LAKESHORE GROUNDS INTERPRETIVE CENTRE
CELEBRATING OUR FIRST YEAR
- YEAR IN REVIEW March 1, 2017 - April 1, 2018
WHAT’S INSIDE
HIGHLIGHTS
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INTERPRETIVE CENTRE EXHIBITS
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THIRD FLOOR EXHIBITS
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PROGRAMMING
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RESEARCH & NEW RESOURCES DEVELOPED
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INTERNSHIPS & WORK-STUDY
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COMMUNITY OUTREACH
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FACULTY PARTNERSHIPS
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STUDENT-LED PROJECTS
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COLLECTIONS UPDATE
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ONLINE PRESENCE
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MEDIA COVERAGE
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VOLUNTEERS & PARTNERS
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CURATORIAL TEAM & ADVISORY BOARD
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14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28
HIGHLIGHTS
2,097
exhibit attendees
3
collaborative exhibits in the Interpretive Centre
4 3,596
42%
We hosted
9 Humber
programs
NEW 5
debut art / curator exhibits on the Third Floor
tour attendees
90%
tours conducted over 2016
15 Humber
Depts / Clubs
15 Community
2 University
100%
Storytelling tours Park tours
Community partnerships Humber partnerships
Groups
tour attendees over 2016
1
NEW
unique space 3
classes on tours new tour content
Workshops Craft Nights
INTERPRETIVE CENTRE EXHIBITS BEHIND THE BRICKS: Recovering the Stories of the Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital
1,064 visitors*
*includes SWRC launch attendees
January 26, 2016 to May 31, 2017 The first exhibit to be hosted in the Interpretive Centre explored the missing records of the Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital and how we are working to rebuild the lost history of the site. Emphasis was placed on the unique contributions the Hospital made to the larger Ontario mental health system and the lived experience of patients and staff through different generations. Particularly popular was an art installation by Lucy Pauker which represented the personal story of Grace, a patient at the institution who is today buried in the Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital Cemetery.
BIRD’S EYE VIEW July 5, 2017 to December 8, 2017 (extended) The exhibit showcased the ways in which the community has nurtured the habitat of Colonel Samuel Smith Park to make it more hospitable to the many birds that live in, and migrate through, the park over the course of the year. Examples of these efforts included the planting of the dogwood thicket, the annual Whimbrel Watch, and the building of Tree swallow boxes. The work of local artists was also highlighted, including contributions from Nancy Barrett, Ala Asadchaya, Terry Smith, and Irene Cholewka.
In partnership with Humber Arboretum, Office of Sustainability, Friends of Sam Smith Park, CCFEW, and Nature’s Dance Photography 4
661 visitors
2,097 total exhibit attendees POP-UP: GET TO KNOW THE LGIC December 2017 to January 2018
131 visitors
We hosted a pop-up exhibit that highlighted the different events and program offerings hosted by the Interpretive Centre while we were constructing Moccasins Re-vamped. The exhibit took up only a portion of the footprint of the Interpretive Centre so that visitors could watch our staff working on the installation of the next exhibit.
MOCCASINS RE-VAMPED: WALKING FORWARD TOGETHER January 31, 2018 to June 2, 2018 Moccasins Re-vamped is framed through the words of Guest Curator, Sage Petahtegoose, and combines contemporary examples of moccasins made by students and staff at Humber with images of historic moccasins from communities around the Great Lakes region that have been provided by the Bata Shoe Museum. Contributing artists include Humber students, Sage Petahtegoose and Lorralene Whiteye, and Humber faculty, Lynn Short. We had 65 visitors during the exhibit launch on January 31, 2018 and in the five weeks since opening we are seeing higher-than-average daily attendance. Attendance to date: 241
In partnership with Aboriginal Resource Centre
Guest Curator: Sage Petahtegoose 5
THIRD FLOOR EXHIBITS
THROUGH A LENS, BRIGHTLY Artist: Nancy Barrett January 31, 2017 to April 29, 2017 The collection highlighted the natural ecology of Colonel Samuel Smith Park through the photographs of Nancy Barrett. A self-taught wildlife and nature photographer based in Toronto, Nancy’s work straddles the boundaries between photography, preservation, and education. As part of this exhibit, each photograph was paired with text featuring either naturalist explanations of the subject featured or personal comments from the artist about what drew her eye.
