Simultaneity art show

During her 2019 studies at UFV's Graphic + Digital Design program, Renée negotiated special circumstances for her practicum semester by requesting to serve as the Gallery Co-ordinator at the Kariton Art Gallery - collaborating with CIVL Radio, Abbotsford Arts Council, and UFV's Design and Visual Arts Departments, to develop an annual bursary paid out by CIVL Radio to support the semester-long acredited position, which now continues on to support students in this role.

In addition to regular exhibit co-ordination, she was tasked with the opportunity to create and curate a pop-up exhibit, which she entitled 'Simultaneity Art Show' (SAS), an exhibit consisting of artworks by, for and in allyship with local LGBTQIA/2S+ community. 

Renée organized this show with a small committee of volunteers of Fraser Valley Pride Society, CIVL Radio, and the Abbotsford Arts Council. For this special project, it was important to her that alongside personal research, she sought guidance from a professional in sensitivity training, including closely consulting with artists whose lived experiences aligned with those of the community that SAS intended to serve and highlight, in order to best plan and present exhibit information. 

• SAS 2019 was displayed at the Fraser Valley Pride Celebration, and Jam in Jubilee, in a colourful outdoor tent exhibit space. 

• SAS 2020 returned the following summer in an online format as part of Fraser Valley Pride Digital Celebration, with an exhibit hosted on the AAC website and a dedicated social media tapestry feed showcasing the participating artists. Visit @simultaneity_artshow on Instagram

• In 2021, SAS was honoured as a Nominee for the Fraser Valley Cultural Diversity Awards in the category of 'Innovative Initiative'. 

The title term 'Simultaneity' [sym-uhl-tah-nay-uh-tee] pays homage to foundational work by feminists of colour, referring to the Combahee River Collective Statement, and the term 'intersectionality' coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw. Following in the footsteps of these established definitions, the SAS initiative intends to address and celebrate community members living their lives with the multifaceted and interconnected influences of race, class, abilities, gender, ethnicity and sexual-orientation informing their life paths and artistic practices; as they experience these factors not singularly, but simultaneously.  The SAS logo echoes this concept, the 'mashed-up' type representing multiple facets of identity co-existing within the wholeness of one's personhood. 

The SAS team expresses great appreciation to community organizations Fraser Valley Pride Society, Fraser Valley Youth Society, the Abbotsford Arts Council, CIVL Radio, and Black Connections for their support and feedback in the process of creating and curating these exhibits.