result, the refugee’s work is uniquely suited to a multimedia presentation where audiences have the opportunity to see, to hear and to understand their personal accounts of, for example, walking across Chad, without food or money to escape the horrors of Darfur (Hamid Video).

A Transcript of the Global Voices 2012 Event at the National Gallery of Canada

My name is Graham Thompson. I am a videographer. I am one of many artists you will see this evening. for 10 years we have created events involving art, dance, media and music, the projects have included over 100 separate artists. artists from Australia, Peru, Zimbabwe, Cameroon, the Philippines, Taiwan, Venezuela, Bolivia, Canada and the United States. This work has been shown in Taipei, Manila, Belgrade, Chicago, Melbourne, London, Vancouver and Toronto. we wanted to acknowledge the extreme challenges many people face in our complicated world and we wanted to have a focus on survival and renewal. IN ORDER TO CREATE THIS WORK we have been helped by a great many Embassies, NGOs, Universities, Museums, Government Departments and Arts Funding Agencies.

Special thanks goes to: The Catholic Immigration Centre, The Canadian Red Cross, USC Canada, Ottawa Carleton Immigrant Services Organization, Odawa Friendship Centre, The Minwashin Lodge, Metis Nation of Ontario, The World University Service Canada, the University of Oxford in England, Carleton university, the University of Ottawa, York University, The United Nations, Library and Archives Canada, Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Canadian Trade office in Taipei, Canadian Embassy in Manila, The Canadian Embassy in Belgrade Serbia, Canadian Heritage, the Parliament of Canada, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, The Canadian Museum of Civilization, The International TV Festival Bar Montenegro, the Coalition of New Canadians for Arts and Culture, Canadian Centre for International Justice, The City of Ottawa, the Ontario Arts Council, Canada Council for the Arts, SAW Video, the SAW Gallery and Donna Cona Inc

A Transcipt of the Event

TONIGHT WE OFFER DANCE, ART, MEDIA AND MUSIC. Representing Afghanistan, Sudan, Burundi, Ethiopia, Iran, El Salvador, Guatemala, and the Cree & Mohawk Nations of Canada.

WE  SHALL BEGIN  IN AFGHANISTAN. with the portraits, as shown on the screen,  of a family of refugees from KABUL. the paintings were created in Sherry Tompalski’s studio there were cameras covering the evolution of the artwork, and any comments the models wished to make we didn’t ask any questions, we simply let the people speak, if they wanted to for example, we will play 5 short videos from the sittings some people from the project, have requested that we use ONLY there first names. BAHARA from KABUL describes: a party which took place in her home which was invaded by patrolling soldiers as there  was a BAN on MUSIC. HER  BROTHER Remembers the escape from his village during an attack  in the Afghan war. HER other BROTHER Recounts his experience at the National football stadium where the Taliban used to publicly execute women accused of adultery. FATIMA who insisted that she not be photographed is shown through the creation of her portrait. Her story of 30 years of War in Afghanistan  is translated by Bahara.

WE Move to Iran, on the screen you can see portraits of the Iranian Scientist and Folk Dancer Dr. Maria Modhaddam our work with MARIA includes portraits, videos and dance performances. The work was first shown in the PARLIAMENT OF CANADA in 2009, The event included speeches by the Honourable Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism and Abraham ABRAHAM the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees  in Canada. later we worked together at the University of Ottawa, As part of the 2nd Annual Conference of the Canadian Association for Refugee and Forced Migration Studies. in the following video, which features dance footage from her own archive, Maria talks about the life of a REFUGEE.

IN PART 4, we feature the ABEZAMUTIMA  Burundian Traditional Dance Group the dance troop is made of highly experienced Burundian folk and traditional dancers. Through its artistic endeavors, the group hopes to share its heritage with communities and promote cultural diversity in the National Capital Region. ABEZA = beautiful inside, MUTIMA = heart or soul. Has anyone been to BURUNDI? Has anyone visited AFRICA? Burundi is located on the equator in eastern Africa.

