Artists HAUI and Tracey-Mae Chambers in Guelph

Artists HAUI and Tracey-Mae Chambers will be in town working on their projects through the summer and fall. The City of Guelph invites the community to engage with the Artists-in-Residence as they explore history, identity, and healing through interactive projects.

Community Engagement

The Guelph community will be invited into the city’s 2024 Artists-in-Residence’s creative process as they work on projects exploring past, present, and future lived knowledges this summer and fall. The City of Guelph announced the Artists-in-Residence in a news release on Wednesday, May 29. The art HAUI and Tracey-Mae Chambers create will “create community connections that will deepen and broaden our shared understandings and experiences of the place we call Guelph,” the release said.

HAUI: Mixed-Media Artist

Background and Approach

HAUI is an award-winning mixed-media artist based in Stratford who creates works for the stage, screen, and visual mediums. “Known for rejecting categorizations, HAUI amplifies overlooked themes, myths, histories, and perspectives through an unconventional, diverse lens,” the release said.

Project for the Residency

HAUI’s multimedia project for this year’s residency will explore the real-life story of Aunt Harriet, a Black woman who came to Guelph seeking freedom in the 1880s. In collaboration with spoken word artist and musician Ahdri Zhina Mandiela, HAUI will amplify Aunt Harriet’s voice and celebrate Black femininity and the power of healing. The installation will be placed in a public space within the city for the community’s enjoyment.

Tracey-Mae Chambers: Métis Artist

Background and Influence

The other artist-in-residence, Tracey-Mae Chambers, is a Toronto-based artist and proud citizen of the Métis Nation of Ontario. Influenced by her own personal history, Chambers’ installations inspire audiences to think about the concepts of identity, belonging, decolonization, and reconciliation.

Project for the Residency

For the residency, Chambers will be bringing her #HopeAndHealingCanada project back to Guelph. Since 2021, she’s created installations across the country as part of the project. In Guelph, Chambers will engage the community in conversations about truth and reconciliation with weaving workshops and pop-up textile installations. She also plans to include local sewing, knitting, and crochet groups, and the Métis Nation of Ontario Grand River Métis Council in her project.