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Judith Snow: And the other thing is, this is Mike Skubic.
He'll push buttons and do much more as you will see momentarily.
Okay, here we go. I define inclusion as Constance said but somewhat simpler definition is "Valuing Diversity".
Giving to diversity the social and economic value that will cause it to show up as the contribution to humanity that it is.
In other words, we are here to talk about value.
Now, why would I put this picture? This is a woman who lived in the 1890's and earlier. She started in life as a poor woman and
ended up being an Empress in some small part of China. And she lived at the time when they were just inventing photographs.
So this is the kind of photograph that everybody had to stand still for a long period of time.
So they went to a lot of trouble to make this photograph.
I put this in there because this women, if she had been born rich, would have had her feet bound and would have grown up not being able to walk.
And if she had become very, very, rich, which I suspect she has. She would also have very long fingernails.
And she would not be able to use her hands.
In other words, she would be just like me.
Now, the point is that that was something to aspire to. She was a very, very, happy woman, that even though her feet were still not bound
she was able to get to this position. Yet, in my world, this situation is considered a tragedy by many people.
We are actually talking about what do we value and how you value it. And museums have a lot to say about what is valued.
Next. I want to give you a very brief introduction to a model of inclusion, that I invented in 2009.
The model looks at inclusion from the context of "point of view".
In other words, it is not a theoretical model, it's about how do I, a person who has been labelled, look at inclusion.
And how do you, the person who's presumably including me, how do you look at me.
And I propose that there are three distinct states.
And State B, which is basic. The includers share presence with those with diverse characteristics but no other changes are anticipated or tolerated.
Toleration is the standard.
Includers like their community as is and expect the included to adapt to "normal" ways and means, and to get along as best they can.
In other words, it's up to you, buddy, I don't really care.
And the included wants to get in and out safely and to get done what they came for.
In other words, I just want to get there, do what I came for, I don't care much about you.
And I will express gratitude for an opportunity and work hard not to be noticed, not to cause difficulties.
(Can you read the next one?)
Mike: (I'll talk loud.) State M is Mechanical. In this category, everyone becomes identified by a label.
Includers see that the marginalized are "struggling" and "deserving". Policies are created.
programs are resourced. The dominant feelings are pity and concern.
The included advocate and demand equality and actively seek out programs. The dominant feelings are victimhood and anger.
Judith: And then Partnership or State X.
Crossover, both includers and included recognize value in the gifts and contributions to access in all available cultures, characteristics and experiences.
Their perception fades that there are two sides and a distinct boundary.
Share work is engaged to reap the benefit for and with each other.
In 2003, I realized I'm an artist.
I had been an artist since the- since I was about 12 but I didn't know it.
And this is what made it obvious. Somebody showed me that there was a technique used in New Jersey.
Where people would wear a laser pointer on their head and with the light they would track a light beam on a canvas
and the tracker (wave your hand, Mike) would follow the light beam with the brush and the paint.
So, long story short, about a year and half ago, I was invited to exhibit my paintings
at the Royal Ontario Museum in an exhibit that was called "Who's drawing the lines?"
Okay. And Mike, read the poem. This is one of the artifacts that was, and I quote per quote on that word, "artifacts" there is at the exhibit.
Mike: A poem. They said...
She will never walk. She will die before she is 4... 6...
She will always live with her parents.
There is no point in her going to school. You will never have any friends.
You will die before you are 30.
Your kind belongs in chronic care.
You can't travel.
You will die within the next six months.
You don't understand how it works.
This isn't art.
They were right...I never did learn how to walk.
(laughing)
Judith: So, why I thought of the model, the BMX model
is because, when I was invited to put an exhibit into the ROM.
I'm a very "B" kind of person. Basic solution, kind of person.
I'll go in and I'll do what I want to do and I'll get out.
That's a common perspective for people who have been raised and lived in an inaccessible world.
And the museum, the ROM is obviously very "M" - write programs, policies, resources allocated
by category. And all that kind of thing.
