Gather at the Gallery — A Successful Year in Review
Cultural Connections
With generous support from the Government of Canada’s New Horizons for Seniors Program, Gather at the Gallery was presented twice a month specifically for the 55+ community. This program provides opportunities to express your own creativity through a variety of hands on workshops, meet artists and hear their stories, or preview new exhibitions.
Cultural Connections brought together food and fine art in a way that felt welcoming, social, and full of discovery for our attendees. Each month offered a multi-sensory experience designed to spark connection—whether through conversation, hands-on creativity, or trying something new. We saw many participants, including many first-time visitors and new members, as more and more seniors joined us to share in the experience. Gather at the Gallery: Cultural Connections was a lively and supportive space where people could meet others, build friendships, and feel part of a community in the arts. Beyond social connection, the Cultural Connections program encourages both creativity and wellbeing. Our workshops invited participants of all abilities to stay mentally and physically active through accessible, guided art-making, while our Talk & Taste events introduced flavours from cultures around the world—bringing curiosity and adventure to the table. For many, the gallery became a place of comfort, joy, and inspiration.
Talk & Taste
Each month, we welcomed a guest artist and explored a different part of the world through two engaging events: Talk & Taste and a hands-on workshop
Talk & Taste paired an artist talk with a tasting experience, creating an inviting space for a wide range of interests—whether people came for the conversation, the food, or both. Later in the month, the artist returned to lead a workshop that built on the ideas shared in their talk. This gave participants a chance to experience the artist’s process up close, create alongside them, and connect more deeply with their work and cultural perspective.
Together, the talk, tasting, and workshop created multiple ways to engage—with the artist, their practice, and their culture—offering a rich, sensory experience that encouraged deeper understanding and connection.
Olena Chorna
Olena Chorna, is Canadian artist with roots in Dnipro City, Ukraine. She is a passsionate Fina Arts educator since the age of 16. Chorna practices and teaches one-stroke painting — a phenomenon of Ukrainian ornamental folk art called Petrykivka, with roots in the village of Petrykivka in the Dnipro Region of Ukraine. Recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage, Petrykivka decorative painting is more than just art; it represents a cultural legacy of Ukraine.
Thomas Haskell
Haskell was born and raised in Trinidad and Tobago and is a self-taught ceramicist, whose work with polymer- and oil-based clays in childhood incited his work in ceramics. Haskell’s studio practice is based in ceramic sculpture, navigating issues of queerness, folklore, Trinidadian carnival, and intersectional selfhood. Utilizing clay as an intimate and immediate medium for capturing human gesture. Haskell captures the ephemeral qualities of Mas to expand notions of what Mas/Carnival can mean to various communities, including education, solidarity, and consolidation of community.
In 2023 Haskell competed in CBC’s The Great Canadian Pottery Throw Down, where he showcased his technical skills as well as creativity alongside Canada’s top potters. Haskell continues his work in ceramics, creating and teaching in Toronto.You can view Thomas Haskell’s impressive work on The Great Canadian Pottery Throwdown for free on CBC Gem: https://gem.cbc.ca/the-great-canadian-pottery-throw-down
Baden Story Tellers Guild
Mary McCullum Baldasaro and Kait Taylor are active members of The Baden Storytellers’ Guild. Through The Guild they have been honing their oral storytelling craft and guiding in the growth of the “story curious” for a combined 40 years of experience. Mary is also a singer of ballads, an educator, and playwright whose original, literary, and traditional stories are laced with humour, unpredictability, and compassion for the foibles of human nature. Kait gravitates towards adaptations of folktales, fairy tales, and original yarns for audiences of all ages. She is passionate about exploring the connections that bring us together through story, tying the threads between the past and the present.
Wen Li
Wen Li is a multi-media artist from Ontario. She received her BFA from the University of Waterloo. Intrigued by the unintentional and unpredictable forms, she incorporates these visual elements into her art through a process guided by chance. Her work reflects on the contingency, and embraces the unpredictability inherent in our thoughts, bodies, and environment. With a background in engineering from China, Wen merges her cultural heritage with Western art training, resulting in a distinct fusion of influences evident in her creation.