IN PART 5, We move to CREE NATIONS  in SASKATCHEWAN and ONTARIO on the screen we see portraits of 5 participants in a project involving people who attended residential schools. I am grateful for the help of the Odawa Friendship centre and the Minwashin Lodge in helping with this section of the project. The Indian residential schools of Canada were a network of “residential” or boarding schools for First Nations, Metis, and Inuit funded by the Canadian government’s Department of Indian Affairs, and adminstered by Christian churches, according to wikipedia – The system had origins in pre-Confederation times. The last residential school was not closed until 1996. We have selected 2 video clips that will play after the portraits where IRENE LINDSAY and THOMAS LOUTTIT describe their experiences BOTH activists attended residential school  for 8 years after Irene and Thomas, we have a short instructional video showing a metis fur trader creating a campfire and tea and bannock on a winter’s day.

IN PART 6  We MOVE to ETHIOPIA. Specifically, to a singer song writer called EMAN his music promotes peace, love and inspiration. Emmanuel Oletho was a refugee for three years in Kenya Yet, he was granted a scholarship to study at Carleton University through the World University Service of Canada. He is graduating in 2013 with Bachelor of political science. EMAN WILL SING – SHINE A LIGHT

IN PART 7, We move to CENTRAL AMERICA, these portraits are refugee artists from Guatemala and El Salvador, we have selected 2 video clips for tonight that will play after the portraits. VICTOR, whose music you hear in the second video was almost killed in El Salvador in a torture chamber. TITO, whose music you hear in a video,  was just a kid when his songs got him into trouble in his home country Guatemala. some of the portraits were created with mixed media using a collage of sheet music from an Ottawa orchestra, symbolizing the person reassembling themselves in a new setting, in Ottawa. Some of the portraits have exported video frames from their videos clips, which symbolize the person having to reinvent themselves in their new country.

In PART 8, we return to AFRICA, to listen to DR LEE’S WEST AFRICAN RHYTHMS Dr Lee  studied in Guinea, West Africa with renowned drum master Aboubacar Camara. Dr Lee has collaborated with the Cirque du Soleil and The Soul Jazz Orchestra. 2 YEARS AGO, Dr Lee performed with us at the National Library and Archives of Canada. the installation featured 65 works of art, 25 artists, 23 videos, 19 speakers, 13 NGOs & 2 plays.

PART 9, we return to CENTRAL Amerca, these portraits are created with graphite on paper and  ink and graphite on paper. AND we have selected 2 video clips, that will play after the portraits of the participants. The following video is NOT SUITABLE for YOUNG AUDIENCES, as there are graphic descriptions of violence Ms D, whose name is withheld by request, provides a detailed account of the destruction of her family during a labour dispute. Her story includes graphic details of her kidnap and imprisonment.

IN PART 10,  We again feature singer song writer EMAN, He is a voice for the voiceless. EMAN is an advocate for the poor, the victims of genocide, HIV orphans, and humanitarian related issues. EMAN WILL SING –  I AM A WARRIOR

IN PART 11  We look at portraits and videos of artists  from Guinea and Sudan we have selected 2 video clips that will play after the portraits of the participants that are shown on the screen. HAMID describes his escape from Sudan through the deserts of CHAD he Escaped, on foot, and without food, water or money. He trekked across the desert day and night, through small villages avoiding the main highways, and the possibility of detection. He survived a violent car jacking episode on his way to Niger. HAWA, who is A Refugee Artist from Guinea, West Africa, also tells her story…. she was sent to jail, because she filled out an application for a passport. In order to leave the jail, she was forced to sign a confession, that said she was a counter-revolutionary. HAWA exhibited paintings at the 2010 library and archives event.

IN PART 12 WE FEATURE COMPOSER DAVID FINKLE AGAIN, along with Simon Handley on percussion and electronics, and  Andy W. Mason on percussion, guitar, and vocals we have worked together since 2008 when David performed with NORTHERN VOICES in a large installation of 20 video screens and 8 computers. The installation featured 100 short videos of 30 aboriginal artists.

IN PART 13 we return to the ABEZAMUTIMA  Dance Group, the ABEZAMUTIMA Burundian Traditional Dance Group have created a 2nd dance for us this evening. Then  ALL MUSICIANS ON STAGE, DANCERS join musicians on stage, ALL speakers and behind the scenes people on stage playing available percussion instruments play a final song and dance.

I want to thank everyone for all their help and support in the creation of this GLOBAL VOICES 2012 event, including Sherry Tompalski, Petra Hawkes, Richard and Darren the Technicians, the national Gallery of Canada, The Abezamutima Dancers, David Finkle, Simon Handley, Andy W. Mason, Dr Lee, EMAN, the camera work of CE SOIR FILMS. This marks the end of our 10th international event in 10 years, involving over 100 artists from Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas, tonight we have selected an overview of a project that contains over 50 portraits, and 5 hours of video. Thank you for coming tonight.

