My original intention for this piece was to write a recapitulation of the very first AGH Festival. I wanted to condense the contents of all 10 days into a neat little package: wrap up the revelries into a simple, palatable article to accompany your morning coffee or afternoon tea.
And yet, I am unable to write what I set out to. I am typing only to erase. I am… overwhelmed. The schedule for the first ever #AGHFest was momentous. The events themselves were momentous.
It feels disingenuous to boil down the enormity of each cultural experience to just a few photos and paragraphs of text. Moreover, I realise now that writing an entire article attributing the success of the Festival to the draw of its varied programming is not entirely accurate. True, the schedule was packed with myriad things to do… but in retrospect, I can see that it was not the things that made #AGHFest such a tremendous success: it was the people.
What good is an Arts workshop if nobody shows up to take it? Or an Artisan vendor booth if nobody is there to peruse the wares? How can a concert take place if there is nobody in the audience to listen?
The AGH Festival was much more than just 10 days of arts & culture. It was 10 days of laughter. 10 days of connecting. 10 days of joy. It was a Festival of contemplating, celebrating, understanding, learning, exploring, doing, and dreaming. Every day brought people together in a new way.
In lieu of a written recap, I have chosen to collect my favourite photographs instead; I want to let these photos speak on my behalf.
It has been an honour to be a part of the first #AGHFest in Gallery history. Thank you to all who made this possible: the staff, the volunteers, the sponsors, the attendees, the supporters, the contributors, the vendors, and each and every person who has been a part of this journey with us. You have been the most important part of the whole process.
I am, you are, we are: the Art Gallery of Hamilton Festival.
Sedona Micale was this year’s Digital Content Creator for the AGH Festival.
Click here to learn more about the AGH Festival.
