Gallery hours: Saturday and Sundays from 12-5 PM
Storefront view of the exhibition is accessible 24/7
Guidance Council is a collective interested in curating spaces for rest, joy for racialized art collectives, artists and arts workers since 2021. Organized by Alexandra Hong and Peter Rahul, these gatherings built a peer-led space to share stories, gossip, and seek advice. The global landscape has been shifting dramatically, ongoing global conflicts and recurring grief weighing on us all. While we intended our gatherings to create moments of refuge from that grief, its presence was always felt, hovering like a spectre at the periphery of our group. We had a growing need for conversations about the role of collective grief in shaping the collective’s intentions.
To pick up the pieces is an exhibition curated by Guidance Council featuring Golboo Amani, Kristi Chen, Laura Grier and Khadijah Morley that reflects upon collective grief and what emerges from its aftermath.
Whether it be grief from dealing with the aftershocks of colonial horrors, to grieving the fragility of nature, to grieving the death of loved ones, we are currently inundated with grief in all aspects of our everyday lives. Amidst that, we turn to rituals with our communities to move through a world transformed by grief, to find solace in coming together.
Programming:
Anti-colonial Shit-Talking Zine Party with Laura Grier
Date: Sep. 5, 2026 from 2-5 PM
Location: BAAA!: Back Alley for Art and Architecture, 300 Campbell Ave, Unit 114
RSVP: https://luma.com/kgv8qhfs
Colonialism, capitalism, and careerism are fatiguing.
In this workshop with artist Laura Grier, participants will talk shit about capitalism and colonialism, cutting text and images into zines. Come empty handed, or bring old collage materials that need new life.
Resin-Making Workshop with Kristi Chen
Date: Sept 12, 2026 from 2-5 PM
Location: BAAA!: Back Alley for Art and Architecture, 300 Campbell Ave, Unit 114
RSVP: https://luma.com/dij780vy
Learn and share about honorific incense practices in this participatory workshop with artist Kristi Chen. Through conversation, material demonstrations, and hands-on incense sculpting, we’ll explore personal and historical narratives together – and make something precious to take home.
Closing Party featuring a Procession Performance by Golboo Amani
Date: Sept 26, 2026 from 2-5 PM
Location: Whippersnapper Gallery, 594B Dundas Street West
RSVP: https://luma.com/nvle41jn
Join us for a closing party for the exhibition To pick up the pieces. Light snacks and refreshments will be provided.
A Procession Performance by artist Golboo Amani begins at 4pm. Join artist Golboo in a performance walk from Whippersnapper Gallery to the waterfront (the Music Garden). (45-minutes walk)
Acknowledgements
To pick up the pieces is part of a programming series supported by Collective Collective, a project between eight visual arts collectives with majority racialized membership. As a response to the systemic racism and exploitative labour conditions in the arts, as well as the interrelated lack of sustainability within the sector, we are testing out organizational and curatorial practices that centre values of collectivity, solidarity, and mutual aid through resource and labour sharing. Learn more.
We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council of the Arts.