Art exhibition showcases newcomer artists

A visual art exhibition to be held at McKay Art Centre showcases nine newcomer artists from Brazil, China, Iran and Turkey.

The “Stains” exhibition, curated by Steffi Ng, reflects their experience as newcomers and is part of a year-long project organized by The Cross-Cultural Community Services Association (TCCSA) and funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF).

“Newcomers face many challenges when settling in Canada,” says TCCSA Program Director Maria Wong. “TCCSA not only provides settlement support, employment services, language and skills training, wellness programs and volunteer opportunities, we also support newcomers in their social and cultural transition through arts and cultural initiatives.”

TCCSA, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting newcomers and diverse communities in building a strong foundation in Canada, is funded by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. The “Stains” exhibition is part of its “Get Engaged in Art” project, which is funded by the OTF, a provincial government agency and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations.

The exhibition is open Thursday, Nov. 20 and Friday, Nov. 21 from 12 to 6 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 22 and Sunday, Nov. 23 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. On opening day, there will be a performance by Racquel Mendes at 4 p.m. A recognition event for the OTF’s support will be held on Saturday at 1 p.m., followed by public tours until 3 p.m. On Sunday, walk-in artmaking sessions are available from 10:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m., followed by a closing reception and meet-the-artist from 3 to 5 p.m.

McKay Art Centre is located at 197 Main St., Unionville.

Photo courtesy of The Cross-Cultural Community Services Association.