From September 10-15, 2019, The Bentway brought the Moon under the Gardiner with a presentation of Museum of the Moon – a seven-metre wide touring sculptural work by UK artist Luke Jerram, which fuses lunar imagery to bring the moon’s surface to life on earth. The installation at The Bentway allowed visitors to experience the moon up-close and personal, reminding us of the moon’s influence on our daily lives despite urban barriers like light pollution and high-rise density.
In addition to this installation visitors were encouraged to listen to a multi-channel soundtrack that explored lunar stories from near and far. Check out two of these special stories below.
The Moon Festival: A Chinese Mid-Autumn Celebration
Writer, librarian and historian Arlene Chan narrates her book The Moon Festival: A Chinese Mid-Autumn Celebration. Nominated for the Ontario Silver Birch Award in 1999, The Moon Festival tells the enchanting story of Chang O and illustrates the ways that the Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated as an important family occasion.
Chan has written an additional 6 books about the history, culture, and traditions of the Chinese people in Canada and is the recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Award (2013), Heritage Toronto Special Achievement Award (2017), and Women of Achievement Award, Tri Delta Convention, Dallas, Texas (2018).
Indigenous Oral Histories by Philip Cote
Artist, Activist, Historian and Traditional Wisdom Keeper, Philip Cote, of the Moose Deer Point First Nation, shares important Indigenous oral histories about the constellations and the moon.
These oral histories were passed down to Philip through his ancestors, and traditional Elders: Ojibway Elder Edward Benton Banai, Cree Elder Joe Couture, Lakota Elder Flloyd Looks For Buffalo Hand, Lakota Elder Jimmy Dubrey, Lakota Elder Chief Red Cloud, Navajo Elder Leon Secatero, Ojibway Elder Dr. Duke Redbird and “The Urban Elder” Vern Harper (Cree).