May 16, 2025 - Utopian Dreaming: Feminisms in Artist-Run Centres
Presentation by Amber Berson
Date: May 16
Time: 6-7:45 pm
Language: French/English
Places available: 30
Join us for an enlightening keynote talk led by Amber Berson, a distinguished writer, curator, and art historian, as she explores the dynamic landscape of intersectional feminist movements within the Canadian art scene. Drawing from her thesis, A Case for Utopian Dreaming: Feminisms Within Canadian Artist-Run Centres Amber will address critical questions about representation and futurity in artist-run spaces.
She will guide us in reflecting on essential inquiries: What does a flourishing future look like, and who is allowed to envision it? How do inclusions of Indigenous and Black perspectives reshape these art communities? Amber's talk will critically assess the role of feminism in artist-run centres, interrogating the intersections of race, gender, and socio-political dynamics while challenging the limitations of traditional (white) feminism.
Using a utopian methodology proposed by Ruth Levitas, Amber will lead us to consider how artist-run centres can integrate intersectional feminism and anti-oppression work into their everyday practices. By examining notable feminist artist-run centres across Canada—from Mentoring Artists for Women's Art in Winnipeg to La Centrale in Montréal—she will highlight the transformative potential of inclusive feminist agendas and the impact of state policies on these vital cultural spaces.
Amber Berson is a writer, a curator, and an Art Historian. She holds a doctoral degree from Queen’s University where her SSHRC-funded research examined artist-run culture and feminist, utopian thinking. She is the Executive Director of the Visual Arts Centre and an Affiliate Assistant Professor in the Department of Art History at Concordia University - where she is working on a long-term research project on the history of equity-seeking artist-run centres. In her spare time, Berson works on knowledge equity projects, especially with the Art+Feminism Wikipedia project, where she worked in various capacities for over a decade.