Before I Go To Bed Tonight features work by youth that was created during a semester-long project led by Dr. Alysha Farrell of Brandon University. Professional artists who confront environmental issues hosted a series of workshops that urged participants to look at the climate crisis head-on in a way that youth are specially situated to do, given that they will inherit the future. Creative expressions of a bleak reality reconcile into images of learning to live amid the Earth’s decreasing habitability

“I know this is a problem, but do I want to read about it before I go to bed tonight?”
— Anonymous Participating Artist

“Over the fall term, I worked with 36 young people to explore their understandings and feelings related to the climate crisis,” Dr. Farrell said. “One of the big questions that framed the project was, if education assumes a future, what does it mean to be a teacher or a student amid the Earth’s decreasing habitability?”

Seventeen artists created pieces to express their concerns and to engage a wider audience in conversations about climate change. They shared many insights about what educators can do to create a holding environment for the emotional impacts.

Their artworks will be exhibited in the community gallery of the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba (AGSM) from January 27^th – March 12^th, 2022.

As part of the research-art exhibition, Dr. Farrell created an interactive installation called, “Between the Lesson Plans.” It displays some poignant interview quotes and it invites gallery goers (in-person or virtually) to leave a message for the graduating class of 2052 after viewing the students’ artworks.

On Thursday, January 27^th at 7:00 pm is the opening reception for the research-art exhibition called, Before I Go to Bed Tonight https://agsm.ca/i-go-bed-tonight 

In addition, four of the project participants will join Dr. Farrell for an online Artist Talk on February 5^th from 1:00-3:00. Details TBD.