Voices of Refugees Installation – Central Asia, Central America and Africa at Library and Archives of Canada 2010.

The Voices of Refugees Installation was exhibited during Ottawa’s World Refugee Week Celbrations  at Library and Archives of Canada in June 2010. The 5-day event featured 65 works of art, 25 artists, 23 videos, 19 activists and 13 NGOs from Central Asia, Central America, Africa and Canada. The project was organized by painter Sherry Tompalski and videographer Graham Thompson.

Tompalski’s “Hamid” mixed media on canvas

World Refugee Week Celebrations June16-20, 2010

World Refugee Week Celebrations at Library and Archives Canada, 395 Wellington Street Ottawa, will featured portraits, videos, presentations and live performances of artists and activists from around the world. The work is open for viewing daily from 1-10PM in room A on the ground floor of Library and Archives Canada (LAC) with presentations and live performances given at 3PM daily.

The 5-day multimedia event includes: the Coalition of New Canadians for Arts and Culture,  Canadian Centre for International Justice, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees,  USC Canada, The Canadian Red Cross, Catholic Immigration Centre of Ottawa, Centre for International Migration and Settlement Studies, International Settlement Canada Quarterly, Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization, Ottawa Chinese Community Service Centre, World Skills Immigrant Settlement Support Agency, National Capital Region YMCA-YWCA, Sherry Tompalski (Designer / Canada), Graham Thompson (Videographer / Canada),  Hamid Ayoub (Painter / Drummer / Sudan), Hawa Kaba (Painter / Drummer /Guinea), Dr. Lee (Percussionist / Canada), Yannick Ndongmo (Singer / Cameron), Tito Medina (Singer / Songwriter / Guatemala), Victor Fuentes (Painter / Singer / El Salvador), Martin Mbesha (Painter / Drummer / DR Congo), Marcela Bautista (Activist / Guatemala), Consuelo Perez (Activist / Guatemala), Sandra Hernandez (Activist / Guatemala), Dolores Bautista (Activist / Guatemala), Nubia Cermeno (Singer / Venzuela), Aisha Matar (Body Painting / Sudan), Selma Hassan (Folklore / Sudan), Gustavo Saavedra (Guitarist, Bolivia) and Maria Sabaye (Dancer, Iran)

WEDNESDAY JUNE 16, 2010 – Dr Lotta Hitschmanova  + Marion Dewar

5:00 PM:  DOORS OPEN – Refreshments & Food, Video Installation, Paintings, Information Tables, Refugee Artists Victor Fuentes, Hawa Kaba, Hamid Ayoub
5:30 PM: RECEPTION: Marion Dewar Scholarship Fund: Celebrating One Year of Community Success organized by the Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization (OCISO).
5:45 PM: Opening Talks by Hy Shelow, UNHCR Senior Protection Officer and Philip Landon, Director of University and College Programming WUSC.
6:00 PM to 7:30 PM:  PROGRAM: Marion Dewar Scholarship Fund: Celebrating One Year of Community Success, SPEAKERS: Tyler Meredith President OCISO Board, Donna Holtom Chair MDSF Committee, Barb Gamble Artist and Community Advocate. Backgrounder, Application, Invitation ENGLISH. Invitation FRENCH
8:00 PM: Susan Walsh, USC Canada’s Executive Director, will provide a talk about Dr Lotta.

THURSDAY JUNE 17th, 2010 – Central Am Artists, Centre Int’l Justice, Asylum Players

4 PM: “Voices for justice: Canadians seeking truth, accountability and redress” a program developed by the Canadian Centre for International Justice begins with Introductory remarks by Jayne Stoyles, Executive Director, CCIJ
4:15 PM: Reading by Monia Mazigh  from her book, ‘Hope and Despair: My Struggle to Free My Husband, Maher Arar.
4:45 PM: ‘Lemkin’s House,’ a play reading directed by Sarah Mahoney
5:15 PM: Musical interlude by Victor Fuentes
5:45 PM: Closing remarks by Jayne Stoyles (and Alex Neve, TBC)
7 PM: Guatemalan artists Tito Medina, Sandra Hernandez, Dolores Bautista, Marcela Bautista, Consuelo Perez.
8 PM: Peter Showler’s play “Excluding Manuel” performed by the Asylum Players of the University of Ottawa.
1-8 PM: The Installation will feature: Paintings and videos of artists from Central America, Central Asia and Africa, Youtube videos submitted by refugees from around the world, Portraits of featured refugee artists Tito Medina, Hawa Kaba, Hamid  Ayoub, Victor Fuentes and Martin Mbesha by Sherry Tompalski.
1-5 PM: Information tables presented by The Catholic Immigration Centre, The Canadian Red Cross the Centre for International Migration and Settlement Studies World Skills, YMCA-YWCA and USC Canada.

