June 20, 2023 @ 9:30 pm – 10:30 pm
Talking Earth: Free Public Performance
Tuesday June 20 & Wednesday June 21, 2023
9:30 pm – 10:30 pm
Linda Frum & Howard Sokolowski Plaza
Free. No registration required
Generously supported by:
The Barry and Laurie Green Charitable Trust
Lindy Green Family Foundation
The performances are co-produced by Kaha:wi Dance Theatre, generously supported by: Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council and Toronto Arts Council
Honouring National Indigenous Peoples Day, join us for a free public performance by multidisciplinary artist Tekaronhiáhkhwa / Santee Smith and Semiah Smith, taking place on our plaza and highlighting the permanent public sculpture Talking Earth. The performance is standing room only, though some chairs will be available for those who need them. Please note that the performance takes place outdoors and will be cancelled in the event of inclement weather. Cancellations will be communicated on our website and social media.
About Talking Earth
Commissioned by the Gardiner Museum as part of ArtworxTO: Toronto’s Year of Public Art 2021—2022, Talking Earth is a permanent public artwork installed at the entrance to the Museum. The etched ceramic sculpture is inspired by a Rotinohnsyonni four-cornered earthen pottery vessel. It is fractured and partially reconstructed, with light shining through the cracks between the broken shards. The vessel symbolizes the disruption and trauma caused by colonization, including the legacy of the residential school system, assimilative policies imposed on womxn, and the crisis of Missing & Murdered Indigenous Womxn and Girls. Moving toward intactness, the vessel evokes the process of re-assembling culture, memory, and ancestral knowledge.
Talking Earth originally performed June 2022. Photo: Vladimir Kanic. Artist: Santee Smith/Kaha:wi Dance Theatre
Talking Earth originally performed June 2022. Photo: Vladimir Kanic. Artist: Santee Smith/Kaha:wi Dance Theatre
Talking Earth originally performed June 2022. Photo: Vladimir Kanic. Artist: Santee Smith/Kaha:wi Dance Theatre
Talking Earth originally performed June 2022. Photo: Vladimir Kanic. Artist: Santee Smith/Kaha:wi Dance Theatre
About SANTEE SMITH / TEKARONHIÁHKWA
Santee is a multidisciplinary artist from the Kahnyen’kehàka Nation, Turtle Clan, Ohswé:ken/Six Nations of the Grand River. She trained at Canada’s National Ballet School and completed Physical Education and Psychology degrees from McMaster University and a M.A. in Dance from York University. Her debut work Kaha:wi – a family creation story premiered in 2004 and one year later she founded Kaha:wi Dance Theatre which has grown into an internationally renowned company based in Six Nations and Tkarón:to’/Toronto. Santee’s artistic work speaks about identity, Indigenous narratives, creative process, and representation. Her body of work includes numerous productions, and she leads international Indigenous collaborative projects. She is the recipient of numerous awards, commissions and is often called upon as guest curator/director. Santee recently premiered multimedia performance Homelands presented by Harbourfront Centre to rave reviews. Santee is a sought-after teacher and speaker on the performing arts, Indigenous performance, and culture. She spearheads “Inviting the Land to Shape Us” embodiment with land series at the Talking Earth Studio & Gardens. Smith is the 19th Chancellor of McMaster University.
Acknowledgments
Talking Earth: Ceramic Commission
Public Art Commission: Gardiner Museum; Inspiration: Elda “Bun” Smith, Steven T. Smith, Leigh Smith; Concept/Design/Ceramic Sculptural: Santee Smith; Ceramic Sculptural Builder: Jordi Alfaro; Ceramic Technical: Carmela Laganse; Clay Slip: Steven T. Smith; Consultants: Leigh Smith and Steven T. Smith; Technical Build/Framing: Mike Kukucska at Hamilton Scenic Specialty Inc.; Engineer: Azra Ross at Epiphany Engineering; Digital Media/3D Animation: Emma Lopez, Pedro Narvaez at AVA Animation & Visual Arts Inc.; A/V studio: Thru The Red Door; Creation/Production Partner: McMaster Studio Arts, Operations and Productions, Faculty of Humanities – McMaster University; Operations and Production Manager: Patrick Brennan; Technical support/Documentation: James Kendal; Studio support: Troy Coulterman, Briana Palmer, Ana Maria Skrtic, Judy Major-Girardin, Eric Euler, Alex Roberts, Benjamin Cummings; Additional facility and studio support/firing: Sumanth Shankar; Documentary Footage of Steven T. Smith: Ralph Brown at Waterfront Productions
Performance
Producer: Kaha:wi Dance Theatre; Creator/Design/Performer: Santee Smith; Live Vocalist/Durational Potter: Semiah Smith; Dramaturgy: Monique Mojica; Animation Projection: AVA Animation & Visual Arts, co-directors Emma Lopez and Pedro Narvaez; Musical Score: Energies featuring the vocals by Jennifer Kreisberg, Impending Doom by Adrian Dion Harjo; Ohnekanos the Waters by David R. Maracle with additional mixing by Donald Quan; Here On Earth – Opening and Duet songs composed and performed by Donald Quan; Kaha:wi Soundtrack – Death produced by Santee Smith with Dan Hill (flute) and Bob Doidge; Clay composed and performed by Jennifer Kreisberg; Music Recording and Mixing: Brody Joseph, Thru The Red Door; Pottery: Steve T. Smith; Costume Designer: Elaine Redding; Production Manager: James Kendal; Production Stage Manager: Senjuti Sarker; Event Technical Production: Solotech Inc.; Video of Steve Smith courtesy of Ralph Brown, Waterfront Productions; Archival Photography courtesy of the Smith Family; Funding support: Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council