Union Gallery: Beyond Words is back again

CREATED BY BIPOC FOR BIPOC, UNION GALLERY EXTENDS THE BEYOND WORDS
PROGRAM WITH EXPLORATION IN SELF-LOVE AND A SENSE OF BELONGING

Beyond Words was created by BIPOC for BIPOC. Beyond Words aims to foster a safe and
creative space centred in art healing for Queen’s University students and members of the
Katarokwi-Kingston community who identify as Black, Indigenous, and people of colour. We will
be using art as a tool for expression and discussion in order to help facilitate healing within our
mind, body, and spirit. Art as healing is a growing movement that has a lot to offer to individuals
working through emotions that can be difficult to put into words.

The 2023-2024 Beyond Words series is led by registered art therapist Melanie Gray and Cree
artist Zakary-Georges “Twisted Wind” Gagné, and coordinated by Yashfeen Afzaal, Program
Assistant. Beyond Words is in partnership with Queer Collage Collectives, BIPOC Talk, and
Yellow House.

Beyond Words is a free in-person series in the main space of Union Gallery and at Yellow
House, open to BIPOC participants exclusively. The upcoming Beyond Words series will take
place on the following Saturday afternoons between 1-3pm: November 11 and January 20.
Register to save your spot

WHAT TO EXPECT
Art therapy is the use of the creative process partnered with psychotherapy which offers a
chance for self-exploration and understanding. Art allows us to explore things we may not have
words to explain. While art therapy can be a deep and intense form of counselling, this group
will focus on a lighter form of art therapy—“art as healing.” We will be using art as a tool for
expression and discussion in order to help facilitate healing within our mind, body and spirit. In
this series, Melanie will use innovative methods of art therapy and mindfulness to guide
students on how to express themselves through art.

SESSION ONE - BELONGING: CREATING AND SUSTAINING A SENSE OF IDENTITY
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 1-3PM
In this session, the Union Gallery is partnering up Zakary Georges “Twisted Wind” Gagné and
Queer Collage Collectives. Exploring a sense of belonging through the lens of culture, in this
season we will be inviting participants to individually reflect and collectively create collages that
relate to one’s background. The concepts of identity, inclusivity, and privilege may all be
expressed and discussed through this session.

SESSION TWO - SELF LOVE: A CALL TO ACTION TO CHERISH OURSELVES
SATURDAY, JANUARY 20, 1-3PM
Taking place at Yellow House and led by Melanie Gray and Queen’s BIPOC Talk, in this session
we will be creating meaningful calls to action within ourselves to find and cherish self-love.
Through jewelry making we are going to acknowledge our own worth and show that everyone
deserves to feel special. When you are wearing the jewelry you like, you are expressing yourself
and showing the world who you are. The aim of this session is to spread positivity and self
appreciation.
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About Union Gallery
Union Gallery (UG) is a student-centred public contemporary art gallery at Queen's University.
UG is a space centred in community and conversation, driven by play, curiosity, curation and
research-creation. We are located on the first floor of Stauffer Library on Queen's main campus,
situated on the ancestral territory of the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabek. All are welcome
and admission is always free.

Gallery Hours
Tuesday, Friday–Saturday, 11am–4:30pm
Wednesday–Thursday, 11am–8pm