Biography
David Bateman is a performance poet, painter, and educator who has taught literature and creative writing at various post-secondary institutions across Canada. He has a PhD from the University of Calgary (Literature, Creative Writing) and has four collections of poetry from Frontenac House Press (Calgary). His first novel, DR SAD, was published by the University of Calgary Press in November 2015.
"I met R.M. Vaughan at Buddies In Bad Times Theatre in the 90's when he first appeared on the Toronto Theatre scene with his incredible play Camera, Woman (Coach House, Press, 1998). I was presenting solo performance pieces with titles as baffling, gratuitous, and soul-searching as I Wanted To Be Bisexual But My Father Wouldn't Let Me, and What’s It Like?, a comic AIDS monologue. His generosity and support meant the world to me, and his articulate, critically attuned perceptions touched the lives of so many. I have always felt that he was a crucial touchstone for a large community of individual artists to go to, to test out ideas, to complain bitterly about queer arts representation, and to just laugh at all of it with a critical and frequently self-obsessed eye—and yet self-obsession as a kind of self-preservation in the midst of an often queer unfriendly mainstream arts scene. We became friends and colleagues and shared many experiences in theatre and poetry over the years. His work has always been a great source of inspiration and enlightenment for so many of us starting out as arts practitioners within a variety of diverse genres. His intellect, wit, and genuine care for the artists he encountered will be deeply missed. His friendship and sincere/campy camaraderie will be cherished for so many years to come." - David Bateman
Biography
Sandra Rechico has maintained a long studio practice in drawing, photography, installation and object-making where she regularly looks at maps, routing, wayfaring, navigation and distance. She is also interested in the residue and detritus from walks, and their representation. Rechico also has a long history of site-specific work, responding to the galleries or locations where she is located. Her current work looks at women taking up space in the landscape using Barbara Hepworth, and the South West of Britain as a starting point. She has been involved in numerous community projects, the most significant being the co-curator of WADE, a series of temporary public art projects commissioned from artists that took place in the city of Toronto’s wading pools. She is currently an Associate Professor at the University of Guelph, where she is also the coordinator of the Master of Fine Arts program in studio art. Her work has been featured in numerous publications and is held in many public and private collections. Rechico has exhibited across Canada, in the USA, Europe and Australia.
