June Clark: Witness – A Landmark Exhibition of Identity, Memory, and History Arrives at Contemporary Calgary

June Clark. Inherent, 2017. Acrylic on canvas. Photo credit: LF Documentation. Collection of Sheldon Inwentash and Lynn Factor, Toronto

June Clark: Witness – A Landmark Exhibition of Identity, Memory, and History Arrives at Contemporary Calgary 

Contemporary Calgary is proud to present June Clark: Witness, the first survey in Canada of the Toronto-based artist June Clark. Since the late 1960s, Clark has developed a groundbreaking practice spanning photo-based work, text, collage, installation, and sculptural assemblages. Born in Harlem, New York, Clark immigrated to Canada in 1968 and subsequently made Toronto her home. Questions of identity formation and their connection to our points of origin fuel her practice. In this deeply personal exhibition, she explores how history, memory, and identity—both individual and collective—have established the familial and artistic lineages that shape her work.

Organized and originally exhibited by The Power Plant (May 3–August 11, 2024), June Clark: Witness brings together four significant bodies of work that span from the 1990s to the present, many of them seen here for the first time. These include her iconic installations Family Secrets (1992) and Harlem Quilt (1997), a series of photo-based works from 2004 titled 44 Thursdays in Paris, Perseverance Suite (a new project the artist began in 2021), and Homage, a collection of sculptural assemblages that, in Clark’s words, “gave me permission to be the artist I am today.”

This iteration of Witness at Contemporary Calgary also includes Unrequited Love, a body of work dedicated to Colin Rand Kaepernick, the football quarterback who knelt during the national anthem in 2016 to call attention to the continued violence towards and oppression of Black people in America and around the world. Initially presented at the Art Gallery of Ontario from January 20, 2024, to January 5, 2025, Unrequited Love expands the themes of history, protest, and memory that shape Clark’s practice. It was shown concurrently alongside The Power Plant’s Witness exhibition.

As a vital voice in Canada’s artistic landscape, Clark’s work amplifies the living culture of the African American diasporic community. With a commitment to representing all voices, reflective of the diversity of Calgary's population, Contemporary Calgary is honored to bring this exhibition to our city and foster dialogue around this significant historical narrative.

“We are thrilled that June Clark: Witness will be experienced by new audiences in Calgary. The works in the exhibition reveal personal and collective stories that strongly resonate with this moment in time and we hope that this presentation will allow for an increased appreciation of Clark's work and her mastery of materials.” – Adelina Vlas, Head of Curatorial Affairs, The Power Plan & Frances Loeffler, Curator of Exhibitions, The Power Plant

Curated by Adelina Vlas & Frances Loeffler, June Clark: Witness is initiated, organized, and circulated by The Power Plant.

Media Opportunities: Members of the press are invited to schedule an interview with artist June Clark or Contemporary Calgary’s Senior Curator, Kanika Anand, between March 31 and April 3, 2025. Media are also welcome to attend the opening reception on April 3, 2025, from 5:00 – 9:00 PM.

Please contact nikita@parkerpr.ca to receive images for the press, book interviews with spokespeople or for information. Learn more about the exhibition, here.