Friday Special Blend
Friday October 24th, 2025 with Susan Johnston
Endless Becomings. Writersfest. Funding Drive 2025 Kicks offffff

In Hour One: Endless Becomings brings together eleven visionary artists who are shaping the future of contemporary art. Spanning generations, disciplines and cultural perspectives, these artists are united by a commitment to continuous transformation. They assert their identities, construct new ways of looking and making and keep growing as artists. As a group, they are rooted in dialogue, introspection and a persistent search for connection with the world around them. These works embody both personal and collective histories of remembrance, resistance, displacement, exploration, care and transformation. Through their practices, these artists take unconventional approaches to processes of change, continually pushing new boundaries. This dynamic exhibition features work by the two most recent cohorts of the University of Ottawa’s Master of Fine Arts (MFA) program. Presented in partnership with the University of Ottawa’s Department of Visual Arts and the Ottawa Art Gallery (OAG), this collaboration has, for over fourteen years, fostered meaningful connections between emerging artists, curators and the local arts community. More info at: https://oaggao.ca/whats-on/exhibitions/endless-becomings-explorations-in-contemporary-art/ In Hour Two: The imagination is our most valuable renewable resource. So, twice a year we convene an international celebration of ideas to recharge our imaginations. From politics to poetry, science to music, history to thrillers, we celebrate the full diversity of the word and the gifted writers who guide us in our exploration of the world. Our year-round special events keep the ideas coming between Festivals. We believe that a love of reading and learning should be nurtured throughout our lives and that literacy is a birthright. Whether offering writing workshops to the homeless, hosting a Nobel Laureate, organizing our biannual literary celebrations or bringing authors into area schools, our goal is the same: to create an environment that activates creativity and encourages the love of reading, learning and self-expression. More info via https://writersfestival.org/events