To celebrate the 20th Asian Heritage Month in Canada this May, Asian Arts and Culture Trust (AACT) is hosting a month of free public programming events and activities to raise awareness of the issues that the elderly population has been facing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

We warmly invite you and yours to our opening Meet the Artists and Elders event at TIFF Bell Lightbox on May 13, as part of our broader Travelling Through: Conversations with Elders exhibition. We also welcome you to other events this month such as our Conversations are a Doorway: Community Mosaic workshop. Event spaces are fully accessible.

Through our Conversations with Elders project, 13 artists and 2 art collectives share the untold stories of 23 elders in Toronto through a series of multidisciplinary artwork, from paintings to ceramics, photography, films, and installations. Don’t miss the 5 by 2 feet stunning tofu cloth installation depicting the tofu-making process – originated from the conversations between Parley Collective and a couple running a third-generation tofu business in Toronto’s Chinatown. Or the ceramics by Carolynne Hew that unfolds her mom’s wisdom through her life experiences from China and Burma to Canada. You can also see Steven Beckly’s photography series that ponders on his father’s experience during the Vietnam War that channels the flow and energy from Buddhism. There are so many highlights to see for yourself!

Please find a full list of AACT x Asian Heritage Month free events, workshops, and exhibitions below:

May 13th: Meet the Artists and Elders Exhibition Opening, 7 PM – 9 PM, @ TIFF Bell Lightbox

May 13th – 22nd: Travelling Through: Conversations with Elders Exhibition @ TIFF Bell Lightbox

May 14th: Conversations are a Doorway: Community Mosaic Art Workshop, 1 PM – 3 PM, 3 PM – 5 PM, @ TIFF Bell Lightbox

May 7th – May 30th: Community Art Installation Exhibition @ Vitrine Gallery

May 27th – May 29th: Nostalgia: In Search of Familiarity Exhibition @ Remote Gallery

Asian Arts and Culture Trust (AACT) is a federal not-for-profit organization that provides various opportunities to amplify underrepresented voices in our communities, increase tolerance of differences, and eventually eliminate Anti-Asian racism. Our project, Conversations with Elders is funded by the Toronto Arts Council and partners with TIFF, Akin Community Projects, Queer Asia Film Festival, Tam Cafe, and Kipling Acres Long-Term Care Home.