And Mike and I recognized that if they were going to understand what I'm capable of, and what we're capable of as a partnership
Mike and I, he is my tracker. That we were going to have to have the jump on them.
We're going to have to be very very ready.
So on the first meeting day of the project, there was 12 of them and 2 of us.
But we had already drawn, using a smart phone program,
the entire exhibit with all the paintings where they thought they should go. Put the kind of text into the computer.
that we thought should be there. I was going to get to jump on these people.
(laughing)
Judith: And if it had gone like that, either way we would never have gotten to a partnership.
But the reality is that the ROM was ready to listen.
And there was a very short period of time we were both able to hear what each other's major concerns are.
And you have no idea what my concerns might be and I had none at that point about what the ROM's would be.
So it became a very interesting process. Very interesting conversation. And I just want to give you a taste of the impact of that conversation.
First of all, the ROM chose the only oil painting I have. It's of my mother, and it's called "Rita".
They chose it as the flagship picture of the exhibit.
Now, my mother and I had a very difficult relationship all of our lives.
And she passed away about 5 years ago.
And although we became very close by the time I made this painting. I knew in my heart, that she would never have
wanted that kind of public exposure. So I was conflicted.
Just by that alone. And yet, having her as the flagship really altered my relationship with my mother
because I got to see how much she would have appreciated the fact that there it was an exhibit, even though she wouldn't have appreciated being the head of it.
Next.
And this one, the next couple, go through the next couple.
That's called "Dirty Window".
That's called "Winter Warning".
Slide 2....
Next one, okay, back up one.
Micheal is my tracker for these paintings and we actually went out on a retreat to make those two, those three.
This represents a huge shift in the way I paint.
It happened because I could not get "Dirty Window" to come together
It just wouldn't. And the exhibit was coming and I needed to have this painting finished.
And it was a long-time process that Mike told me once, a long time ago, he did some work with a cartoonist.
And we changed our approach and this is what came out.
So I could learn more about how to paint by the exhibit. Okay, next.
This is called "California Sandwich", because I did it with Mike one day when he was hungry.
(laughing)
Judith: But you'll notice, it's upside down.
Well the ROM put it upside down. They were mortified, and wanted to change it.
And I said, "No, no, no, it's perfect just the way it is."
Because everytime a child or an uninterested adult would come to an exhibit when I was there and I think of how to re-engage
I would say to the kid, "Go find the one that's upside down."
And they would have a place to go.
Next. And the one after.
These two, that's a paper towel.
Go back.
That's the painting, that I made through the paper towel.
It's one of the major techniques that I use. I found out about a year after I started using that
that people call it masting but I didn't know. I invented it as far I'm concerned.
(laughing)
Judith: Anyway, the ROM spent something like $1500 for the paper towel in a very specific frame
where they take all the air out of it and put nitrogen in.
Well, it's only a piece of paper.
(laughing)
Judith: Seriously, I had a real shift in what is valued. In my life.
Mike: I was the one that told her that I was keeping the paper towel. She wanted to throw it away. And now I have a $1500 paper towel.
(laughing)
Judith: And this one. Um, we had started over part of the design of the exhibit. And Cheryl, who unfortunately couldn't be here today, negotiated
between me and the project team, and what we came up with in the end, was to use the matron line of this picture
which is called "Cheese and Drizzle" as a way to put a stripe around the wall that looked like this painting. And we made it tactile
so that people could come in and touch the exhibit. And that I guess, represents a real conflict that we were able to resolve.
Because people sat and negotiated between our different concerns. I wanted it to be child-friendly and visually friendly.
And security didn't want people messing with the exhibit. Right? So, we worked it out.
Okay, can I have a sip of water please.
The impact on me of the whole process was a real experience of effective teamwork.
Thank you.
Also- the experience of being understood because my perspective on exhibitions and accessibility is quite different
then from many people. I don't care if you call me crippled. I am crippled.
What I care about is that you understand that I have a contribution to make. And the ROM was able to put that
in such a way that probably half a million people got exposed to that idea.
