Chokecherry Youth Response: Remai Modern Collaboration

Our collaboration, Chokecherry Youth Response, with the Remai Modern launched on April 30, 2021. Using everything from drawing and painting to text and hip hop, a group of young and emerging artists from Chokecherry Studios contributed by creating new works in response to Remai Modern’s exhibition An apology, a pill, a ritual, a resistance.

With support from PAVED Arts, Chokecherry asked for submissions from youth participants inspired by a single work in the exhibition. Ten young artists took on the challenge and got to work creating new pieces that respond to the exhibition’s multifaceted exploration of health and healing.

"Building on the youth-led mandate of Chokecherry Studios, and their existing partnership with PAVED Arts, Chokecherry Youth Response makes a vital connection between the themes of the exhibition and the lived experiences and creative expression of the participating artists,” said Tarah Hogue, Curator (Indigenous Art), Remai Modern. “We are incredibly grateful to our partner organizations for their vision and leadership on the project, and excited to share it with the public.”

This project built on Chokecherry's existing partnership with PAVED Arts on the Mic Drop! program. Several of the projects were recorded at PAVED, whose staff were also an invaluable resource to the participants. 

"Art is a powerful interface between community and dialogue. A collaboration like this does more than provide our young and emerging artists with meaningful experience and exposure; it offers an opportunity to critically reflect on the nuances of youth experiences. The Chokecherry Youth Response  invites viewers to consider youth perspectives on wellness, illness, healing and ceremony in the context of COVID-19,” said Andrea Cessna, co-founder of Chokecherry Studios. “We hope this project highlights the importance of supporting emerging artists and that it will inspire more collaboration between institutions like Remai Modern and the community."

We would like to thank the ten youth arts for the contribution to this collaboration: River Cote, Sean Grosse, Tobi Stevens, Shania Thompson, Kiyari McNab, Jade Creelman, Hanna Amdie, Huria Atiq, Betty Pewapsoncias and Sean Kiskotagan.

The Chokecherry Youth Response project can be viewed on Remai Modern’s Field webpage at remaimodern.org/field.