News - 221A - Page 5

221A membership welcomes the re-election of Am Johal to the Board of Directors

July 13, 2021

On July 7, 2021, the Society’s membership gathered via video conference for the 14th Annual General Meeting. Members received reports on the activities of the 2020-21 fiscal year from Am Johal, President and Brian McBay, Executive Director, alongside a presentation of the Audited Financial Statements by Ross Gentleman, Treasurer. Furthermore, members moved to re-appoint Harbourside LLP as the Society’s Auditor for the 2021-22 fiscal year, and agreed to the re-election of Am Johal for a term of one year. The Society thanks all members for their ongoing support and their participation in the AGM and welcomes the returning Board Members of 221A.

221A Launches Blockchains & Cultural Padlocks Research Report and Events Series

May 17, 2021

221A publishes its Blockchains & Cultural Padlocks (BACP) Digital Strategy Research Report. This 200-page publication culminates two years of social, cultural and ecological research on the emergent technology of the blockchain. Supported by the Canada Council for the Arts’ Digital Strategy Fund, BACP outlines a values-led strategy for 221A to engage civil society with the challenge of developing a digitally cooperative culture, and to work towards the recommoning of land, data and objects.

The free publication outlines 221A’s key positions and partners within its digital strategy, and features major commissioned papers by art writer Rosemary Heather (Toronto); artist Julian Yi-Zhong Hou (Vancouver/ Vernon, BC); artist and theorist Patricia Reed (Berlin); and critical geographer Maral Sotoudehnia (Victoria, BC).

221A Welcomes Aubin Kwon

April 19, 2021

221A welcomes Aubin Kwon (he/they) as on-staff Technician. His role with 221A will primarily support the operation of mixed-use cultural facilities across a portfolio of four properties, as well as contributing to the fabrication and installation processes for the Organization’s artistic programs.

Kwon divides his time painting, cooking, reading funny tweets, watching sitcoms, and making drinks for friends. He holds a Bachelor of Science from University of Calgary, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Emily Carr University of Art and Design, Vancouver. Along with Christian Vistan, he leads dreams comma delta in Ladner, British Columbia.

Introducing x̱aw̓s shew̓áy̓ New Growth《新生林》Community Liaisons

February 23, 2021

A wide shot of the x̱aw̓s shew̓áy̓ New Growth《新生林》garden seen from the street, with its gates open and a light covering of snow spread over its grounds.

221A is pleased and humbled to introduce its Community Liaisons for x̱aw̓s shew̓áy̓ New Growth《新生林》: jaz whitford, Oliver Barnes, Soloman Chiniquay and Valeen Jules.

Since December 2020, jaz, Oliver, Soloman and Valeen have been working with 221A as Community Liaisons and groundskeepers of the x̱aw̓s shew̓áy̓ New Growth《新生林》, the permaculture garden conceived by T’uy’t’tanat-Cease Wyss and located at 221a’s Semi-Public 半公開 outdoor site. In addition to operating the garden around limited public hours each week for access by residents of the immediate neighbourhood, the youthful cohort has been engaged in a program of radical learning and futuring with mentors such as T’uy’t’tanat-Cease Wyss, Aislinn Thomas and Ramya Amuthan, Erik Benjamins, Christina Battle, as well as 221A staff Nicole Kelly Westman and Tao Fei. It is a special privilege to welcome back several members of the original youth cohort who first planted the garden alongside Wyss, and who now continue their work as pollinators of the site’s rhizomatic potential.

Funding for this program is provided by the Government of Canada through the Canada-British Columbia Workforce Development Agreement.