And exposed to the idea that it's actually a partnership that I am able to fulfill my life with very little I can do by myself.
But together with other people, like a project team with the ROM, there's a very big impact that I can have with the world.
And this is what I am talking about, and it's not because I'm disabled but a certain partnership that it's possible.
I got real affirmation that I am part of the arts world and the social change world with
the BBC published an argument that supposedly David Hockney started about whether or not it's really
art if somebody helps you do it. She turned to me to make a comment. Now I refused her,
because I thought, they'll sort it out. I don't really care.
But you get that I got that I'm a real part of the arts world.
I got a chance to do some very effective education at impact lecture, lecture in context....context lecture in October.
There were about 200 people, and 40 of them were 12-year-olds.
And I was in dialogue with 12-year-olds about the value of diversity.
That I heard back from their teachers, such amazing things. And that's a real affirmation for me.
And I met people that I would never meet in any other way.
I had such a blast with the security guards. I wish I had time...but those guys love this place.
And they welcomed me to this place in amazing ways.
I met officials in ways that they turned to be quite seriously. And I mean officials from all sorts of different religious organizations, darwin organizations
but the context of the ROM exhibit just shifted totally how people listened to me.
And I met other artists.
This painting is called "Splash".
I met a woman from China, who is also an artist, and through translators, she told me how this reminds her of
a farm that she lives on near the Russian border.
Now I will never speak Chinese or be near the Russian border, but I got very connected to another artist and we met artist to artist.
Not Chinese to disabled.
Now read this one. This is one representation of the impact that my exhibit had on the ROM.
Mike: This is an excerpt from the pamphlet that was given out for free inside her exhibit. And from the back page, the conclusion.
"For museums, someone like Judith Snow presents a greater challenge than may seem apparent at first glance.
The presence of her work signifies or demands a radical change in attitude on the part of museums.
It means moving away from the role of transmitting a dominant, mainstream idealogy toward a broader view that accepts
and encompasses a wide diversity of opinion, condition and worldview, and gives voice to people
and groups that have hitherto been silent in these halls.
The ROM realizes that this process will not be easy, but knows that it must pursue it nevertheless. A museum's life is also a journey...."
Judith: So, the rest of the pictures here, we are going to go through them slowly.
But what I really want to talk about today... (go through the pictures)
This is "Vulnerabiility".
Um, what's this one, Mike? This is ....I can't even remmeber.
Oh yes......
One of the slides
"Raspberry Twizzle"
One more...let's keep going...
One more
One more
One More
If you missed it, you missed it.
(laughing)
Judith: Alright, my call to action for you of the OMA.
State X, the partnership state where diversity meets diversity.
and really listens to eachother.
State X is inherently unstable. It is dependent on intentional action and so diverse partnership easily disappears.
"Who's Drawing the Lines?" has been dismantled.
If you missed it, you missed it.
But the state M has the capacity to give sustainability. That's why human beings created the mechanical state of being in a real house,
cars or riding cars. We all drive on the right side of the road, in North America. That's an M state division.
When you're in a car, you're in a car not as a "Tim" or a "Joe".
but as a driver and you have got to pay attention to the rules of the road or otherwise ________________-
But why do we do that as human beings? Because M is inherently sustainable.
It gives us great capacity to have an organized society that will last for a long period of time.
And museums belong to the world around them. To the mechanical world.
And museums traditionally impart value to that which would otherwise easily be lost or ignored.
Now those of us, who are considered to be not normal.
Give it whatever label you would like. We are also easily lost or ignored.
Yet society that is based in M. But the museum world has the capacity
to give value where value would otherwise not be seen.
And that's what I experienced, what Mike experienced, and the other people with the Laser Eagles experienced
was that our value in society was highlighed and in perspective that we're allowed other people to see it.
Next.
So... Thank you.
My call to action to the Ontario Museum Association is to take on building a sustained partnership. An M to X commitment.
And through taking on its stand for accessibility, lead the next steps of building inclusion for all in Ontario.
And the question mark is there, as a "will you do it.".
Thank you.