44 Gaukel has been buzzing this Winter! With events held by our tenants, renters, and ongoing community events, 2023 is shaping up to be a fantastically busy year.

Our space has had quite the line-up over the past few months:

Art$Pay’s Hearts, Arts & Healing wrapped up this past weekend. . This exhibition explored how artists express trauma, and the healing power of artistic practice. The exhibition included works from local artists Esther Slevinsky, Jim Blomfield, Michael ManChoi Chow, Roshan James, Roslyn Ramsay, and 44 Gaukel tenants Catherine Mellinger, Claire Donnison. 

Additionally, Art$Pay partnered with All Things Tea and the Grand River Hospital Foundation for this exhibition and hosted a Tea and Talk in our Flex Space, with proceeds going to the Foundation.

We are lucky to have The City of Kitchener’s talented Artist in Residence Bangishimo at Gaukel for the duration of their residency: making art, showcasing their practice, and hosting events in the  44 Gaukel spaces. As a IndigiQueer Anishinaabe originally from Couchiching First Nations located on Treaty #3 territory, Bangishimo’s photography series explores decolonization, resistance, and resilience. Bangishimo’s initial open house was on Saturday February 11th, seeing over a hundred people come through the space to meet Bangishimo, and check out their photo series.

Adding to the excitement of Bangishimo’s open house was the Valentine’s Gay Market put on by 44 Gaukel tenant Sarah Midnight just down the hall! The market gathered a huge crowd, showcasing a wide variety of makers and vendors, performances from local artists, and arts from some 44 Gaukel tenants. Over the two days this market ran, 44 Gaukel was buzzing with energy, seeing hundreds through the space.

The market wasn’t the only way to get your Valentine’s Day fix at 44 Gaukel – Kukkiville hosted a Valentine’s cookie decorating class in the Community Room on February the 12th. This sold out class was a hit and you can look forward to another cookie decorating class from Kukkiville (St. Patrick’s Day themed) in March. 

We rounded off the month with another market from Midnight Raven Studios, in collaboration with Afterschool Arcade performing an Improv Jam in our Flex Space. The shortest month of the year inspired this always hilarious group to put on the Shortest Month Improv Shorts Show that ran alongside Midnight Raven’s vendor fair. 

Public events hosted at 44 Gaukel bring life to the building and we are looking forward to an excellent spring line up for events hosted in our spaces. 

Our short term rental space is also home to many KW collaborations. The Innovative Productions premiered their Valentine’s Day appropriate play Hello Love February 11th and 12th; Freedom Marching Project held Legacy, a celebration of Black ExcellenceFeb 25th; and KWLT hosted auditions at Gaukel for their upcoming production of classic Zastrozzi opening this upcoming April. 

44 Gaukel had so much activity over this season. As we continue to recover from the pandemic, the increased use of our space  inspires hope for the future of the Kitchener-Waterloo arts community, and the impact 44 Gaukel can have for local artists!