With a dynamic blend of artistic experiences and fresh ideas, Wedderspoon and Sarfeld are set to make Union Gallery’s 30th year its most memorable yet.
Gallery Director Morgan Wedderspoon, BFA ’09, and Program Director Haley Sarfeld, MA ’22, have an exciting year in store for the Union Gallery. Sarfeld ed the gallery this year in the program director role, and Wedderspoon has been the gallery director since 2022. The pair will co-direct the gallery, which is an independently run, not-for-profit organization, that provides access to the arts for both Queen’s students, and the wider community.
Wedderspoon and Sarfeld have exciting plans underway for Union Gallery’s 30th year, with Oct. 6 marking its official anniversary.
The annual Visiting Artist exhibition program, ed by the George Taylor Richardson Memorial Fund is set to return, featuring three Indigenous artists. Kiona Callihoo Ligtvoet and Julia Rose Sutherland will be featured this fall and Nyssa Komorowski will be showcased this winter. Both exhibitions will be shown alongside student artists.
In alignment with the gallery’s anniversary this fall, there will be an exhibition showcasing works by alumni from the BFA and Bachelor of Art Education (BAE) programs.
The BFA program was created in 1974, but before that, Queen’s offered a Bachelor of Art Education (BAE) program.
Both directors have previous ties to Union Gallery that go further than their Queen’s alumni status. Wedderspoon worked at the gallery as a summer job in 2007, which marked one of her first experiences working in the arts.
For Sarfeld, Union Gallery has been a place she has been involved with multiple times over the years, from performing poetry to having art featured in the Gentle Disruptions exhibition in 2023, to name a few.
With a background as a print artist, Wedderspoon brings experience from other university museums and galleries, as well as teaching at the post-secondary level, and in the community.
To her, there’s something special about the way Union Gallery connects two worlds here in Kingston.
“Here we are a special kind of mix…we’re situated on the university campus, and some of our activities are directed to the University audience. But some of what we do is for the larger community beyond the University—I think that is a unique balance that you don’t see at other organizations,” Wedderspoon said in an interview with The Journal.
Union Gallery works with professional artists, students, community , and youth to create a diverse experience.
“[It’s] a space where a lot of different ages and experiences can intersect and be a little more experimental,” Sarfeld said in an interview with The Journal.
Sarfeld brings to the role a wide range of experiences from her own art as a writer, performer, composer, and lyricist, as well as istrative roles in the arts world. She hopes to expand the types of art presented in the gallery during her tenure.
“We share the curatorial responsibility, but my job is more focused on programs. I really would like to integrate more performing arts into what we do in this space. It’s a very welcoming, mellow, unassuming, quiet place, and it’s fun to see what kind of life we can bring to it,” Sarfeld said.
The inviting nature of Union Gallery is something both directors hope to build on, and there are many ways for students and community to get involved.
“We’re always here as a great space for a study break, being located in [Joseph S.] Stauffer Library. You can of course visit the gallery and look at our exhibitions [or] you can sign up for a free workshop,” Wedderspoon said, noting all programming the gallery offers is free.
“[For] folks who are looking for some experience in a gallery setting or an arts organization setting, we’re here and we’re always looking for volunteers,” Wedderspoon said.
Corrections
A previous version of this article incorrectly stated Oct. 8 marks Union Gallery’s 30th official anniversary. In fact, the gallery’s anniversary is Oct. 6.
A previous version of this article stated there will also be an exhibition featuring work from alumni who graduated from the BFA program at Queen’s. In fact, the exhibition will feature work by alumni who graduated from Queen’s with a BFA or Bachelor of Art Education (BAE).
Incorrect information appeared in the July 29 issue of The Queen’s Journal.
The Journal regrets the error
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