My First Date

Antlers rock! I want antlers!

I officially went on my first artist date. Saturday, April First – Perfect! That’s an easy anniversary date for me to remember.

At first, I had planned to visit the Bata Shoe Museum but it cost 14$ or something to enter. Then I got to thinking Hmmm … I’m supposed to go on a date with my artist self once a week, this shit could get expensive. I quickly scraped the shoe museum idea, looked for free things to do around the city, and came upon a great something.

Browsing the web I found Women of Courage Exhibition at the Scarborough Museum AND the museum has cabins from early settlers – Lucky me two for none; it was all free and informative. The Women of Courage artwork was placed throughout the cabins. You have to walk through a park to get to the museum and there were lots of naked trees – I took a few pics.

The Women of Courage Project celebrates, amplifies and centers the underrepresented voices of racialized immigrant women, a population traditionally “left out” of the conversation between established museums and their visitors … Engage with the multimedia exhibition either by contributing to the display or responding to the call-to-action confronting systemic racism.

Toronto.ca – Festivals and Events

There was a video on loop where the women who completed work for the project were talking about their experiences in Canada and it made me cry. I had to ask for tissue. The lady left the box beside me 🙂 Thanks Lady! The video was sad but beautiful. I don’t generally talk about my experiences with racism and microaggression because it’s painful and a part of me feels like if I don’t talk about it then it didn’t happen or if I talk about it, it will hurt more so why bother. But I need to find a way, my way, to express those anti-Black experiences.

My next artist date will be … you have to wait and see 🙂

CABIN PICS

I was born in Lil’ Rock
had a childhood sweetheart
we were always hand in hand
I wore hightop shoes and shirt tails
Suzy was in pigtails
I knew I loved her even then

I was made to love her
worship and adore her
hey, hey, hey

Made To Love Her
by Stevie Wonder

Do you ever wonder if there are people who collect and talk about experiences with loved ones who’ve passed away? I see so many shows are about hauntings and bad shit – I’m gonna look and if I find, I will tell you about it

© 2023 Samantha Williams. All Rights Reserved.