Many Homes: Personal Journeys and Visual Narratives

About the Speakers: *Finding Home: Personal Journeys and Visual Narratives* Elena Soní was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela. Elena came to Canada in 1980 to pursue a university education and, as her country descended into chaos, built a new life in Toronto. As a board member of Children’s Own Museum (COM), she co-designed its programming. Elena has exhibited her work in solo shows and collective exhibitions. She has worked with artists associated with Workman Arts. This project was presented at the AGO for the 25th anniversary celebration of the foundation of Workman Arts and subsequently at Rideau Hall. Elena was the Art Specialist, Junior Grades at The Mabin School, Toronto, Canada. Since 2009, Vanessa Barnett and Elena have designed innovative arts programming for at-risk youth, schools, the elderly, and new immigrants in partnership with local cultural organizations. Now under the name of Making Art, Making Change (MAMC), they continue to offer a safe space for groups to invest in shared experience.

Vanessa Barnett is an artist educator providing dynamic leadership and teaching in the Arts in teacher education, artist residencies in schools, and cultural organizations. Vanessa immigrated from South Africa at the height of the Apartheid years and began teaching at the ROM and in Toronto schools. Vanessa held the positions of Visual Arts Instructional Leader and Program Co-Coordinator of the Arts in the TDSB. She taught the Visual Arts Additional Qualifications courses at York University, as well as working with educators in the International Leadership Program. Vanessa taught in the Creative Arts Program in the School of Early Childhood Studies at Toronto Metropolitan University and was the recipient of the Faculty of Community Services 2021-2022 Sue Williams Excellence in Teaching Award. She was awarded the Ray Blackwell Award for Excellence in Art Education by the Ontario Art Education Association. Vanessa established MAMC (Making Art Making Change) with long-time collaborator Elena Soní. Together, they have received several Ontario Arts Council and Toronto Arts Council grants working with equity-deserving groups, including youth, seniors, newcomers, and women.

*The Museum as Home: Creating Intercultural Experiences for Second-Generation Afghan Youth* Negar Sagharichi is a museum professional. She has over 15 years of experience in different museums and archives in Canada and Iran. From 2008 to 2023, Negar worked as a museum curator, exhibition manager, and educator in various Iranian institutions, including the Sa’d-Abād Complex and the Malek National Library and Museum. Since 2024, she has been the collection registrar for the Tavakoli-Jenkins Archives and has been collaborating with the Elahé Omidyar Mir-Djalali Institute of Iranian Studies. As a museum educator, she designed numerous interactive workshops for the second generation of immigrants, children, and youth with Autism, and people with Alzheimer’s disease. She also curated more than 50 temporary and travelling exhibitions, as well as 5 permanent ones. Negar Sagharichi holds an M.A. in Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations from the University of Toronto. She also has a B.A. in Museum Studies from the Cultural Heritage Higher Education Center and an M.A. in the same field from Tehran University of Art.