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In What We Carry, We Become
A Group Exhibition
The 519 is accepting submissions for a group exhibition curated by Tyra Maria Trono that will run in June, 2025.
About the Exhibition
What does it mean to preserve memory when so many of our stories have been erased? How do we trace what has been lost and bring it into the present? What responsibilities do we carry in ensuring that these stories continue to live? This call for artists seeks to challenge historical erasure by uplifting the lived experiences of 2SQTBIPOC elders and communities. It recognizes the significance of chosen kinship, intergenerational care, and storytelling as essential tools for preserving cultural memory and shaping collective identity.
For too long, dominant histories have dictated who is remembered and who is forgotten. We reject this erasure. Storytelling is our act of resistance, a way to reclaim space and shape the future. Through oral histories, visual narratives, and intergenerational dialogue, we disrupt invisibility and build collective memory. Queer kinship, chosen family, and diasporic connections sustain us, carrying our histories forward through care, solidarity, and resilience.
Through visual art, soundscapes, interactive installations, and performance, we construct a living archive that centers the experiences of 2SQTBIPOC communities, ensuring our histories are neither lost nor ignored.
By existing, we resist. By remembering, we reclaim. By telling our stories, we shape the future.
What We’re Looking For
We welcome a wide range of mediums and approaches. This exhibition invites artwork from 2SQTBIPOC (Two-Spirit, Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) artists based in Toronto and the GTA. Through visual art, soundscapes, and interactive installations, the exhibition constructs a living archive that resists invisibility. It integrates oral histories, archival materials, and contemporary expressions to create immersive spaces for collective growth.
Artist Fee and How to Apply
A fee of $2000 will be provided to each selected artist, which will cover the creation, installation, and exhibition of their work. Deadline to apply to the form is by Sunday, March 2nd, 2025 before 11:59 pm. The curator will meet with the artists during the production phase from March to May, and we will install to the exhibition by June. If you have any questions or require accessibility support during the application process, please contact Emkay at EAdjeiManu@the519.org or Jess at JDeVittoris@the519.org.
