From August 26-30 2023, six artists will aim to connect the history of Kingston's Belle Park—once a landfill site—with pressing contemporary social and environmental concerns. Through a weeklong series of artistic experiments, conversations, and performances, these artists will reveal and imagine some of the stories of Belle Park.

Presented by Belle Park Project (web link), Unearthed is described as "…a walk in the park with a twist." Through music, geocaching activities, and temporary art installations, artists Cheryl L’Hirondelle, Vince Ha, Noah Scheinman, Elyse Longair and Evalyn Parry "… will help us think about way-finding, home, identity, play, plants, and the land we stand on." Additionally, an exhibition at the Art and Media Lab in the Isabel Bader Centre will be running concurrently.

Launched in 2021 and funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), the Belle Park Project draws on multidisciplinary artists and community knowledge to transform the toxic area in Kingston's Inner Harbour community into a "generator of questions, relationships, and life," in the hopes that their work is significant "…for people in Kingston/Ka’tarohkwi, but also for those seeking to understand or inhabit similarly complex sites in other cities."

The schedule for Unearthed as follows:

August 26

Belle Park (731 Montreal St)
3:00-6:00pm –
Exhibit opening with Dave Mowat (Alderville First Nation) and curators
Spoken Word performance by Billie the Kid
Artist introductions (Evalyn Parry, Vince Ha, Elyse Longair, and Noah Scheinman)
Guided tour to artistic sites including live music

August 27

Belle Park (731 Montreal St)
3:00-6:00pm - Information available at parking lot tent, informal tours with artists, curators, volunteers. Evalyn Parry performance at 4 p.m. -- arrive at 3:30 to walk to site.

August 28

Isabel Centre for the Performing Arts (390 King St W)
12:00-4:00pm - Art and Media Lab - Exhibition Open
3:00-5:00pm - Room 222 - Panel Discussion w/ all artists and curators
5:00-6:30pm - Art and Media Lab - Reception

August 29

Isabel Centre for the Performing Arts (390 King St W)
12:00-4:00pm - Art and Media Lab - Exhibition Open

Belle Park (731 Montreal St)
3:00-6:00pm - Information available at parking lot tent; independent touring of artworks

August 30

Isabel Centre for the Performing Arts (390 King St W)
12:00-4:00pm Art and Media Lab - Exhibition Open

Belle Park (731 Montreal St)
3:00-6:00pm - Information available at parking lot tent; independent touring of artworks
7:00-8:30pm - Performance by Cheryl L’Hirondelle Posted: Aug 25, 2023 Originally Published: Aug 25, 2023