Hair We Are

Part of the Community Arts Space: What we long for
Youth Project
Co-presented by Art Starts and VIBE Arts

Beauty salons and barbershops have long served as important sites in the Black community. They provide far more than hair care, acting as safe spaces for people to exchange stories and build strong bonds. Led by artist Igho Diana of VIBE Arts, youth from Art Starts create an exhibition in the form of a contemporary beauty salon that explores self-care and changing concepts of beauty.

Hair We Are reflects on objects in the Gardiner’s collection of European ceramics made for the boudoir and female-only social spaces. The project challenges racialized girls and young women to use their lived experiences to re-think and re-contextualize historical objects as a means of bringing their own histories to the fore. It features a series of self-care, hair care, and storytelling workshops with young women at Art Starts’ main hub in Yorkdale Shopping Centre, culminating in an exhibition at the Gardiner.

Programming

July 11, 6 – 8 pm
Hair We Are Launch
Mingle with the artists and collaborators, and enjoy music, youth artist-led tours, and refreshments.

July 14, 11:30 am – 1:45 pm
Family Sunday: Self-Care Rituals
Join us for a hands-on self-care workshop and learn how to make your very own body butter and hair care products.

About VIBE Arts

VIBE Arts works collaboratively with children and youth in under-resourced communities to innovate, build skills and resiliency, and lead social change through arts education programming.

About Community Arts Space: What we long for

Grounded in the ability of clay to transform, the Community Arts Space is a platform for experimentation and socially-engaged art. Established in 2016, the project connects artists, makers, organizers, and residents through the creation of public projects that inspire social action. This year, the Gardiner is showcasing four public projects inspired by the theme “What we long for.” Learn more

For 25 years, Art Starts programs have benefited thousands of people living in marginalized Toronto neighbourhoods by providing a safe, supportive and inclusive environment for self-expression and creative collaboration. They afford opportunities for vulnerable people of all ages to contribute to the creative ecology of their neighbourhoods, using the arts to help end the negative cycles associated with marginalization and poverty.