Tucked away in the basement of the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts is an exhibition space you may not have heard about called The Art and Media Lab or the AML for short. The gallery is open Monday to Friday, 10 AM to 4 PM, and features new exhibitions every two weeks. Admission is always free.
The AML is a gallery dedicated to artistic invocation, community engagement and new forms of academic research. What makes the exhibition space so unique is that it is a learning space where artists and curators are encouraged to experiment, try new ideas, and challenge the conventions of a traditional gallery. The AML is used during the year primarily by students and faculty of the Film and Media Department at Queen’s University, and in the summer, it becomes more community focused.
As a Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) managing the AML this year, I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with the artists, students, curators, and professors. A special shoutout goes to Kelly O’Dette and Cam Miller, the Film and Media Technicians who play an essential role in making it all happen.
Highlights from Last Term
Last term, the AML hosted a variety of exhibitions, ranging from graduate thesis solo exhibitions, class projects and a special exhibition by the Queen’s 2024 Vice-Principal Research Artist-in-Residence. Highlights included:
- Ribbons, a painting and music exhibition by Diana Nadia Lawryshyn.
- My Experiments in Hope, a painting exhibition by Evan Sharma. (Pictured above)
- Black Masses (preface to a proposal), a lab and video installation by Noah Scheinman.
- Mediating the Otherworldly: Spectres, Absence, and Presence, a class exhibition curated by SCCS 812, featuring a performance by horror drag queen Ms. Nookie Galore.
- Waves, a sound exhibition by Queen’s 2024 Vice-Principal Research Artist-in-Residence, Rita McKeough.
- A series of pop-up exhibitions by FILM390 students.
- Resonance of the Mythical Realm, an immersive sound installation by Ruoting (Ting) Chen.
- Honey Drop: Experiments in the Archive, an animation and textile exhibition by Peggy Fussell.
This term promises an equally exciting lineup, beginning with Weaving Encounters by graduate student Jung-Ah Kim on now until January 17. Today, Jan 16, from 2 PM–4 PM, we anticipate unveiling a bird animation on the woven fabric. Come check it out!
Here’s what’s coming up at the AML this term:
- Jan 19 – Feb 1: FILM460 students
- Feb 2 – 15: FILM477 and MAPP300) students
- Feb 16 – 22: SCCS 902/802 students
- Feb 23 – Mar 8: Computational Cinemas students
- Mar 9 – 22: MAPP400 students
- Mar 23 – 29: MUSC254/354/454 students
- Mar 30-Apr 12: FILM460 students
- Apr 13-May 3: Ali Na & Eric Chalfant, and grad students
When you need a break from the stressors of grad school, leave main campus and take a walk along beautiful Lake Ontario to The Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts. Check out the latest exhibitions at the AML and then pop by next door and see what is on at Modern Fuel. Recharge at Juniper Café for a tea and cookie overlooking the lake.