FRIDAY JUNE 18th, 2010 – Central Asia Day + World Music Circle

3 PM: JP Melville of the Coalition of New Canadians for Arts and Culture will provide the opening remarks.
3:15 PM: The installation will feature Afghan poetry translated by Shahbaz Eshani (Iran).
3:30 PM: The installation will feature Iranian dance by Maria Sabaye (Iran)
5 PM:  World Music Circle: Musicians, in support of World Refugee Week, gather to celebrate and to create music together.
1-8PM:  The Installation will feature: Paintings and videos of artists from Central America, Central Asia and Africa, Youtube videos submitted by refugees from around the world, Portraits of featured refugee artists Tito Medina, Hawa Kaba, Hamid  Ayoub, Victor Fuentes and Martin Mbesha by Sherry Tompalski.
1-5 PM: Information tables presented by The Catholic Immigration Centre, The Canadian Red Cross the Centre for International Migration and Settlement Studies and the Ottawa Chinese Community Service Centre, World Skills, YMCA-YWCA and USC Canada.

SATURDAY JUNE 19th, 2010 – Africa Day

3 PM: Jayne Stoyles of the Canadian Centre for International Justice will the provide opening remarks.
3:15 PM: Nubia Cermeno, activist from Venezula, will sing and display the art work of refugee children from her “I Wish” program at the Catholic Immigration Centre.
3:45 PM: The installation will feature a talk by Hamid Ayoub (Sudan) accompanied by drummers Dr. Lee, Hawa Kaba (Guinea), Martin  Mbesha (DR Congo), singer/dancer Yannick Ndongmo  and a demonstration of Sudanese henna body painting by Aisha Matar and Sudanese folklore and costumes by Selma Hassan.
1-8 PM:  The Installation will feature: Paintings and videos of artists from Central America, Central Asia and Africa, Youtube videos submitted by refugees from around the world, Portraits of featured refugee artists Tito Medina, Hawa Kaba, Hamid  Ayoub, Victor Fuentes and Martin Mbesha by Sherry Tompalski.
1-5 PM: Information tables presented by The Catholic Immigration Centre, The Canadian Red Cross the Centre for International Migration and Settlement Studies, World Skills, YMCA-YWCA , USC Canada and  Heather Thomson, RN, BScN photonovel project on nutrition, created with a group of Congolese women.

SUNDAY JUNE 20th, 2010 – World Refugee Day

3 PM: Dr. Adnan Turegun of Carleton University will provide the opening remarks.
3:15 PM: Nubia Cermeno, activist from Venezula, will sing and present the art work of refugee children from her “I Wish” program at the Catholic Immigration Centre.
3:30 PM: The installation will feature a talk by Hamid Ayoub (Sudan) accompanied by  drummers Dr. Lee, Hawa Kaba (Guinea), Martin  Mbesha (DR Congo) and singer/dancer Yannick Ndongmo and a demonstration of Sudanese henna body painting by Aisha Matar and Sudanese folklore and costumes by Selma Hassan.
1-4 PM:  The Installation will feature: Paintings and videos of artists from Central America, Central Asia and Africa, Youtube videos submitted by refugees from around the world, Portraits of featured refugee artists Tito Medina, Hawa Kaba, Hamid  Ayoub, Victor Fuentes and Martin Mbesha by Sherry Tompalski.
1-4 PM:  Information tables presented by The Catholic Immigration Centre, The Canadian Red Cross the Centre for International Migration and Settlement Studies World Skills, YMCA-YWCA,  USC Canada.

