The Paper Trail: To the 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act

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Date: May 29
7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Where: Theatre

This talk will introduce the Chinese Canadian Museum (Vancouver), the first cultural institution in Canada devoted to Chinese Canadian culture and lived histories, and The Paper Trail, a feature exhibition on the 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act.

Exhibition Curator, Catherine Clement will be in conversation with Chinese Canadian Museum CEO, Dr. Melissa Lee in introducing the feature museum exhibition on the Chinese Exclusion Act, and the generational trauma that resulted in the separation of Chinese Canadian families in the 20th century. 

Tickets: $12 plus HST. Free for Rooms Members. Get your tickets online or by calling (709)757-8090.
 

About the Presenters:

Dr. Melissa Karmen Lee is an arts and culture leader with research interests in public art and social practice. She currently holds the appointment of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at the Chinese Canadian Museum, in British Columbia, Vancouver which was successfully opened on July 1st, 2023, showcasing 3 inaugural exhibitions in a 27,000 square foot space in the heart of Vancouver Chinatown. From 2019-2022, she was the Director of Education and Public Programs at the Vancouver Art Gallery. From 2016-2019 she was on the founding team to open Tai Kwun Centre for Heritage and Art, Hong Kong serving as the Education and  Public Programs Curator. From 2008-2015, she was on faculty as Senior Lecturer at the English Department of Chinese University of Hong Kong. She holds degrees from McGill, Canterbury and Lancaster Universities.

Catherine Clement is an award-winning community historian, curator, and author based in Vancouver’s Chinatown.  Her practice focuses on finding and telling the lesser-known or forgotten stories of the Chinese Canadian experience.

Catherine’s projects have been acclaimed for the extensive crowdsourcing she undertakes to discover lost photographs, documents and stories. She uses these unearthed materials to create a major exhibition and leave a legacy: the establishment of new community archives in public institutions.

Before developing The Paper Trail project, Catherine spent 10 years uncovering the hidden works of Vancouver's first and most prolific Chinese photographer. The project “Chinatown Through a Wide Lens: The Hidden Photographs of Yucho Chow” resulted in an exhibition, an award-winning book and a digital archive of over 600 photos that is now housed at the City of Vancouver.