Students from the course Public Art and Sustainability will present their ongoing research on a designated site in Griffintown for which they will create and install public artworks in August. 

In 2022 the Concordia Public Art Collection hosted two writers in residence, Elliott Elliott and Max Holzberg, to research and write scripts for self-guided walking tours. This cultural mediation project resulted in the creation of three scripts which narrativize the storied and eclectic collection while highlighting its material ingenuity, cultural significance, and connection to Montréal history. This residency was generally supported by Art Volt and the Concordia Public Art Collection, as well as guided by Sandra Margolian, Public Art Lead, and Johanne Sloan, Art History Professor.

During the second part of the presentations for this course, Elliott and Holzberg will describe the background behind the project, insights on specific works in the collection, their research methodology, and new project developments. This presentation invites artists, scholars, researchers, and the public to consider the role of public art and how we engage with it in our everyday lives.

How can you participate? Join us in person or online by registering for the Zoom Meeting or watching live on YouTube. 

Have questions? Send them to info.4@concordia.ca  

Elliott Elliott 

Over the last five years, Elliott Elliott has taken a picture of every banana peel they have come across while walking around town. As an artist and writer, their work is often concerned with the material histories of ordinary objects, especially those typically discarded or considered disposable. 

Elliott was born and raised in Juneau, Alaska—the traditional territory Aakʼw Ḵwáan—and now lives in Tiohtià:ke/Montréal. Since completing a BFA at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, their work has been included in exhibitions in the UK, Germany, Holland, Switzerland, the U.S., Canada, and Quebec. Most recently, their work appeared in tofeelclose at AKA artist-run in Saskatoon. Elliott completed their MFA in Sculpture at Concordia University in 2020.

Outside of their creative work, Elliott is engaged in political organizing and earns a living as a freelance editor and grant writer. They live in the Mile End with their partner, Mick, two cats, Pony and Sadness, and a small dog named Jelly. 

Max Holzberg 

Max Holzberg (he/him) is an emerging filmmaker, writer, and curator based in Tiohtà:ke/Montréal. His critical and creative work explores documentary film and its intersections with archive, nation, and memory. He has several film and writing projects in development, including his SSHRC funded thesis “Replaying the Past: Queer Canadian Documentary as a Counter-Archival Practice.