World Refugee Week Artists/Presenters – Partial List

Dr. Susan  Walsh: Executive Director of USC Canada
Susan initially worked at USC as a Program Officer in the late 1980’s, and in the interim, helmed the World Food Day Association and worked for over a decade with Canadian Lutheran World Relief as that agency’s Director for Latin America Programs. USC drew her back to Ottawa in 2004, this time as the agency’s Executive Director. During these past two decades, Susan has spearheaded strategies designed to promote the legal, cultural, and livelihood rights of indigenous peoples and marginalized farmers, strengthened though the completion of a doctoral degree in cultural anthropology at the University of Manitoba, and a year of SSHRC-sponsored field research on the biodiversity conservation and resilience strategies of indigenous potato farmers in Bolivia’s southern highlands.

Tito Medina: Singer / Song Writer (Guatemala)
Medina is a Singer-Songwriter and an icon for Guatemalan revolutionary music. His voice and musical work started to emerge during the national protests the early 70s on the streets of Guatemala City, rapidly Tito was touring the country side of his native Guatemala with his bands Camino and Grupo Taller, then with the Estudiantina of the University of San Carlos and later with Kin-Lalat Revolutionary Music Ensemble. Freedom, equality, hope, love and consensus have been Tito’s inspirations across the time.

Dr. Monia Mazigh: Finance Professor / Writer
Dr. Mazigh was catapulted onto the public stage in 2002 when her husband Maher Arar, was deported to Syria where he was tortured and held without charge for over a year. During that time, Dr. Mazigh campaigned vigorously for her husband’s release and later fought to re-establish his reputation and sought reparations. In January 2007, after a lengthy inquiry, her husband finally received an apology from the Canadian government and was offered compensation for the “terrible ordeal” his family had suffered. Dr. Mazigh has since authored a new book called Hope and Despair which documents her ordeal after her husband was arrested and how she campaigned to clear his name.

Hamid Ayoub: Painter / Drummer (Darfur, Sudan)
Ayoub, born in the Darfur region of Sudan, fled the expanding civil war in East Africa, to walk on a perilous journey on foot across Chad with the constant threat of famine and attack by wild animals. A graduate from the College of Fine and Applied Arts, Sudan University of Science & Technology, Khartoum, Sudan, Ayoub has exhibited in
Sudan, Nigeria, Germany, England, United States, Niger, Canada and Holland

Dr. Adnan Türegün: Executive Director of CIMSS
Dr. Adnan Türegün is Executive Director of the Centre for International Migration and Settlement Studies (CIMSS) and an Adjunct Research Professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Carleton University. His research interests include the labour market integration of immigrants and refugees with a particular emphasis on their access to regulated professions and trades.

Jayne Stoyles: Executive Director of the CCIJ
Stoyles is a lawyer, the first Executive Director of the Canadian Centre for International Justice, and an Ashoka Canada Fellow.  Jayne served for several years as the Program Director of the NGO Coalition for the International Criminal Court in New York, a network of 2,000 NGOs worldwide that helped bring about the establishment of the Court and that was twice nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. She has been a Senior Adviser to the Institute for Global Policy in New York on issues of human security, UN reform and international justice, provided International Humanitarian Law training for the Red Cross, and taught international law at Carleton University. The Canadian Centre for International Justice is a national charitable organization that works with survivors of torture, war crimes and other atrocities to seek redress and bring perpetrators to justice in Canada and internationally as part of the next phase of the international justice movement.

Hawa Kaba: Painter / Drummer (Guinea)
Kaba’s art is greatly influenced by her early years in Africa. Her interest in women and women’s issues stems from wanting to push beyond the injustice of existing boundaries – a push for freedom to fulfill life’s dreams regardless of perceived limitations. In her native Guinea, art has traditionally been the exclusive domain of men, while women are left to mind the household and raise children. Through her art, Kaba hopes to encourage women, in particular African women, to become interested in painting as a means of expression.

Philip Landon is the Director of Programs for the WUSC
Landon has been involved in international development and education for over twenty years. His work has focused on the design and management of sustainable education and international development projects and programs that address marginalized populations and engage Canadians in the issues. He is currently the Director of Programs at World University Service of Canada, responsible for strategic orientation, program development and implementation of WUSC’s programs in Canada and overseas.

Sandra Hernandez: Activist / Artist (Guatemala)
Hernandez, as a student in the National University San Carlos, was a founding member of the Environmental University Commission, an organization that  worked with Greenpeace Central America to create a front against the transportation of toxic waste to Guatemala. Upon her arrival in Canada, Hernandez organized student delegations from around the world,  to raise awareness of issues of toxic waste. As well Hernandez has worked with Union member and indigenous leaders to raise awareness of human rights issues in Guatemala.

