2012 The Office of Identity Collection
Over five days in the month of October 2011, artist Heather Cline, with assistance from performance artist Michele Sereda set up in-residence in downtown Oshawa, working on a project called The Office of Identity Collection. The project involved setting up a 1950’s inspired “passport office” at 16 King Street East and collecting stories and photographs from participants. A range of ages and interests were sought in order to provide diverse impressions of the city and its history. The immersive experience was designed by Cline to draw out memories and stories from residents of Oshawa, which in turn would be used as the basis for this exhibition. The interviews and photos collected at The Office of Identity Collection, along with historical images sourced from the RMG’s Thomas Bouckley Collection, make up the source material and inspiration for this exhibition.
After returning to Regina, Cline began reviewing the stories and photographs she had collected, chronicling the project on a blog. In addition, Cline continued to follow Oshawa’s local media to gain greater understanding of the community. The works she has created for this exhibition include mixed-media paintings and multi-media presentations.
Heather Cline lives and works in Regina, Saskatchewan and has participated in group exhibitions throughout North America, with a solo exhibition at the Mendel Art Gallery in Saskatoon. This project is supported in part by the Saskatchewan Arts Board. Curated by Linda Jansma and Sonya Jones.
Heather Cline is blogging about the process behind this exhibition. Read more here: http://toicoshawa.blogspot.ca