AGB Community and Medicine Garden Opening

FREE

Refreshments and materials provided.

Spring is finally stretching awake, and you are invited to dig in with us at the Art Gallery of Burlington (AGB) for a hands-on celebration marking the opening of the Community and Medicine Garden. Come connect, plant, learn, and celebrate the arrival of spring after a long winter.

Developed in partnership with BurlingtonGreen and Grow Native Halton, and in collaboration with Michele Dent, the Community and Medicine Garden is a community-driven initiative focused on increasing biodiversity along the waterfront. Located at the Lakeshore Road entrance, the garden transforms the AGB’s outdoor grounds into a living classroom for creative and ecological learning.

The day will begin with seed songs shared by Kaniehtenhawi Deer, grounding the planting in intention and connection to the land. Participants will then take part in a series of guided, hands-on activities throughout the garden.

Michele Dent will lead a session on tobacco teachings and planting, sharing knowledge about the cultural significance of tobacco and guiding participants in how to plant and care for seedlings throughout the growing season.

AGB’s Community Generator Artists-in-Residence Carly Franklin and Kamaldeep Kaur will plant the raised beds with indigo, cosmos, coreopsis, marigold and more. These plants are to be harvested in the fall and used in their research into textiles, inks, and natural pigments, supporting more sustainable material practices within their work and in AGB’s studios.

Looking to start a garden at home or in your neighbourhood? Guests will receive seed packages generously provided by OSC Seeds, and BurlingtonGreen will lead a hands-on seed ball-making activity. These small balls of clay, soil, and wildflower seeds can be taken home and planted to support pollinators and native plant growth.

Want to roll up your sleeves to plant and make with us?

• Wear weather-appropriate clothing and closed-toe shoes

• Bring gardening gloves if you have them (optional)

• Dress for getting your hands in the soil

The learning journey will continue throughout the season and into the harvest. Michele Dent returns on September 2 from 6:00 – 7:30 pm for a Tobacco Harvesting Workshop. This session will focus on harvesting and drying tobacco, as well as teachings connected to its use. Participants will also create clay seed pods for planting future generations of seeds. Register here for the September program.

Keep an eye out for Carly and Kamaldeep’s eco-printing and natural pigments workshops. Carly Franklin’s hands on workshop will teach participants to use two different eco-printing techniques, using flowers from the AGB Community Garden, to create two beautiful silk scarves on August 15 from 1pm – 3:30pm. Kamaldeep Kaur’s From Garden to Painting: Natural Pigments in Indian Miniature Art workshop will invite participants to explore the ancient tradition of making paint from natural ingredients found in the garden on September 19 th from 12pm – 4pm. Register for Eco-Printing with Flowers and From Garden to Painting: Indigo Pigment Workshop.

Together, we are planting the seeds for future programs and cultivating a rich, biodiverse ecosystem that will grow with and support the gallery and its neighbours. The Community Garden supports learning about native plants and their applications in natural dyeing, textile arts, and sustainable craft practices. These plantings contribute to AGB programs and artist residencies, providing materials that support environmentally conscious artistic production.

Image Credit: Alize Zorlutuna's Natural Dye Workshop, 2024. Art Gallery of Burlington.

The AGB’s Community and Medicine Garden and sustainable arts program has been generously sponsored by TD Friends of the Environment, in partnership with BurlingtonGreen and Grow Native Halton. In-Kind sponsorship provided by OSC Seeds - Ontario Seed Co. Limited and Backed by Bees.

The Art Gallery of Burlington is located on the ancestral territory of many Indigenous Nations including the Anishinaabeg, Haudenosaunee, and Métis peoples. The territory is mutually covered by the Dish with One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, an agreement between the Iroquois Confederacy, the Ojibway, and other allied Nations to peaceably share and care for the resources around the Great Lakes. We acknowledge that the land upon which we gather, to create and learn, is part of the Treaty Lands and Territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit.

The AGB is fully wheelchair accessible, with wheelchairs available for loan. Both the Lakeshore and Brock lobby entrances feature automatic doors, and ramps provide access throughout the building. An elevator is available to reach the second-floor studios. Service animals are welcome, and gender-neutral washrooms are available on-site.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher Art Gallery of Burlington