[Many thanks to Peter Jordens for bringing this item to our attention.] On August 5, Toronto’s Spadina Museum opened “Dis/Mantle,” an art exhibit inspired by the efforts of Black abolitionists, to reimagine the museum space through an Afrofuturism narrative. “Dis/Mantle” is on view until Saturday, December 31, 2022. The group show features Canadian artists from the Afro-Caribbean diaspora. For related programming, visit the Spadina Museum site. [Spadina Museum is located at 285 Spadina Road, Toronto, Ontario.]

Description (Spadina Museum): Louisa Pipkin was a freedom seeker, who escaped enslavement in the United States and came to Canada where she worked as a laundress in the 1870s for the Austin family, the founders of the Dominion Bank of Canada and the homeowners of Spadina. Dis/Mantle is inspired by the real Mrs. Pipkin and the efforts of Black abolitionists.

Explore Spadina Museum from August 5 to December 31 for the Dis/Mantle art exhibit. Related programming includes Dis/Mantle Evening: Mrs. Pipkin’s Manor on August 5 and 6 and an artist talk and tour with Gordon Shadrach on September 17.

Art exhibit, August 5 to December 31

Dis/Mantle, an art exhibit inspired by the efforts of Black abolitionists, reimagines Spadina Museum using an Afrofuturism narrative: where Mrs. Pipkin is now the homeowner and the house is a safe haven for those seeking freedom through the Underground Railroad. The group show includes soundscapes, ceramics and visual art from Canadian artists from the Afro-Caribbean diaspora, including an iconic portrait of Louisa Pipkin and a series of new portraits of members of the Black community by lead artist Gordon Shadrach. [. . .]

[Image above: Detail of “Refashion (Mrs. Pipkin),” oil on wood panel, 2022 by Gordon Shadrach.]

For more information, see the museum site, https://www.toronto.ca/explore-enjoy/history-art-culture/museums/dismantle, and a preview at https://www.toronto.ca/news/toronto-history-museums-previews-dis-mantle-art-exhibit