Upcoming Exhibitions & Events
WINTER 2026
Embassy Cultural House
Not/For the Money
Publication Launch
January 22, 2026 from 4 - 6 PM
Cohen Commons, JLVAC
Image:Chimtou gold coin hoard, Bardo Museum, Tunis, Tunisia
Photo credit: Ron Benner
The Embassy Cultural House (ECH) is pleased to launch its most recent publication Not/For the Money, in partnership with Western University's Department of Visual Arts. Not/For the Money is an international online group exhibition that highlights contributions by artists and cultural workers that examines themes related to money, capital, and value.
This publication is ECH's 10th publication since its relaunch in 2020 and has been designed by Olivia Mossuto, Coordinating Editor of the ECH, and is printed in an edition of 500 copies, full colour, 52 pages.
Money is a very urgent issue for many artists. An aspect of this issue is the general public’s inability to value the arts and cultural workers’ vital role and impact within any community. There is a lack of understanding in the way cultural workers survive and build meaningful lives, often with a minimum of resources. The issue of money, the impact of economic disparity, and insecurity dominates many of our lives. Without a stable income, most people struggle to afford basic necessities that are required for quality of life.
The theme of money is addressed frequently within the art world, but usually it is in the context of the art “market,” commercial auctions, and wealthy collectors. Many artists work to imagine and engender new relationships, value systems, and ways of being. As journalist Eric Reguly wrote in The Globe and Mail business section, “You don’t necessarily need buckets of money to succeed. Sometimes imagination and the courage to break the rules can do the trick.”
Not/For the Money includes contributions by Ron Benner, Karl Beveridge, Lily Cho, Matthew Dawkins, Holly English, Soheila Esfahani, Kelly Greene, Jamelie Hassan, SF Ho, Michael Maranda, Alistair MacKinnon, Patrick Mahon, David Merritt, Mohamed Monaiseer, Sheri Osden Nault, Wanda Nanibush, Shelley Niro, Claudia Sambo, Ruth Strebe, and Jeff Thomas. This ECH project has been organized by Ron Benner, Jamelie Hassan, Olivia Mossuto, and Mireya Seymour.
Diaspora Climate
Exhibition: February 12 to March 5, 2026
Reception: Thursday, February 12 from 5-7PM
Curated by Yan Zhou, 2025–26 Curator-in-Residence
Sara Angelucci
Teresa Chan
Ma Yongfeng
Rehab Nazal
Diaspora Climate is an exhibition curated by Yan Zhou, 2025–26 Curator-in-Residence in Social and Environmental Justice with the Arts in the Department of Visual Arts at Western University. The exhibition will run from February 12 to March 5, 2026, at the Artlab Gallery.
The exhibition features artworks by four artists: Sara Angelucci (Toronto), Teresa Chan (Toronto), Ma Yongfeng (Berlin), and Rehab Nazal (Bethlehem, Palestine).
In collaboration with Liza Eurich, a student-curated exhibition under Eurich's instructions responding to the theme of Diaspora Climate will be presented concurrently in Cohen Commons.
Public Programs and Events
- Opening Reception: Thursday, February 12, 2026, 5:00–7:00 PM
- Workshop led by Teresa Chan: Ink marbling and origami lotus flower making
VA 206 (Drawing Room), February 12, 11:00 AM–2:15 PM - Murmuration – Live Sound Performance: Teresa Chan and collaborator
During the opening reception, February 12, 5:45–6:15 PM - Dialogue on Ecocide in Palestine and Diaspora Climate:
Participants: Rehab Nazal, Kirsty Robertson, Sheri Nault, and Yan Zhou
February 23, 2026. Hybrid event (online and on-site).
Location and time to be announced.
