The main project I did during this time was my research project, titled: The Transparency of Jury Exhibit Processes and Activities. I worked with Fynn Leitch to get a list of artists that the AGP has worked with to send them a questionnaire. This questionnaire allowed me to get input from the local artists about how they view juried exhibits in their set-up and rules based on their experiences. I also provided artists with a background of my project and why I was doing it - while leaving the name of the AGP out of it - whilst providing a confidentiality form. I then created another questionnaire for other institutions to get a sense of how juried exhibitions are for them, and their interactions with artists. Having input from both institutions and artists gave me a human element that scholarly sources couldn't provide. My full report had an overall response from these questionnaires, and from the research I conducted based on scholarly sources and what I could find online.

 

Next up, exhibitions! I got to read texts for upcoming exhibits, like Adam David Brown's exhibit, to learn more about the people being showcased. I also typed up artist statements, biographies, exhibit labels, and other texts needed for the exhibit. This was especially the case for the Youth Art Mentorship (YAM) programme done at the AGP, where a group of high school students who were hired worked with Spencer J. Harrison to develop their skills. You can learn more about the programme here. During events, I would help lay out the tables in the main gallery space, along with the food and drinks in order for the guests to enjoy themselves. This was especially true for Tea with the Queens, where two local drag queens came to do a family-friendly show about the newly acquired portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, which was showcased with other queen-related artworks done by queer and Indigenous artists. I was able to quickly clean and dry all the dishes before and after the event so I could then focus on the visitors. At other events, I assisted in doing the prep work to prepare the exhibit, before talking with visitors to hear their thoughts on the exhibit and answer any questions. Before new exhibits were created, I also went around Peterborough and Lakefield to give local stores promotional materials for people to come to the AGP while maintaining good relations with the store.

 

Now and then, I was given additional tasks to aid the gallery. This included learning more about CCPERB in case I had to fill out that form one day. One trip I got to go on was to Hiawatha First Nation celebrations on June 17. Here, I prepared pins to hand out to families and children, while promoting the AGP and talking with people. For the annual Kawartha Annual Studio Tours, I would hand out bags with pamphlets inside to the participating artists to give to their clients and visitors. That way, interest would be generated for people to come – especially if the person never heard of the event before. I also researched where each participating artist was located in order to update their locations if need be on the Excel spreadsheet. I prepared files for meetings, such as the AGM meeting, so the attendees were aware of what was being discussed. Finally, I researched oral history projects and transcribed interviews for Fynn so she could use them for future projects.