FROM LAND TO TABLE Curator: Frances Pereira-Jardine May 10, 2017 to July 29, 2017 Our volunteer Curatorial Intern and Arts Administration and Cultural Management postgraduate student, Frances Pereira-Jardine, curated an exhibit that paired historic recipes with archival photographs of the region as a means of exploring the Indigenous, colonial, Hospital, and environmental stories of agricultural history on the Lakeshore Grounds. This complex narrative highlighted the changes to the grounds over time and involved extensive archival research.
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Debut exhibit for all artists / curators
ROUTE 501: A NOSTALGIC VIEW Artist: Sheila D’Atri-Karpis August 30, 2017 to November 4, 2017 Route 501 featured an original collection of ink and wash paintings by local artist Sheila D’Atri-Karpis. An Etobicoke native and former Humber employee, Sheila is a self-taught artist who first picked up a paintbrush in 2016 after a medical error left her unable to return to work. Her collection is inspired by personal memories of the former landmarks of the Etobicoke-Lakeshore community, often painted directly from historic photographs. Sheila paired her paintings with details of the history of each site.
THE FIRST LIGHT Artist: Taku Kumabe December 6, 2017 to March 17, 2018 We ended our first year with an original photographic collection by Taku Kumabe. Taku is an Etobicoke-based print designer and freelance photographer who has created a collection of more than 200 photographs taken along our shoreline at sunrise. The First Light represents the first time the collection has been exhibited in print form. Interviews with the artist have appeared in the Humber Et Cetera, Etobicoke Guardian, and Toronto Life magazine.
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PROGRAMMING
91
tours conducted
42% new tour 100% content
tours conducted over 2016
NEW
We hosted
9 Humber
programs
3,596
90%
tour attendees tour attendees over 2016
Storytelling tours Colonel Samuel Smith Park tours
15 Humber
Depts / Clubs
15 Community Groups
2 University
classes on tours
Every effort has been made over the year to tailor our tour content to the needs and interests of the program, group, or department that we hosted. Each tour variation was informed by original research conducted by our staff and volunteers. Pre-tour workshops were also held for 12 Humber classes and 1 University of Toronto group. These primarily explored the topics of stigma, ethics, and marketing as they relate to the history of mental health care.
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SMALL-GROUP WORKSHOPS
9 154
MONTHLY CRAFT NIGHT
7 160
workshops attendees
unique crafts attendees
We initiated new programming this year that focused on small-group workshops led by facilitators with expertise in topics related to our main pillars. These included the construction of bee hotels, an introduction to Indigenous beading, an LGBTQ+ activism forum, an origami workshop, and a nature-based exploration of Colonel Samuel Smith Park. We likewise hosted workshops for two Beaver groups from the local community. We also initiated a monthly drop-in Craft Night this year in order to introduce students and community members to the Interpretive Centre while also providing a “creative break� from busy schedules.
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RESEARCH Research forms the foundation of all our exhibits and programming FILM RESEARCH
NEWSPAPER DATABASE
In order to prepare new programming for the 2018 Doors Open Toronto event, we have been researching the film and television history of the Lakeshore Grounds. This effort has included extensive research at the TIFF Archives by volunteer, Sharon Kawabata, as well as detailed digital research by our staff.
Our staff and volunteers have been developing an archive which includes all newspaper references to the former Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital (Mimico Asylum). To date, the efforts have covered 110 years of the Globe & Mail and 88 years of the Toronto Star newspapers.
PEER-REVIEWED CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS BY STAFF • Mitchell, B. (2017, May). Fire traps, steam traps, and media traps: Interpreting fire prevention and governmental gas-lighting at the Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Canadian Society for the History of Medicine, Toronto, ON. • Bazar, J. L. (2017, May). Whose history did we keep? Two case studies in the exhibition of the history of institutional mental health care in Ontario. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Canadian Society for the History of Medicine, Toronto, ON. • Bazar, J. L. (2017, June). Claimed by war: The loss of New York’s Psychopathic Laboratory. Paper presented at the annual meeting of Cheiron: The International Society for the Behavioral and Social Sciences, Starkville, MS.
