Muscle Memory

Mimi is the Founder of the Muscle Memory International Ceramic Residency that was born in collaboration with the International Ceramic Studio (ICS) in Kecskemet, Hungary. In May 2017, the first Muscle Memory Symposium, a month-long artist-in-residency at the ICS, brought together seven artists from Canada and five from Hungary. These artists, who who practice a variety of disciplines in addition to ceramics, invested all their talent, passion, and commitment to exploring the “muscle memory” theme. One of the purposes of the residency was to demonstrate the power and the skill of artists who overcome disabilities, of whom there several in the group. All have demonstrated outstanding innovation and creativity at this remarkable arts facility. The symposium was supported financially at the provincial level through the Ontario Arts Council’s Artists With Disability Grant and grants for visual artists, as well the Canada Council For The Arts’ travel grants. The Government of Hungary has also recognized the importance of the residency, having assisted with funding by the Nemzeti Kulturalis Alap for our Hungarian colleagues.

It’s worth noting that several organizations including the Gardiner Ceramic Museum, Craft Ontario, and Workman Arts have committed to ensuring the residency continues on annual basis.

The symposium culminated in an exhibition at the ICS’ Kapolna Gallery, attended by Hungarian officials, and other local luminaries. We celebrated a successful collaboration with the Hungarian and the Canadian master ceramists, and embracing our artist friends from Workman Arts at the opening of our exhibition.

Plans are already underway for an other symposium in 2018, involving sixteen new artists, and a group exhibition in Toronto, at the Gallery of Craft Ontario in 2019