Each of our monthly classes are co-created by a group of teachers invited by Red 76 to participate. Each Teacher is a former or current member of the Spartacus Collective who develops their curriculum from their own life experiences. Here is a listing of our teachers, by semester.
Semester 1
JESSE GRAY – {May 09}
Jesse Gray is an interdisciplinary visual artist investigating the intersection of art,
culture, and science. She volunteered with Spartacus Books from 1998 to around
2006, under 3 different coordinators. She credits Spartacus Books with kicking her
political and intellectual ass when she needed it most, and introducing her to some of the best people around.
http://msjessegray.tumblr.com/
LAIWAN – {July 09}
Laiwan is an artist and writer recognized for her interdisciplinary practice based in poetics and philosophy. Born in Zimbabwe of Chinese parents, she immigrated to Canada in 1977 to leave the war in Rhodesia.
In 1983 she founded the OR Gallery at 1729 Franklin Street in Vancouver. She was artist-in-residence / programmer during its first year. In 1988 she initiated the First Vancouver Lesbian Film Festival in collaboration with the Lesbian Network, the Vancouver East Cinema, the Pacific Cinematheque and the National Film Board of Canada. This four day event was a celebrated public success for the community.
Laiwan continues to exhibit in various group and solo shows, curates projects in the US, Canada and Zimbabwe, and is an activist in gay and feminist community organizing. Published in journals and in collections such as Swallowing Clouds: An Anthology of Chinese-Canadian Poetry; Facing History: Portraits from Vancouver, and, DAMP: Contemporary Vancouver Media Art; Laiwan also writes about art. Recently she examined hauntology in the work of Ed Pien for Canadian Art Magazine..
Laiwan is currently investigating embodiment through performativity, audio, music, improvisation, and varieties of media, along with bodily and emotional intelligence, so as to unravel and engage presence.
She participates in public discourse and enjoys contributing to discussions, panels, symposia, conferences and philosophy cafes. She happily gives lectures, artist’s talks and workshops at a variety of venues including art programs, universities, galleries, community centres, and living rooms.
Laiwan teaches in the MFA Interdisciplinary Arts Program at Goddard College in Washington State, USA, and lives in Vancouver, Canada.
ALEXANDER DOUGHTRY – {August}
Alexander Doughtry has been a member of the Spartacus Collective since 1975, and is still active today as custodian of the magazine and journal shelves, and as keeper of the collective memory of Spartacus and Vancouver’s radical history. Alexander’s historical essay about Spartacus was included in Alan Antliff’s “Only A Beginning”.
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