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NEW RESOURCES DEVELOPED
DOCUMENTARY SHORT: THE WHIMBREL WATCHERS
Created in partnership with Humber Arboretum
This original, six-minute documentary short shares the story of the volunteers who track the migration of the Whimbrel as it flies over Colonel Samuel Smith Park on its way to the Arctic regions to breed each spring. Told through interviews with members of the Toronto Ornithological Club, The Whimbrel Watchers traces the history and importance of the annual event while also reaching out to new volunteers to join the effort. Created for our Bird’s Eye View exhibit and now available on our YouTube channel. Available online at: youtube.com/watch?v=U8LwwARuA9A&t=9s
Created in partnership with Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care
FILM SERIES: KEYS TO OUR PAST
Keys to Our Past is a film series that introduces topics in the history of mental health care in Canada ranging from the emergence of the asylum era to differing treatments to changes in Not Criminally Responsible (NCR) legislation. With funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), the series currently consists of six 10-minute films, each available online with closed-captioning and full transcripts. Teaching guides are currently in development. Available online at: http://www.waypointcentre.ca/research_academics/research___academics_media
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INTERNSHIPS FRANCES PEREIRA-JARDINE, Curatorial Intern Arts Administration and Cultural Management Post Graduate Student Frances Pereira-Jardine volunteered with us as a Curatorial Intern throughout the Winter 2017 semester. Her focus was on the curation of an original exhibit hosted on the Third Floor which examined the changing agricultural history of the Lakeshore Grounds. From Land to Table brought together heritage recipes and never-before exhibited archival photographs of the grounds throughout different periods of our history. Frances was responsible for all aspects of the exhibit from the content research and sourcing images to marketing, promotion, and budgeting, to installation and launch.
NADINE FINLAY, Curatorial Intern Arts Administration and Cultural Management Post Graduate Student Nadine Finlay volunteered with us as a Curatorial Intern throughout the Winter 2017 semester and joined us as a paid Intern through the Summer of 2017. Nadine was involved in all aspects of Interpretive Centre operations including, developing and hosting new programming, the planning and installation of original exhibits, and managing the Interpretive Centre space. During this time, she also conducted original research on the Indigenous history of the Lakeshore Grounds which was used to inform the CHIME Digial Exhibit project, the Moccasins Re-vamped exhibit, and a new public workshop.
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WORK-STUDY KARA SEGUIN, Programming Assistant Social Service Worker Diploma Student Kara Seguin was our inaugural Work-Study student. She arrived at the Interpretive Centre with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in History and additional training in Library and Information studies as well as experience in hosting public tours and monitoring gallery spaces. Throughout her placement, Kara assisted in the installation of exhibits, hosting of public programming, and managing the Interpretive Centre space. She also researched and created a Research Guide for the four pillars of the Interpretive Centre that is now hosted on the Humber Libraries webpage: libguides.humber.ca/lakeshoregrounds
EMMA PACAGZ, Collections and Programming Assistant Arts Administration and Cultural Management Post Graduate Student Emma Pagacz is our current Work-Study student. She has a background in Art and Art History and extensive experience as an Arts Teacher at the secondary level. In addition to contributing to all Interpretive Centre exhibits and programming, Emma has taken the lead role of cataloguing our archives and artefact collection and creating a finding aid for the full collection. She is also currently in the process of curating our next Third Floor exhibit which will feature the work of local photographer, Irene Cholewka. As part of this role she is responsible for the budgeting, marketing, installation, and hosting of the exhibit launch.
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COMMUNITY OUTREACH I LOVE FIRST PEOPLES SHOEBOX CAMPAIGN
LUNCH ‘N’ LEARN AT FRANKLIN HORNER
We collected 65 shoeboxes filled with educational items + funds to support the transportation of 82 shoeboxes for Kashechewan First Nation.
