Join the team of Grenville+Fille (Bruce Grenville and Alice Mackenzie) online via Zoom as they share their discoveries and processes researching and archiving the work of Ann Newdigate (b. 1934, Makhanda, South Africa; d. 2023, Hornby Island, Canada). Newdigate was a vibrant force in the innovation of contemporary tapestry and often used humour and satire in her deeply feminist projects. Grenville+Fille discuss Newdigate’s conceptual and material practice, and the importance of the work of preserving the legacy of contemporary artists.

Bruce Grenville is a researcher and art consultant based in Vancouver. Together with Alice MacKenzie he formed the art consultancy Grenville + Fille in 2023. Prior to that he spent 30+ years as a senior curator at Vancouver Art Gallery, the Edmonton Art Gallery, and the Mendel Art Gallery, Saskatoon. Alice MacKenzie is an art consultant, multi-disciplinary artist, and co-founder of BAD ART, a radical approach to creativity and accessibility.

They note, “The study of artistic legacies is a crucial curatorial activity with the goal of documenting and preserving the complexity and diversity of artistic production across a lifetime in all cultures. Ann Newdigate was recognized for her large and small tapestry works, mixed media installations and works on paper. Her art resonates deeply with themes such as anti-apartheid histories, the global impact of colonialism, the emergence of second wave feminism, the persistence of regionalist voices, and the significance of material practices and aesthetics.”