If there’s one thing I have learned about Concordia during my few months here, it’s that we are a community made up of exceptional individuals, and a community who thrives on the strength of these individuals because of their willingness to give back.
This generosity was evident on Friday afternoon at Her Story: Professional Women in Montreal’s Art Scene, a panel featuring six women who shared stories of their successes in navigating the Montreal arts scene. Organized by the Concordia Undergraduate Journal of Art History (CUJAH) and Yiara Magazine with support from Her Campus Concordia, this inspirational event was developed with two main intentions. Firstly, to relate the studies of art history and visual arts on a professional level, and secondly to ease the uncertainty that many undergraduates experience in linking their education to possible career paths.
The intended audience was a range of undergraduates in Concordia’s fine arts and art history programs. But according to CUJAH editor-in-chief Kimberly Glassman, the choice to live-stream the event (which you can watch here) was intended to make the event accessible to all levels of students and professionals interested in Montreal’s art scene. Melinda Britton, an independent artist from Calgary and outwardly affiliated with Concordia, commended the organization of the event and iterated that it is important to see professional women in the arts. Britton said, “easily 70 per cent of my classmates in art school were women, but this isn’t usually reflected in the higher up positions in galleries […] most of my teachers were men.”
Friday’s panel was curated by CUJAH to represent diversity in the professional roles that women hold in the arts. Ranging in cultural background, age, education, and artistic practice (to name a few), the six women on the panel addressed a variety of challenges they’ve faced throughout the trajectory of their careers, as students, as women, as academics and as artists.
The panel began with Eunice Bélidor (independent curator and Programming Coordinator at Articule), Avery Zhao (founder of Art Crush) and Brittne Potter (recent grad and co-founder of Centerfold). Through their stories, these women spoke of turning any amount and any kind of experience into an opportunity, the struggles of making your voice and experiences heard, and seeking out mentorship and support from like-minded people.
The second half of the panel included Mélanie Binette (Artistic Director of Théâtre Nulle Part), Joanna Berzowska (Associate Dean, Research and founder of XS Labs) and Erandy Vergara (Artistic Director of Eastern Bloc). These three women spoke about professionalism, the reality of making compromises for your career, taking risks, and the difference between confidence and self-esteem. As each speaker recounted her story, it became evident that persevering through the unfamiliar and relying on instinct were common themes.
A Q&A portion followed each half of the panel that gave those in attendance a chance to engage with the speakers. It created an organic flow of conversation among the speakers, and between the panel and audience. Given that each presenter had a unique take on the Montreal professional arts scene, this conversation was especially key for the event as it helped emphasize the different paths to success, or better yet, redefine what success is and what it means for women.
As students, we know what a relief it is to hear someone else voice the same concerns that we feel on a regular basis. But more than that, the Her Story event gave students and aspiring professionals in the arts a chance to get real, down-to-earth guidance on how to actually approach these concerns. Glassman adds that for “anyone who has not yet seen the presentations […] go watch them because everyone had a very personal experience relating in different ways to the various speakers.”
CUJAH serves undergraduate students within the Faculty of Fine Arts. It aims to provide opportunities for exposure and to gain professional skills through its events, annual peer-reviewed publications, and annual Art History Conference (February 27-28, 2018).
Yiara Magazine is an undergraduate online and print magazine that focuses on feminist art. It strives to provide students with a visual and written platform to explore the role of women in art and in the art scene.