We have been supporting the monthly Lunch ‘n’ Learn for seniors at Franklin Horner which is focused on the histories of the Etobicoke-Lakeshore communities.
INVITED TALKS PRESENTED BY OUR STAFF • Bazar, J. L. (2017, October). Inside the historian’s toolbox. Guest lecture for History of Psychology course (Instructor: Becky Choma), Ryerson University. Attendees: 120 • Bazar, J. L. (2017, November). Lakeshore Grounds Interpretive Centre. Invited talk for the Toronto West Rotary Club. Attendees: 20 • Bazar, J. L. (2017, November). Sanism and the Statue: Mental Health and the Law. Panel presentation for the York Federation of Students’ Mental Health Week, York University. Attendees: 15 • Ball, L. C., & Bazar, J. L. (2017, November). Lights, camera, research: A case study of two unlikely bedfellows. History & Theory of Psychology Colloquium Series, York University. Attendees: 20 • Bazar, J. L. (2018, February). Elephant in the Blue Room event hosted by the Residence Harm Reduction Committee, Humber College. Attendees: 15 • Bazar, J. L. (2018, February). The Mimico Asylum. Invited talk for the Etobicoke Historical Society’s Speakers’ Series. Attendees: 75
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CONTRIBUTIONS TO COMMUNITY EVENTS
PROGRAMMING AT HUMBER EVENTS
Booth at Looking Back on the Lake Shore Hosted by Councillor Mark Grimes Attendees: 100
Humber Mental Health Week Keys to Our Past Film launch and Forensic Psychology session Attendees: 200
Keys to Our Past Film Launch Hosted by Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care Attendees: 200
United Way Campaign Tunnel Tours Attendees: 42
BOOTHS AT HUMBER EVENTS Humber Nature Club Attendees: 20
Recess at Humber Libraries: Arts Day Button-making station Attendees: 31
Fair Trade Day Hosted by Office of Sustainability Attendees: 50
Humber Earth Week Tours of Colonel Samuel Smith Park Attendees: TBA
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FACULTY PARTNERSHIPS VISUAL AND DIGITAL ARTS Special Topics in Contemporary Art (VADA 207) Faculty: Cole Swanson and Anne Zbitnew We supported a module in which Visual and Digital Arts students will be creating a temporary art installation in the Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital Cemetery to commemorate the 1,511 patients buried at the site. Involvement from the Interpretive Centre involved taking students on a tunnel tour, regular in-class attendance throughout the module, and participation in the feedback provided on student proposals. *Installation in Spring 2018
BACHELOR OF PUBLIC RELATIONS Writing Lab (PBRL 3002) Faculty: Lydia Boyko We assisted in the development of a writing assignment for three sections of the Public Relations Writing Lab. Following an original presentation, tour, and Q&A session with our Curator for each section, students prepared a written communications pitch for the Interpretive Centre. Our Curator answered student questions throughout the preparation of these assignments and provided written feedback to the 12 groups.
STUDENT SERVICE WORKER PROGRAM Urban Sociology (SSW 101) Faculty: Michelle Majeed We created a presentation on therapeutic landscapes and the history of the practice using the Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital as a case example which was followed by a tour of the Third Garden (beside the Assembly Hall) for students in Urban Sociology.
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CLASSES WORKED WITH THIS YEAR
in-class workshops
19
guided tours with classes
Addictions & Mental Health Child & Youth Care Public Relations Arts Foundations Arts Administration Police Foundations Visual & Digital Arts Criminal Justice Occupational Therapy
BACHELOR OF PUBLIC RELATIONS Ethics (PHIL 1501) Faculty: Lydia Boyko and Rachel Bellotti As part of a semester-long project, students have been asked to evaluate the ethical considerations of studying on the campus of a former psychiatric hospital. At the date of preparation of this report, our Curator has given a presentation and tour to both sections. We will attend student presentations in early April 2018 and will provide written feedback for each group. The Interpretive Centre will then display the final projects of each group at the end of the semester.