Gabra Studios
Akram and Fadia Gabra are a husband-and-wife team of multi-disciplinary artists. They established their art studio, Gabra Studios, in 1984, after studying architecture, and mosaic art has been their passion for over 25 years. They currently own and operate a mosaic & stained glass studio in Etobicoke, where they teach classes, create masterpieces for sale and on commission, and provide mosaic and stained glass supplies and tools to consumers as Glass Mosaic Canada. Mosaic is an artform with a long and glorious history. Having found connection to mosaic and stained glass through ancestry and its origins in ancient Egypt and the Mediterranean, Akram and Fadia have come to master the beautiful tradition of one of the first forms of art known to man.
Chef Zach Keeshig of Naagan
Zach Keeshig is the owner and head chef of Naagan. Born and raised in Owen Sound, he knew he wanted to become a chef at the age of 17. He studied at Georgian College for Culinary Arts, then did an apprenticeship under Chef Tim Johnston. Continuing to build on his culinary education, he went on to work in various restaurants across Ontario with many of the top chefs in Canada. His time in the kitchens of places like Michael Stadtländer’s Eigensinn Farm (9th Best Restaurant in the World 2002), Restaurant Pearl Morresette (1 Michelin Star), Canoe (Michelin recommended), Enigma (1 Michelin Star) and Langdon Hall (Michelin recommended), has helped him fuse his Ojibwa cuisine with modern culinary techniques and ingredients. He does just that with his Naagan dining experience. Naagan is currently ranked #9 on the list of Best New Restaurants and #92 overall in Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants in 2025
Amikwabi Traders
Shay Herold is the two-spirit Kitchener-based artist behind Amikwabi Traders. Shay specializes in furs, leather, bones, crystals, and beads. Shay will be assisted by Devin Pronovost of Devynn Design. Shay (She/He/They) and Devin (He/they) are both Two-Spirit Indigenous people residing in Kitchener-Waterloo, along the Haldimand Tract. Their passion for art, nature and community will guide this beading workshop and allow people to leave with a new skill. They are excited to offer an opportunity for folks to make new friends and leave with a small piece of art of their own.
Jessica Steinhäuser
Jessica Steinhäuser is Guelph-based, an award–winning Canadian ceramic artist who works on a grand scale, breathing new life into the ancient tradition of kachelöfen. Jessica was raised in Germany. She decided early in life to work with her hands, and chose pottery as her medium. She established Stonehouse Pottery in downtown Guelph in 1989. and the Guelph Potters Market in 2005, which has become an annual event. Jessica created her first kachelofen in 2008. Her designs merge functionality with artistry. Vibrant colour, sophisticated lines, and an understanding of architectural context are the hallmarks of her work. In 2014, Jessica exhibited three kachelöfen in a solo show at the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery, supported by funding from the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council.
Behnaz Fatemi
Behnaz Fatemi is a multidisciplinary artist and PhD candidate in Visual Culture at Western University. In 2025, she was selected as one of only two artists for the International Residency at The Art House and the Royal Over-Seas League in the UK. She was Kitchener’s Artist in Residence (2020–21), participated in the CAFKA Biennial (2023), and was an Artist in Residence for Femme Folks Fest (2025). Her work has been exhibited in Canada, Iran, and the United States, including at Art Windsor-Essex, the Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery(Canada), and Otagh Bargh gallery, Matne Emrooz Gallery (Iran).Fatemi received the Emerging Artist Award from Arts Awards Waterloo Region (2021) and has been supported by scholarships and grants, including the International Master’s Award of Excellence (University of Waterloo), the Doctoral Entrance Scholarship (Western University), Pat the Dog Theatre Creation, and the Region of Waterloo Arts Fund.