Victor Fuentes: Painter / Song Writer (El Salvador)
Fuentes came to Canada from El Salvador with his family as refugees in 1990. Though his country has been ravaged by endless civil war, the spirit of the El Salvadorian people remains strong. Victor is the co-founder of the art group “Harmony Hopes” and is instrumental in organizing the Annual Harmony Hopes Art Exhibition to raise funds for the Youth House, Cal-Pipil in San Salvador.
Victor is a strong advocate for change in social and economic justice and development in El Salvador which inspires him to write poetry and music relating to the continued injustices to his countrymen.

Gustavo Saavedra: Singer / Song Writer (Bolivia)
Saavedra, a leading voice of the Bolivian Choir Society, and founding member of the People’s Centre of Art and Culture Music Workshop, was featured on the “La Explicación de mi País”, a musical resistance compilation during Bolivia’s era of dictatorships. His work developed into the prestigious international “Arawi” Music Workshop. He has performaed in Canada, Bolivia, and Chile.

Jessica Solomon – Comedian (Montreal)
Jessica was working as a war crimes lawyer for the U.N. when she decided to pursue a career in comedy. Frankly, she thought, it was time to get serious. Jessica works out of Montreal, Canada, where she performs regularly at the Comedyworks and the Comedynest as well as every alternative comedy room in town. No audience is too small. Seriously, a single bus stop dweller will do. But she does love a crowd, so Jessica has also traveled to cities with large amounts of English speakers. She has performed in Ottawa and Toronto at Yuk Yuks and Absolute Comedy. Internationally, she’s hit the Comedy Café in London and the legendary Zanies Comedy Club in Chicago, amongst others. She has also auditioned for Just for Laughs. When she’s not writing and performing Jessica likes to check in with her old colleagues in The Hague. She enjoys hearing how sad the war criminals are without her observational wit and storytelling to keep them going. She believes they are jealous of her comedy audience and regret what they have done.

Nubia Cermeño: Singer / Songwriter (Venezuela)
Known for her engaging performances and social work with Catholic Immigration Centre, Nubia’s “no barriers music” has been featured in variety of local festivals and  Women’s  Day events. A receiptient of the Community Builder award from the United,  she has served on the Steering Committee for the City for All Women Initiative and  the Board of Directors of the Ottawa Folk Festival. Her work with the “I Wish” program provides opportunities for refugee and newcomer children to exhibit their paintings at local venues such as the Ottawa Folk Festival, World Refugee Week and City of Ottawa events.

Special Thanks goes to the following Contributors:

The Ontario Arts Council, Library and Archives Canada, Nanda Na Champassak and Ryan Thom, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Bhat Boy (www.bhatboy.com), the Centre for Afghan Progress, Peter Showler of the University of Ottawa, Adnan Turegun and James Milner of Carleton University, Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization, Department of International Development (QEH) of the University of Oxford England, the Canadian Centre for International Justice and the Coalition of New Canadians for Arts and Culture.

The Voices of Refugees Installation History

Parliament of Canada, June 16, 2009: As part of World Refugee Week celebrations, the Voices of Refugees Installation featured 8 portraits of refugees from Central America, Central Asia and Africa, segments of their life stories displayed on four large screen video monitors and a live performance by Guatemalan revolutionary singer Tito Medina. The event included speeches by the Honourable Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism and Abraham ABRAHAM the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Representative in Canada.

University of Ottawa, June 2, 2009: As part of the 2nd Annual Conference of the Canadian Association for Refugee and Forced Migration Studies, posters, videos and performances by revolutionary singer Tito Medina were presented at the conference.

World Refugee Day, June 20, 2008: Posters and videos from the Voices of Refuges Installation were presented on World Refugee Day 2008 at Ottawa City Hall. Video was presented on the University of Oxford England web site and posters were distributed to relief organizations in Islamabad, San Francisco, Dublin, Tokyo, Melbourne, New York, Washington, London, Brussels, Cairo and Johannesburg.

Canadian Centre for International Justice, June 26, 2008: Posters from the Voices of Refuges Installation were shown at the formal launch of the Canadian Centre for International Justice at Library and Archives Canada. The featured speakers were Maher Arar, Lloyd Axworthy and Ellen Gabriel.

