Talysha Bujold-Abu has been named TD Curatorial Fellow at Art Windsor-Essex (KYLE ARCHIBALD/University of Windsor)
By Kate Hargreaves
Art curation, for Talysha Bujold-Abu, is like being a supporting character in a story.
“I’m not stepping into curation asking what it is I can say about their work, but how can I best share their work with others,” she explains.
“What opportunities can I find with the way that work can sit together in a room, to propel the storytelling of the featured artist and also insert an aspect of myself into that narrative?”
Bujold-Abu (MFA ’18, BEd ’25) was recently awarded the TD Curatorial Fellowship from Art Windsor-Essex (AWE), a full-time role that involves curating three exhibitions and corresponding public programs over the course of a one-year term.
When her fellowship was announced, Bujold-Abu was ready to dive straight in.
“I instantly wanted to be three months deep into the work because that’s when it all comes to life,” she says.
“I was excited and grateful to have the space and the opportunity to work and be in community with the amazing people at AWE.”
The three exhibitions she will curate are part of an ongoing series featuring artists from Southwestern Ontario, Below the 6, highlighting the work of artists from Hamilton to Windsor.
The regional focus is fitting as Bujold-Abu grew up in the Greater Toronto Area, later moving to Hamilton to pursue her BFA at McMaster before arriving in Windsor to complete her MFA in visual art under the supervision of Dr. Jennifer Willet.
“In terms of being “below the six,” there is an incredible community of artists that I’ve continued to be in conversation and community with,” Bujold-Abu explains.
“The fellowship felt like an opportunity to not only grow my skills as a practitioner in arts administration but also extend those invitations for participation on a grander scale into the community.”
The unique artistic landscape of Windsor is something that has kept Bujold-Abu in the region.
“Moving here, obviously you walk into the room and you’re a complete stranger,” she says.
“But the community of artists and arts administrators as well as cultural workers and everyone in this city is incredibly welcoming. There’s a reason I’ve stayed. There’s a reason to want to stick around.”
She also speaks to the way in which Windsor’s creatives and arts administrators are able to pivot, engaging in multiple discourses and wearing many hats at once.
“There are incredible people working behind the scenes to bring art to this region in really fun, innovative ways.”
Identifying predominantly as an illustrator in her own artistic practice, Bujold-Abu prioritizes not only storytelling but community engagement, activism and play in her work, curatorial and otherwise.
“I think that everything is a practice because I’m an artist first,” she says. “So I’m always curious to develop or explore new things.”
Exploring is key to Bujold-Abu as the fellowship allows her to try new skills and apply her experience in fresh ways.
“I’m here to learn. I’m trying on a new hat and having the opportunity to gain skills practically in the field while at the same time to bring the knowledge that I have acquired over the years and seeing where these pieces can fit together,” she explains.
Part of the experience she brings to this curatorial work is her background in education.
Having recently completed her Bachelor of Education with a focus on intermediate/senior studio art and English, Bujold-Abu connects her arts practice with her teaching and work with young people.
“Curation as a practice for me is about play in visual language,” she says.
In an earlier foray into curation at the AWE, she developed public programming around an exhibition of Canadian illustrator Marcel Dzama, which included a puppet show.
“Maybe that’s the educator part in engagement and finding ways to invite folks that don’t necessarily feel like they’re part of a dialogue into the conversation,” she laughs.
“One of the best ways to do that is through play, through silliness. We can have critical inquiry at the same time, but we can have a good time doing it.”
Bujold-Abu finds inspiration in play, silliness and making art accessible for all ages (KYLE ARCHIBALD/University of Windsor)
This sense of play and welcoming is one of the throughlines in the work that Bujold-Abu will curate over the course of the year.
“I want everyone to feel welcome,” she says. “Youth are a really important aspect. Why not start that early, all the way up to our senior community? There’s never a point in time when we have to stop engaging in the arts. That’s one of those things that fuels us up, feeds our souls and makes us better and more connected to the world at large.”
As for Bujold-Abu's expectations for the fellowship, she embraces this same sense of openness.
“We have to be open to fear and failure to be able to do a good job, so I’m just trying to let it in and see what happens. It’s a mix of things, learning and challenging and changing and hopefully making something beautiful.”
To learn more about Talysha Bujold-Abu and her work, visit her website.
To explore Art Windsor Essex, visit artwindsoressex.ca.