Ken Daley
Ken Daley is an award-winning Black Canadian artist/illustrator who was born to parents who emigrated from Dominica. His art and illustrations are inspired by his African-Caribbean heritage, and he has exhibited his work in Canada, the US, and the Caribbean. His artwork can be found in numerous private and public collections. Ken has illustrated 15 children’s books and is currently working on 5 more titles. He has received an Américas Award Honor Book and a Kirkus Best Picture Book for ‘Auntie Luce’s Talking Paintings’, awarded Best Illustration for ‘Black Boy, Black Boy’, as well as a Blue Spruce Award nomination for ‘Granny’s Kitchen’. He believes that diverse stories are essential to creating a more just, and equitable world, which he’s deeply committed to manifesting through his art and illustrations.
AlMadina Woodstone Oven & Grill
Subtitle for This BlockThe spirit of tradition runs deep at Almadina but not at the expense of our desire to provide our guests with a new and exciting dining experience. If you are looking for a welcoming place for business meeting or a cozy spot for friends and family gathering, this is the place to be.
Eby Street Bodega
We believe in making food for our customers just like we do at home for our family. Everything we serve is made by us, with love. We shop at the Farmers Market and source local produce whenever we can.
Naagan
Naagan, which in Ojibwa means “dish”, is an intimate, 17 seat restaurant in the heart of Owen Sound, Ontario. Naagan brings together art, education, and incredible food that showcases hyper-local abundance and beauty. Traditional Indigenous culture has deep roots in community and partnering with the land. We feel extremely honoured to be able to share that with people through our 12 course dinners at Naagan.
Yes Market
We sell grocery products, Turkish, Balkan and Europian foods, natural sundried fruits, baklava..
A to Z African & Caribbean Grocery
Our mission is to provide a wide variety of the freshest and highest quality groceries, meats, beauty supply and skin care products from the African Continent and the Caribbean with the best customer service. Our goal is to continue serving our valued customers and future generations with the freshness and flavourful tastes of Africa and the Caribbean.
Italo Foods
Known for its wide selection of high-quality European food products, Italo Foods offers a variety of items that are typically hard to find in other stores. Customers can explore a range of deli meats, cheeses, and desserts, as well as European specialties. .
Sticklings Bakery
Stickling’s Bakery has been known for its rustic, organic sourdough breads which are baked according to traditional family recipes and with sourdough cultures that have been passed down from one generation to the next.
Urla Fine Foods Toronto
Urla Fine Foods transports visitors to an old-world bazaar with a focus on sourcing fine foods and ingredients from Turkey and beyond. Embracing a traditional and authentic approach, this Toronto-based establishment offers a unique selection of culinary delights that cater to diverse palates.
Canadian Instanbul
We bring the unique tastes of Istanbul to Canada! Experience authentic Turkish cuisine prepared with traditional recipes and fresh ingredients. In our warm and inviting atmosphere, enjoy unforgettable moments with our friendly service. Join us to discover the rich culinary culture of Turkiye.
Kabob Hut
Kabob Hut is a family run restaurant founded in 2010. We offer authentic Persian style food that tastes just like it was made at home.
Stockyards Brewing
Stockyards Brewing is a craft brewery located just outside of St. Jacobs, and is rooted in the history of Kitchener and Waterloo. Using traditional brewing methods and all-natural ingredients, Stockyards Brewing features core brands that all pay homage to the city’s history as well as an ever-changing lineup of small batch brews as part of their award-winning lineup.
Da Varenyk
Food vendor of Local markets, homemade Ukrainian, European food, catering, private chef.
Madhu’s Roti & Doubles
Since our establishment in 2017, we have been dedicated to bringing you an authentic taste of the Caribbean, celebrating the rich culinary heritage of islands such as Jamaica, Trinidad, and Barbados.
T&T Supermarket
T&T provides food that helps Asian families connect with their past and build cultural traditions in their lives outside of Asia, and through time between generations. In pursuit of this cause, T&T has also become a destination for all Canadians for Asian food discovery.
Gather at the Gallery was generously sponsored by the Government of Canada’s New Horizons for Seniors Program.