Library and Archives Canada Overview

Library and Archives Canada (LAC) is a federal institution tasked with acquiring, preserving and making Canada’s documentary heritage accessible. The Dominion Archives was founded in 1872 as a division within the Department of Agriculture and was transformed into the autonomous Public Archives of Canada in 1912 and renamed the National Archives of Canada in 1987. The National Library of Canada was founded in 1953. Freda Farrell Waldon contributed to the writing of the brief which led to the founding of the National Library of Canada.[11] In 2004, Library and Archives Canada (LAC) combined the functions of the National Archives of Canada and the National Library of Canada. It was established by the Library and Archives of Canada Act (Bill C-8), proclaimed on April 22, 2004. A subsequent Order in Council dated May 21, 2004 united the collections, services and personnel of the National Archives of Canada and the National Library of Canada. Since inception LAC has reported to Parliament through the Minister of Canadian Heritage.

Voices of Refugees Posters exhibited at 2008 formal launch of Canadian Centre of International Justice, Speakers included Maher Arar, Lloyd Axworthy, and Ellen Gabriel.

Posters from the Voices of Refugees Installation were exhibited at the June 2008 formal launch of the Canadian Centre of International Justice in Ottawa Canada. Speakers included Maher Arar, Lloyd Axworthy, and Ellen Gabriel.

Maher Arar, Lloyd Axworthy, and Ellen Gabriel

Maher Arar is a Canadian citizen who was forcibly sent to Syria in 2002 as part of the United States’ “extraordinary rendition” program. He was imprisoned in Syria for 10 months and tortured. In 2004, after his release, Maher filed a lawsuit in the United States against several individual U.S. officials for their role in his detention and torture. In November 2009, a U.S. Court of Appeals upheld a lower court’s dismissal of the suit. CCIJ, along with other Canadian human rights organizations and scholars, filed an amicus curiae (friend of the court) brief in support of Maher’s petition to the U.S. Supreme Court.

On June 14, 2010, the high court refused to hear the case, effectively eliminating Maher’s final hope for justice in the U.S. judicial system. Maher’s attempt to hold the governments of Syria and Jordan accountable in Canadian courts was also denied when those countries were given immunity under Canada’s State Immunity Act.

Dr. Lloyd Axworthy, former Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, had a distinguished political career spanning 30 years. The founding Director of the Liu Institute for Global Issues at the University of British Columbia, Dr. Axworthy is now President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Winnipeg. He has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize and is an Officer of the Order of Canada.

Ellen Gabriel (born 1959), also known as Katsi’tsakwas, is an Mohawk activist and artist from Kanehsatà:ke Nation – Turtle Clan, known for her involvement as the official spokesperson, chosen by the People of the Longhouse, during the Oka Crisis. In March 1990, she joined in the movement against the expansion of a golf course in Oka, Quebec. That event eventually escalated into the Oka Crisis. In order to raise awareness of the crisis, she traveled internationally, including visits to The Hague, Strasbourg and Japan. During this time, in May 1990, she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Concordia University. In 1993, the documentary Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance was released; she was a prominent part of the film. The next decade after the crisis had been settled, she worked as an Art Teacher for the Mohawk Immersion School. In 2004, she was elected president of the Quebec Native Woman’s Association. She held the position until December 2010. During this time she brought changes to the Indian Act in the form of Bill C-31. On 19 May 2009, she gave a speech to the eighth session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Between 11–15 July 2011, she gave a speech to the fourth session of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. In the Summer of 2012, she ran for National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations. She passed to the second round of votes and was eliminated in the second round due to misinformation on the floor which rumored she had withdrawn and given her votes to Shawn Atleo. On 7 May 2013, in regards to Bill S-2, she gave a speech to the 41st Parliament, 1st Session at the Standing Committee on the Status of Women.

Canadian Centre for International Justice’s mission is to:

1. Seek recognition, support, and compensation as redress for survivors of genocide, torture, and other atrocities with strong connections to Canada, as well as for loved ones of people who have either died as a result of human rights violations or who are unable to contact us themselves;
2. Ensure that those in Canada accused of serious human rights violations are held accountable and brought to justice;
3. Contribute to the success of the international justice system as a whole.

To carry out this mission, CCIJ works in cooperation with affected communities and individuals in Canada and abroad and in collaboration with a variety of domestic and international organizations and experts.

