The 66th Annual EKKT Art Exhibition:
“Sharing Heritage Far and Near”
The Society of Estonian Artists in Toronto (EKKT) is a non-profit organization founded in 1956 by Estonian artists who arrived in Canada after the Second World War. The mandate of our Society is to support the work of artists of Estonian descent living in Canada. Through exhibitions, workshops and other social events, EKKT’s tradition is to offer opportunities for our members to fulfill a sense of community with the common language of art through the lens of an Estonian influence.
As we evolve at EKKT, we look forward to bridging connections with visual artists in many communities. For 2021 we are excited to have a Feature Guest Artist from the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory, a Special Guest Artist from Tallinn, Estonia, two fellow Baltic Guest Artists from the Latvian-Canadian community, and a Guest Artist who was the former Artist-in-Residence for The Women’s Art Association of Canada (WAAC).
This year we revisited the visual ideas from our Estonian heritage about Kalevipoeg (Son of Kalev). This epic poem chronicles a folk hero’s journey, life and challenges seen through the eyes of many artists in the past. The idea was to see the narrative with new creativity and reconsider how it speaks to our lives now.
The geography of Canada connects with our Baltic heritage. Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians all know about similar markers of water, trees and fauna. However, as our Estonian Guest Artist reminds us, we share a global responsibility to steward the land with care and respect. Our Feature Guest Artist of Haudenosaunee heritage further reminds us that these territorial lands have been shared for thousands of years by many of the ancestors of the Indigenous Peoples in Canada. We must continue to respect our shared space.
A sincere thank you is extended to our Supporting Members for their belief in the importance of EKKT’s mission to continue supporting our visual artists.
Enjoy the show.
Elva Palo
Elva Palo, MSc, RP, RCAT, DTATI
President, EKKT
