Bridging Generations – A Cultural Tapestry in Art Art Tour

Bridging Generations: A Cultural Tapestry in Art
August 7 to 31, 2025 | Across Markham

Bridging Generations is a bold citywide art tour that transforms Markham’s public spaces into vibrant cultural hubs. From August 7 to 31, 2025, this initiative brings together fine art, identity, and intergenerational storytelling to create shared experiences rooted in creativity, heritage, and community pride.

Spearheaded by multidisciplinary artist Ava Jasmine Dedier, and presented by R.I.S.E Collective Canada Foundation, this tour is youth-led and community-powered. Ava is joined by an acclaimed team of BIPOC women artists including Fei Lu, Tiffany Joy Villahermosa, Candice Dixon, and Toni-Marie Ferreira. Their collective work explores heritage, family memory, textiles, language, freedom of expression, spirituality, and cultural legacy through powerful visual narratives.

This is more than an art show. It is a living celebration of diversity, resilience, and unity through creativity. It invites the public to reflect, participate, and connect with one another through hands-on workshops and gallery experiences in the heart of their own community.

Tour Schedule and Featured Workshops
Milliken Mills Library
August 7 to August 10, 2025
Opening Night: Thursday, August 7 | 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Meet the artists, explore their creative journeys, and experience cultural exchange through community-centered fine art.

Workshop: Wearable Culture – Fashion & Carnival Arts
Saturday, August 9 | 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Participants will use fabric, textures, and color to design wearable pieces that reflect personal identity and cultural roots. This hands-on session embraces fashion as storytelling, inspired by Caribbean and global influences.

Angus Glen Library
August 14 to August 17, 2025
Opening Night: Thursday, August 14 | 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM

Workshop: Foundations of Art – I Love Who I Am
Sunday, August 17 | 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM
A confidence-building canvas painting session that introduces the creative process and principles of design. Participants explore self-love, identity, and cultural pride through guided painting.

Markham Village Library
August 21 to August 24, 2025
Opening Night: Thursday, August 21 | 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM

Workshop: Roots & Reflections
Saturday, August 23 | 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
A family-friendly mixed media workshop inviting youth and elders to explore ancestry through paint, collage, and storytelling.
Register at: www.bridginggenerations.art

Thornhill Village Library
August 28 to August 31, 2025

Workshop: Ink & Identity
Hosted at Thornhill Community Centre
Saturday, August 30 | 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM
Participants will write short affirmations and translate them into expressive abstract artworks using ink and brush techniques.
Register at: www.bridginggenerations.art