BEING SCENE JURIED EXHIBITION 2024

This year, the Being Scene Juried Exhibition was held at two locations: Remote Gallery, opening Saturday, March 30, and Workman Arts’ offsite location at Youngplace, opening Friday, April 5. These springtime exhibitions displayed over thirty juried artworks selected by Aidan Cowling (The Blackwood Gallery), Heidi Persaud (Tangled Art + Disability), and Jesse King (Art Gallery of Ontario). 

The Being Scene Annual Juried Exhibition serves as a platform to showcase the rich and varied talent within the Workman Arts community. We aim to continue brightening the city with our diverse and inclusive exhibition. This annual event is a celebration of creativity that contributes to and fosters a sense of belonging within the broader cultural landscape.

Artwork from the Being Scene 2024 is now listed for sale through the Workman Arts online store. Please contact Visual Arts Manager Fatma Hendawy at fatma_hendawy@workmanarts.com if you are interested in purchasing any of the available pieces.

We are thrilled to recognize the “Ica Pas Artist Scholarship Award” alongside this year’s Being Scene! Artwork by the recipient, Cassandra Chassi, will be exhibited alongside a piece by the late Ecaterina Pascaluta “Ica Pas” at the Remote Gallery location.

The “Ica Pas Artist Scholarship Award” has been created by Barbara Pascaluta in partnership with Toronto Community Housing Revitalization Team and Workman Arts. The purpose of the scholarship is to celebrate artists who use art as a way to overcome challenges in their life. This scholarship provides artists facing systemic barriers with financial, training, and showcasing supports to further advance their artistic careers. This scholarship is inspired by the life and legacy of Ecaterina Pascaluta “Ica Pas” and prioritizes uplifting and honoring artists and the power of art to highlight and overcome injustice, challenges, and barriers.

Being Scene is an annual juried exhibition of recent artwork by Workman Arts members and individuals who have accessed the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) services in their lives.

Being Scene began over 20 years ago on the grounds of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). Over the years, Being Scene has exhibited juried surveys of thousands of artworks by Workman Arts member artists as well as artists with lived experience who have received services from CAMH. Being Scene is an invaluable professionalization experience for artists, consistently reaching audiences of over 5,000, allowing for a greater understanding of diverse experiences. Artists have given shape to compelling ideas and narratives, covering a wide range of conceptual and material approaches. Being Scene has been shown in spaces such as The Gladstone Hotel, Toronto Media Arts Centre, various Artscape locations, and at CAMH.

For further information, interviews or images, please contact Tai Nguyen at tai_nguyen@workmanarts.com 

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Special thanks to the Toronto friends of the visual arts for supporting Being Scene.