50/50 Garden of Resilience
24 May - October 2025
Organized by KWAG Curatorial + Public Programs Departments
The Garden of Resilience is the newest addition to the KWAG Sculpture Garden. This hybrid model explores the model of the community garden as a platform for radical sustainability and mutual aid on a community level. In a place where 10% of our neighbor’s face food insecurity on an annual basis, the Garden of Resilience will be a refuge of direct action, grounding the possibilities of small-scale, urban food production and community strength through intergenerational exchange and learning.
KWAG understands the garden as site, model and gallery. As a site, it is a functioning community garden that will grow organic fruit, vegetables, herbs and flowers. As a model, it is a decolonial gesture that inverts capitalist expectations of land value and outdated conceptions of aesthetic value and landscaping. As a gallery, the garden will be regularly programmed, activated and cared for, just like our internal gallery spaces. KWAG seeks to learn from the garden and understand how we can best position ourselves to care for our immediate neighbors and local ecologies.
We will also be launching a unique Gardener-in-Residence opportunity for a local artist to steward one of our plots for the summer. If you would like more information on this program and opportunities to get involved, please message Darryn Doull, Curator: Exhibitions & Programs, at ddoull@kwag.on.ca
RELATED PROGRAMS:
Official Garden Launch Celebration
Saturday, 24 May, 12:00 p.m.
Celebrate the first full day of gardening and activation of the Garden of Resilience during our launch weekend!
50/50 Garden of Resilience Weekend Activities
Saturday, 24 May 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.
All ages | Free
50/50 Garden of Resilience Food Drive
Saturday, 24 May 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Cyanotype Tote Bag Workshop
Saturday, 24 May 1:30 - 2:30 p.m
All ages | $20 plus HST
Couzyn van Heuvelen: CAMP | Reception + Tour
Saturday, 24 May
Reception: 2:00 p.m.
Exhibition Tour: 2:30 p.m.
Summer Style Swap!
Sunday, 25 May 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.
50/50 Garden of Resilience Weekend Activities
Sunday, 25 May 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.
All ages | Free
Flower Pounding Tote Bag Workshop
Sunday, 25 May 1:30 - 2:30 p.m
All ages | $20 plus HST
For inquiries and additional details, please contact garden@kwag.on.ca.
The 50/50 Garden of Resilience weekend celebrations are sponsored by
Images: Feature and header from - Ron Benner, Trans/mission: 101, 2016. Photographic /garden installation. Installation view at the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery. ©Ron Benner. Photo: © 2016 Scott Lee.
The 50/50 Garden of Resilience is funded by the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation and WRCF’s Community Grants program.