Canadian Centre for International Justice five primary objectives

1. Provide information, assistance, and direction to survivors of human rights abuses and the loved ones of victims; carry out and/or facilitate research and investigations of their cases; compile cases to be brought to the attention of the Canadian government or other authorities;
2. Support government initiatives leading to the prosecution in Canada of torturers, war criminals, and perpetrators of severe human rights abuses, and support other appropriate remedies;
3. Educate & train legal professionals, civil society groups, and the general public in Canada about impunity as a critical human rights issue;
4. Serve as a resource for anti-impunity initiatives across Canada, including access to Canadian and international jurisprudence and information regarding Canadian law, policy, and practice;
5. Support ongoing efforts to reform law in order to strengthen the legal remedies available in Canada for survivors and victims of serious human rights abuses.

Ottawa Arts Review of University of Ottawa features Shifting Strains on its Spring/Summer 2007 Cover.

The Ottawa Arts Review of the University of Ottawa featured Tompalski’s Shifting Strains (painting) on its cover in its Spring/Summer issue of June 2007.

Ottawa Arts Review (OAR) is the official English-language literary and visual arts journal of the University of Ottawa. It is a not-for-profit publication, established, managed and produced by student and alumni volunteers who wish to promote and encourage the appreciation of both literary and visual art in Ottawa. Ottawa Arts Review gives an equal voice to local, Canadian, and international artists, cultivating a vibrant and positive setting that facilitates creative exchange between emerging and established artists alike. Ottawa Arts Review features original works of literary prose, poetry, drama, visual art, and photography, as well as reviews and interviews that relate to literary and visual arts.

Parkhurst Exchange Magazine of Montreal features Circus Perform Reconsiders his Options in its 10th Issue, volume 12 in 2004.

The Parkhurst Exchange Magazine featured Tompalski’s Circus Perform Reconsiders his Options in their 10th Issue of volume 12 in 2004. Parkhurst Publishing is based in Montreal, Quebec in Canada. It provides clinical, medical news and travel publications to physicians and their patients and maintains a variety of related websites.

Since 1983, Parkhurst has continued to develop strong relationships with Canada’s top physicians in many disciplines. Its successful and prestigious publications include two of Canada’s leading physician monthly journals: Doctor’s Review and Parkhurst Exchange.

Parkhurst is committed to one simple standard: editorial excellence. This translates into credible, highly respected medical education materials for physicians and patients alike. Parkhurst also publishes magazines designed to inform and update patients. These are prepared in a variety of therapeutic areas including: prostate cancer, breast cancer, osteoporosis, HIV/AIDS, incontinence and others.

Parkhurst websites include www.drmedicalmeetings.com, a searchable listing of over 2000 current conferences; www.parkhurstexchange.com/qa/, over 4800 searchable doctor written answers to medical questions, www.medflicks.com which features doctor-to-doctor videos and www.healthinnovationforum.org a joint venture with the McGill University Heatlh Centre (MUHC) devoted to finding practical new solutions in health care policy and practice.

Scientific American, Mente & Cérebro Magazine of Sao Paulo, Brazil features Male Body Language on its cover.

The Scientific American / Mente & Cérebro Magazine of Sao Paulo, Brazil featured Tompalski’s Male Body Language on its cover and The Boxer, The Three Sisters, Female Body Language and a matrix of Talking Portraits in magazine articles of it’s August 2006 issue #163.

Brazil’s Scientific American

Brazil’s Scientific American/Mente Cerebro Featured Tompalski’s Male Body Language on its August 2006 Cover. The cover of the August 2006 issue of Scientific American/Mente Cerebro (circulation 25,000) of Sao Paulo Brazil featured Sherry Tompalski’s oil painting Male Body Language. As well, the scientific journal included Tompalski’s Boxer, The Three Sisters, Female Body Language and a Matrix of Talking Portraits & editorial page in 4 of the magazine’s articles.

The Body Language series, which examines suppressed emotions that are expressed through the body.

Brazil’s Scientific American/Mente Cerebro Features Tompalski’s Male Body Language on its August 2006 Cover. The cover of the August 2006 issue of Scientific American/Mente Cerebro (circulation 25,000) of Sao Paulo Brazil featured Sherry Tompalski’s oil painting Male Body Language.

As well, the scientific journal included Tompalski’s Boxer, The Three Sisters, Female Body Language and a Matrix of Talking Portraits & editorial page in 4 of the magazine’s articles.