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STUDENT-LED PROJECTS CHIME DIGITAL EXHIBITS Capstone Project: Arts Administration and Cultural Management Students During the winter semester of 2017 we supported the capstone project of Leila Talei, Heather Conyers, Nadine Finlay, Maya Modzynski, Hillary Weppler, and Jen Norman. The result of the work of these six students was the creation of an online digital exhibit. CHIME Digital Exhibits represents the first time all of the Interpretive Centre’s pillars have been featured together in a single project. The multiple topics were captured in the acronym of the project’s title: College; Hospital; Indigenous; Movies; Ecology. As part of this project, the students conducted research on each topic, sourced images, wrote accompanying text, and also formatted the exhibit on our website.
Available online at: lakeshoregrounds.ca/chime
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In addition to formal arrangements made with faculty for assignment support, we have also been approached individually by students throughout the year. The bulk of these requests have related to requests for interviews about either the history of the Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital or the general operations of the Lakeshore Grounds Interpretive Centre.
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AUDIO OR VIDEO INTERVIEWS FOR STUDENT PROJECTS
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COLLECTIONS UPDATE Over the past year our collections have grown significantly thanks to the contributions of local community members, partner organizations, and Humber staff and faculty. We are continuing to grow our archival, artefact, and art collections. A finding aid for researchers is also under development with an anticipated completion date of September 2018.
THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS • • • • •
Among Friends Steve Bang Jennifer Bazar Wanda Buote Sheila D’Atri-Karpis
• • • • •
Rick Follert Ruth Grier Taku Kumabe Andrew Poulos Terry Smith and Liana Franciosi
THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO LOANED US MATERIALS • • • • • •
Nancy Barrett Steve Bang Jennifer Bazar Nadine Finlay Maureen Luke Emma Petahtegoose
• Susan Schellenberg • Bruce Wilkinson and Lorraine Peltier • Bata Shoe Museum • Museum of Health Care Kingston • Royal Ontario Museum
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ARCHIVAL COLLECTION
12.8 53
ARTEFACT COLLECTION
centimetres textual materials original photographs
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30 12
artefacts original artworks
ONLINE PRESENCE WEBSITE: lakeshoregrounds.ca
3.7K 4.9K 12.1%
website users unique sessions returning visitors
e-NEWSLETTER
260 NEW
monthly subscribers volunteer e-newsletter
44% 43% 87.9%
website users over 2016 unique site visits over 2016
32% 29
new visitors
subscribers over 2016
monthly subscribers
22
@LakeshoreGrnds
495 38%
followers over 2016
1.6 million impressions
457 90%
followers over 2016
6.66 K impressions
289 71%
page likes over 2016 23
MEDIA COVERAGE Yglesias, Lucia. (2017, March 3). Tunnels at Lakeshore Grounds Open for Art Tour of Past. Humber Et Cetera. Available online at: http://humberetc.com/tunnels-at-lakeshore-groundsopen-for-art-tour-of-past/ Pill, Jaan. (2017, August 31). Very impressed with the opening of the Route 501 art exhibit at the Lakeshore Grounds Interpretive Centre. Preserved Stories blog. Available online at http://preservedstories.com/2017/08/31/very-impressed-with-the-opening-of-the-route-501art-exhibit-at-the-lakeshore-grounds-interpretive-centre/ Laux, Sara. (2017, September 28). Unlocking the History of Mental Health Care in Canada: “Keys to Our Past” is a collaborative film series. Humber Today. Available online at http:// humber.ca/today/news/unlocking-history-mental-health-care-canada McGregor, Zachary. (2017, October 9). Film series shines light on mental health stigma. Humber Et Cetera. Available online at http://humberetc.com/film-series-shines-light-on-mental-health-stigma/ Bales, Patrick. (2017, October 11). Films Explore Waypoint’s History. The Orillia Packet & Times; reprinted in The Barrie Examiner. No longer available online. Fox Lee, Shayna. (2017, October 19). Keys To Our Past Film Series: Interview with Laura Ball. Advances in the History of Psychology blog. Available