Final Presentation: Virtual Garden Research & Creation Residency (VGRCR)
Wednesday, April 1, 2026 | 6–9PM
FREE as part of Open Studio Programming
This event will be held in-person at InterAccess as well as online. To attend virtually, please e-mail education@interaccess.org
Virtual Garden Research & Creation Residency (VGRCR) is a project co-led by artists Sapphire Woods (they/them), Kobena Ampofo (they/them), and Anélia Victor (they/them). VGRCR seeks to gather, develop, and share digital knowledge and resources related to community agriculture and traditional herbalism rooted in African and Afro-diasporic heritage. The Virtual Garden is an interactive space bridging the connection between virtual and material worlds where knowledge from BIPOC elders, friends, and gatekept institutions can cross-pollinate, grow, and disperse among Black and Brown communities.
The VGRCR Presentation is a hybrid showcase of the project leads’ inspiration for the direction of the Virtual Garden, preliminary research, and teach-in. Attendees will explore the project’s Are.na channel that compiles the leads’ inspiration and research, with a live demonstration on Gather Town design and importing objects into that space. Attendees are invited to ask questions and share their own insights.
About the Artists
Sapphire Woods (they/them) is a Black of Caribbean descent shapeshifter, cultural worker, and plant enthusiast living in Tio’tia:tke (Montreal). Sapphire’s ongoing work engages barriered marginalized communities through accessible education. IRL, Sapphire is involved in land-based arts and herbal medicine collectives in Montreal, enjoys reading, and taking naps.They have served as a consultant, artist-in-residence and speaker across Terra Firma programs. VGRCR is the continuation of Sapphire’s 7-month pilot research-creation residency at Eastern Bloc, supported by InterAccess and Eastern Bloc. This first residency was the incubator for the first iteration of GroundScapes.
https://sapphirewoodsofficial.com/
Kobena Ampofo (they/we) was born on a dark Tuesday morning in Kumasi, Ghana. They grew up there and have since also lived in Accra, South Bend, Chicago, Brampton, and now Toronto. Their practice, grounded in witchcraft, experiments with discipline and form, from sculpture to digital collage to theatre, with the goal of developing the skill to be a more dynamic storyteller. Kobena aims to be a communal resource for the stories they are learning from elders and other ancestors. A selection of their work can be viewed on Instagram @nipazeen.
anélia victor (born. 1991) is a Toronto based mixed media textile artist. Their work plays in the realm of the idea of the haunting and how the act of re/membering is moved through history and the body. They use textiles as the foundation of their work to expand the uses of the material. They are a self-taught artist with a Bachelor of Honours in Communication Studies from York University and had their work has been shown at Eyelevel (Halifax), Whippersnapper Gallery (Toronto), Wildseed (Toronto) it’s OK (Toronto). They have been an artist in residence at Gilbraltor (Toronto), Eyelevel (Halifax), Empire of Dirt (Creston, British Columbia). They have been a recipient of grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Art Council, Toronto Art Council, Canada’s LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce.
Accessibility Information: We are located on the second floor of the building, which is accessible by two flights of stairs or an elevator. The front entrance has an automatic push door and is accessible by ramp or a short flight of stairs. Inside, all InterAccess facilities are on the same level, including a single-user accessible washroom.
Questions? If you have any questions about the event or require additional support, please contact us at education@interaccess.org.