Moving Art Gallery highlights Black women in the arts through Girlshow – Apartment613 | Catch My Job

With art, you never run out of ways to combine emotions and express them to create a masterpiece. It’s something the viewer will interpret based on their own life, but the artist wanted to see it through a specific lens. Regardless, art is for everyone.

Teaming up with the music event series Expression, The Moving Art Gallery opens its doors to all art lovers in the Ottawa-Gatineau area on October 1, 2022, from 5-10pm at Devan Studios for the first annual Girlshow.

Sandra Ngenge Dusabe is a painter, curator of Girlshow, and founder of The Moving Art Gallery, which she launched in 2020 and has since hosted virtual events to highlight Black women in the arts. She works as a programming and cultural developer for the non-profit music presenter Devasar and is currently working on her Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of Ottawa.

Girlshow poster. Image provided.

“Girlshow is the first private group art show presented by The Moving Art Gallery, an art community centered around black and female visual artists,” said Doosabe. “We believe in decentralizing the way art is exposed in the nation’s capital, making it accessible and casual to reach a wider audience. At this show, visitors can expect to see incredible artwork in person, accompanied by music from talented local DJs.”

The exhibition spotlights artists from Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto, each showcasing their style in a variety of mediums. Digital works by Sandra Jack (she/her), Alice Atterman (she/her), and Bliss Mutanda (all pronouns). Dorota Babiakova (she/her) will present oil on canvas, as will Meghan Blaze (she/her), who will also show acrylic on paper. Thirsta Sémajuste (she/her) will exhibit works in India ink on paper, Emily Lombardo (she/her) will present sculpture, and Brooke Shaw (she/her) will bring poetry and photography to the show.

“Girlshow was formed from an idea; what does it feel like to make art as a girl?” Dusab says. “After a proposal from fellow artist and peer DJ CEG, I extended an invitation to womxn art makers whom I admire to be a part of this project, focused on those who inhabit the intersection of blackness and femininity. The event aims to bring people from all backgrounds and walks of life together to view art in a fun and casual way.”

Girlshow takes place on October 1, 2022, from 5-10pm at Dayvan Studio, 1417 Cyrville Rd. Participants can register for free through Eventbrite.