Curatorial Projects
Over the years, I have worked on various artistic and curatorial projects related to art and dress history, including the reprisal of the Fashion Research Collection at Ryerson University. This collection had been dormant for many years and in February 2012.the collection was housed behind an unmarked door in the library, the database had been corrupted and was little known amongst the student body. I undertook to curate the collection to align with the values of the School of Fashion to celebrate heritage, diversity and innovation.
Over the course of my tenure, I catalogued more than 5000 artifacts, moved the collection from the library to a separate facility within the School of Fashion, initiated and integrated the donation of the Suddon-Cleaver Collection, created an online database making the collection accessible to all, designed curriculum related to the FRC, and led many workshops on object-based research both within the FRC and at other universities and museums.
One of my recent projects involves a collaboration with the UK-based artist Dr. Sarah Casey. In our project Exquisite Corpses partially funded by the British Council and Arts Council England, I have acted as curator and provocateur to Sarah's artistic practice. This work resulted in two exhibitions of Sarah's work: Ruskin's Good Looking (8 February - 7 April 2019) at Brantwood Museum in the UK and also Absent Presence: A Wedding Dress and the drawings of Sarah Casey (9 May - 7 July 2019) at the Modern Literature and Culture Centre at Ryerson University in Canada. For more on our collaboration, see the British Council Design blog post #1 and post #2.
I have also served as a consultant to museums and other organizations on curatorial matters, including the management of archives and collections and the dating and interpretation of paintings and dress artifacts. My webcast about the Art Gallery of Ontario's recent acquisition of Portrait of a Lady holding an Orange Blossom is available on their website. I am also on the committees and boards of several arts organizations.
Over the course of my tenure, I catalogued more than 5000 artifacts, moved the collection from the library to a separate facility within the School of Fashion, initiated and integrated the donation of the Suddon-Cleaver Collection, created an online database making the collection accessible to all, designed curriculum related to the FRC, and led many workshops on object-based research both within the FRC and at other universities and museums.
One of my recent projects involves a collaboration with the UK-based artist Dr. Sarah Casey. In our project Exquisite Corpses partially funded by the British Council and Arts Council England, I have acted as curator and provocateur to Sarah's artistic practice. This work resulted in two exhibitions of Sarah's work: Ruskin's Good Looking (8 February - 7 April 2019) at Brantwood Museum in the UK and also Absent Presence: A Wedding Dress and the drawings of Sarah Casey (9 May - 7 July 2019) at the Modern Literature and Culture Centre at Ryerson University in Canada. For more on our collaboration, see the British Council Design blog post #1 and post #2.
I have also served as a consultant to museums and other organizations on curatorial matters, including the management of archives and collections and the dating and interpretation of paintings and dress artifacts. My webcast about the Art Gallery of Ontario's recent acquisition of Portrait of a Lady holding an Orange Blossom is available on their website. I am also on the committees and boards of several arts organizations.