Kitchener’s visual arts biennale, CAFKA presents a multitude of artists representing different geographies and cultures. Cafka, which is an acronym for Contemporary Art Forum Kitchener and Area, takes pride in the medium of outdoor public art. 

The theme of this year’s CAFKA  festival is ‘Stay with Me’.  Tara Cooper, the director of CAFKA, explained,

“In a way, it came out of our last biennale, which was during the pandemic two years ago. And the idea was literally just to stay with me, the idea of being together but also the idea of giving room for the things that are uncomfortable or hard to talk about.”

Cooper is the Director of CAFKA and also Associate Professor in the Department of Fine Arts at the University of Waterloo. She talks about the history, some of this year’s unique artworks within the exhibition, and what it takes to produce the show. 

CKMS news also talked to the Director of Cultural Services at the Region of Waterloo Helen Chimirri-Russell about how the Region approaches funding arts organizations, such as CAFKA.

CAFKA runs until Saturday July 22, 2023, and you can find information on exhibits and shows at CAFKA.org.

On Friday, July 21, 6:00–7:30 pm, join CAFKA for a walking tour of Stay with Me installations in the Kitchener exhibition zone. Admission is free. Meet in front of Kitchener City Hall (200 King Street West, Kitchener) at 6pm.

The music on today’s show is called "Maple Music" by Godmode courtesy of by Expectantly Maple Music on YouTube. This music is copyright free and used with gratitude.