CDRS Art-in-Residence Exhibition Opening: Broadening access to the Kaxúmbekua (way of life): Saving P’urhépecha culture across English speaking countries
March 3, 1-3pm in CDRS (MN3230) and Zoom
We are pleased to announce the opening of a new exhibition by artist Huíchu Kuákari, “Broadening access to the Kaxúmbekua (way of life): Saving P’urhépecha culture across English speaking countries” on Friday March 3, 2023 at the Collaborative Digital Research Space (CDRS) (MN3230) at the University of Toronto Mississauga. This inaugural exhibition marks the beginning of the new CDRS Art-in-Residence program, a pilot program that will host artists and their works at CDRS each year. Curators Jerry Flores (Professor, Department of Sociology, UTM) and Elizabeth Parke (CRIS) bring together 20 original works of art by P’urhépecha teacher, community elder and artist Huíchu Kuákari. Kuákari’s work is a testament to his P’urhépecha heritage, an Indigenous culture from the Michoacán region in central Mexico. Since the arrival of European colonizers over 500 years ago, the community has fought to keep their Kaxúmbekua (way of life) and Purhe (language) alive and well (Chamoreau, 2009).
This exhibition opening marks the first of two cultural events at CDRS that will highlight P’urhépecha culture. The event will feature an artist talk with English translation, and food from the region. We look forward to having you join us for this celebration of P’urhépecha culture. "Broadening access to the Kaxúmbekua (way of life): Saving P’urhépecha culture across English speaking countries" is supported by the Black, Indigenous, and Racialized Scholar/Research Grant Program at UTM and the Collaborative Digital Research Space (CDRS).