EDI Fall Event Series: Oracular Visions

EDI initiatives have long sought to combat structural marginalization, but recent critiques highlight the gap between institutional goals and real impacts, especially in higher education. Through this semester's event series, we seek to explore how art and design communities, especially through participatory and collaborative methods and practices, can address challenges and contribute to more effective EDI work.

Join the next event on the EDI Fall Event Series, "Oracular Visions" for an engaging panel and workshop featuring Genevieve De Leon, Gwenessa Lam, and Eliza Swann (aka Emerald) as they present their research on mirrors, with a special focus on divination and oracular vision. The panel will explore diverse cultural perspectives on divinatory practices, nonlinear temporalities, ritual, and embodied knowledge, challenging Western, imperial frameworks of thought.

Oracular Visions will also include an interactive 45-minute in-person workshop led by Eliza Swann, introducing participants to the practice of scrying. Participants will have the opportunity to share experiences and reflect on the themes discussed. De Leon and Lam will guide a final discussion and reflection on aspects of mirroring, speculative thinking and ritual to foster community and contribute to an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion framework within the classroom setting.

Please note: While the panel is hybrid, the workshop portion is in-person only, with limited spots available for 12 participants. Registration is required to secure your place! Don’t miss this unique opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue and hands-on learning. For registration, send an email to Ece Arslan at earslan@ecuad.ca

Bios of the Panelists

Eliza Swann, also known as Emerald, is an interdisciplinary artist, writer, and educator based in New York City. Their writing has been featured in BOMB, Arthur, Contemporary Art Review LA, Momus, and Perfect Wave, and they have authored several books. Eliza holds a BA in Painting from the San Francisco Art Institute and an MFA from Central St. Martins in London. As a visual artist, Eliza has exhibited internationally, with recent shows at the University of California Santa Cruz. In addition to their artistic practice, Eliza founded the Golden Dome School, an alternative school that explores the mystical dimensions of art.

Genevieve De Leon is a mixed ethnicity (Latinx, British, Lebanese-American) artist and writer residing in Vancouver. Genevieve is a member of Burn Something Collective and served as the Georgette and Richard Koopman Distinguished Chair in the Visual Arts at the Hartford Art School in West Hartford, Connecticut. Their work has been exhibited at UrbanGlass, Donald and Linda Silpe Gallery, Minneapolis College of Art and Design Main Gallery, DC Artspace, Tessellate Gallery, and Forum Gallery. She is an Assistant Professor in Drawing at Emily Carr University of Art + Design

Gwenessa Lam is a visual artist and educator. Lam received her BFA from the University of British Columbia and MFA from New York University. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally at the Bronx Museum of Art , the Queens Museum of Art in New York, Galerie de L'UQAM, the Glenbow Museum, CSA Space, the Art Gallery at the Evergreen, Centre A, the Richmond Art Gallery, and the Galerie d’art Desjardins, Drummondville. She was included in the 2020-21 Alberta Biennial and was artist-in-residence at the International Studio and Curatorial Program in New York, Macdowell, Yaddo, Skowhegan, Art Omi, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, Bemis, and the Banff Centre for the Arts. Her work has been supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, the British Columbia Arts Council, and Alberta Foundation for the Arts. Lam has taught at New York University, the University of British Columbia, the Alberta University of the Arts, and is currently Associate Professor at Emily Carr University of Art and Design. She is represented by Equinox Gallery, in Vancouver, BC where she currently resides.