Garden of Resilience
24 May - October 2026
Organized by KWAG Curatorial + Public Programs Departments
Located in the Sculpture Garden, KWAG’s Garden of Resilience is designed to empower local residents by providing individual beds for growing organic produce, flowers and herbs.
As a model, it is a decolonial gesture that inverts capitalist expectations of land value and outdated conceptions of aesthetic value and landscaping.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.
This hybrid platform explores the model of the community garden as a space of 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.
RELATED PROGRAMMING
Celebrating Art, Music & Mutual Aid in Kitchener
23 -24 May, 2026
Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery
Rooted is a weekend of free accessible arts programming and special events celebrating KWAG’s 70th anniversary, alongside the launch of the Garden of Resilience for 2026. Activities connect our past, present, and future through sustainable arts engagement, community care, and collective learning- echoing the stories highlighted in Sharing the Passion: 70 Years of Building the Collection.
Please note that all events are free and require no registration, except for Botanical Hydrosols, which has limited capacity.
Seedling Exchange & Food Drive
1:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Visitors are invited to donate non-perishable, non-expired food items in support of the Food Bank of Waterloo Region and receive an organic vegetable or herb seedling in return (while supplies last). A variety of tomatoes, greens, and herbs will be available, grown locally by Fertile Ground Farm. Stop by to learn more about sustainable farming practices, Community Supported Agriculture, and how to transplant and care for your new seedling at home.
Plant Pot Decorating
1:00 to 5:00 p.m.
After picking up your seedling from the food drive, stop by to decorate a small terracotta pot for it to grow in! Guided by our friendly Artist Instructors, participants will use acrylic paint to create vibrant, colorful homes for their new plant pals. This hands-on activity is free, family-friendly, and all materials are provided.
Passionate Perspectives
1:30 p.m., 2.30 p.m., 3.30 p.m.
Join our thoughtful volunteers for a series of rotating mini-tours highlighting works from Sharing the Passion: 70 Years of Building the Collection. Each session offers a focused exploration of a single artwork in the exhibition, shaped by personal reflections and curiosity from our KWAG Youth Council and Create & Connect volunteers. These intimate tours invite you to engage with the collection through fresh perspectives!
Outdoor Concert: SHEBAD
Saturday, 23 May
Picnic: 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m
Concert: 5:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Free | Drop-in
Celebrate Spring and the launch of our Garden of Resilience at KWAG with an exciting outdoor concert and free community picnic! This free event provides dinner and a show, with food provided by Rommana Cafe, and music by SHEBAD. Come gather for an evening of good food, great music, and collective joy.
SHEBAD is a Canadian indie soul/jazz/fusion/funk band based in Guelph, ON. led by visual artist and singer Claire Voy and multi-instrumentalist Ciccio (cheecho) Spagnolo. performing live as a 5-piece arrangement with Emil White (keys/sax/bass/vox), Bella Tian (keys/vox), and Emmitt Leacock (drums/mc). Their set features 3-part vocal harmonies and frequent instrument switching; it's so fun. Music is the answer, love is the message. open yourself, absorb, enjoy.
Garden of Resilience Celebrations
Sunday, 24 May
Garden of Resilience Launch
11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
You are invited to the launch of KWAG's Garden of Resilience and announcement of the artist selected to be the Gardener-in-Residence. In exchange for an artist fee, a local artist will take over one of the garden plots for the season. Alongside their plot, the selected artist will host a series of workshops on the general theme of ecological sustainability and/or food security.
Youth Art Market (Y.A.M!)
12:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Feeling hungry for art? Come to YAM! KWAG’s Youth Council has organized a one-of-a-kind Youth Art Market, featuring handmade artworks and goods by our very own members. Stop by to support youth artists and pick up some awesome handmade creations!
Botanical Hydrosols with Stephanie Florence
1:00 to 3:00 p.m. | Registration Required
This community event will teach participants how to make botanical scents (hydrosols) with fresh seasonal growth. After making their aromatic fragrance, participants are invited to share their unique scents in connection with a climate story, memory, or poem. Participants will be able to take their hydrosols home with them.
Get Involved: Apply for a plot
Deadline to apply: Sunday, 10 May 2026.
KWAG has plots available for individuals or groups to apply for. Below, you'll find expectations and program goals—please read these before applying for a plot. Access to the plots begins on the Spring Launch weekend on Sunday, 24 May. Throughout the summer, artist-run workshops and seasonal community gatherings will deepen the garden’s mission of transforming underused land into a thriving, sustainable space for community members. As the season closes, the fall clean-up offers a final moment of collective care to reflect on the program’s goals.
Program Goals
• Growing: Workshops, ecological learning, and hands-on gardening skills
• Creating: Gardener-in-Residence program and creative community events
• Eating: Shared harvests, food donations, and seasonal celebrations
Participation Details
• $20 annual membership fee
• April–November (main programming May–October)
• Limited plots
• Dawn to dusk access
Gardener Responsibilities
• Plant and maintain plots (by 15 June)
• Keep the space tidy and manage waste
• Arrange care if away
• Contribute to shared upkeep
Guidelines & Responsibilities
• Grow fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers only
• Organic practices only (no chemicals)
• Respect boundaries and others
• No smoking, loud music, or unattended pets
Contact Us
Images: Feature and header, Garden of Resilience, 2025. Photo by KWAG.
The Garden of Resilience is funded by WRCF’s Community Grants program. Garden events connected to KWAG's 70th anniversary are supported by Stantec and the City of Kitchener.