online at https://ahp.apps01. yorku.ca/?p=6982 Mulhrn, Sinead. (2018, January 12). Nine breathtaking pre-dawn photos of Toronto. Toronto Life Magazine. Available online at https://torontolife.com/culture/art/nine-breathtaking-predawn-photos-toronto/ Reason, Cynthia. (2018, February 15). Etobicoke photographer’s Sunrise Series captures Toronto at dawn: Taku Kumabe’s The First Light exhibit on display at Humber College’s Lakeshore Grounds Interpretive Centre. Etobicoke Guardian. Available online at https:// www.toronto.com/news-story/8124943-etobicoke-photographer-s-sunrise-series-captures-toronto-at-dawn/ Crayton, A. Vanessia. (2018, February 23). Sunrise Photography Spreads Light on Lakeshore Campus. Humber Et Cetera. Available online at http://humberetc.com/sunrise-photography-spreads-light-lakeshore-campus/ Shephard, Tamara. (2018, March 3). Mimico Asylum’s storied history still fascinates. Etobicoke Guardian. Available online at https://www.toronto.com/news-story/8287631mimico-asylum-s-storied-history-still-fascinates/
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INVITED ARTICLES BY OUR STAFF Bazar, J. L. (2018, March 15). Capturing the Asylum: Examining the Mimico Asylum Postcards. Etobicoke Guardian. Available online at https://www.toronto.com/opinion-story/8322552-capturing-the-asylum-examining-the-mimico-asylum-postcards/
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OUR VOLUNTEERS This was the first year that we actively sought out and engaged volunteers across all of our events. Our volunteers were a mix of Humber students, Humber faculty, and community members. They contributed to tasks ranging from event support to research to exhibit installation.
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VOLUNTEERS
29
VOLUNTEER LIST SUBSCRIBERS
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OUR PARTNERS
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CURATORIAL TEAM JENNIFER BAZAR, Curator Jennifer brings to the team a background in the history of mental health care with a specialization in psychiatric institutions. She holds a doctoral degree in the History & Theory of Psychology. Jennifer is currently pursuing a Museum Studies Certificate with the Ontario Museum Association and an Indigenous Knowledge Certificate with Humber College. She has also recently completed the MHCC’s Mental Health First Aid training and has joined the Board of the Etobicoke Historical Society as Secretary.
BEN MITCHELL, Curatorial Assistant Ben holds a doctoral degree in Science & Technology Studies and has a strong background in the natural sciences. During his time at the Interpretive Centre he also taught at York University where he developed an original course in Science, Health, and Food. He is likewise an amateur beekeeper. At the completion of his contract, Ben returned to his studies to pursue a second Master’s degree in Library & Information Sciences at the University of Toronto.
NADINE FINLAY, Curatorial Assistant Nadine holds an Honours B.A. in Anthropology and English and also recently completed the Arts Administration and Cultural Management post-graduate certificate at Humber College as well as a certificate in Culturally Inclusive Education. Nadine is currently pursuing a double Master’s in Information and Museum Studies at the University of Toronto as well as the Indigenous Knowledge Certificate at Humber. She is also a Handson Biodiversity volunteer at the Royal Ontario Museum.
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ADVISORY BOARD
Ala Asadchaya
Resident of Ward 6; Alumni, Humber’s Arts Administration & Cultural Management Program
Shelley Charles
Humber’s Elder and Advisor
Jem Cain
Resident of Ward 6; Humber employee (Office of the Principal)
Denise Dickin
City of Toronto’s Assembly Hall Coordinator
Ruth Grier
Resident of Ward 6; former MPP; member of CCFEW
Michael Harrison
Etobicoke resident; member of New Toronto Historical Society
Tara Mazurk
Former Curator of the Lakeshore Grounds Interpretive Centre
Nawfal Sheikh
City of Toronto’s Assembly Hall Coordinator
Terry Smith
Resident of Ward 6; member of Friends of Sam Smith Park
Anne Zbitnew
Humber Media Foundation faculty; mental health advocate
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2 Colonel Samuel Smith Park Drive Toronto, ON M8V 4B6 416.675.6622 ext. 3801 info@lakeshoregrounds.ca