A September 5, 2025 announcement (received via email) from Toronto’s ArtSci Salon highlights three upcoming events. In date order, from the online version of the September 5, 2025 announcement, Note: The online version is on mailchi.mp and is time limited,
Book Launch To Place a Rabbit by Madhur Anand in conversation with Shyam Selvadurai
Tuesday, Sept. 9 2025 7:00 pm [ 7 – 8:30 pm ET] Another Story Bookstore 315 Roncesvalles avenue Toronto
I found more information about the book launch on its eventbrite RSVP page, Note: Links have been removed,
ABOUT THE BOOK
This delightfully clever, artfully layered novel begins when a scientist who has written a popular book of non-fiction attends a literary festival, where she strikes up a friendship with a charismatic novelist. The novelist reveals that her new work is an experiment: a novella she wrote in English only to have it translated and published solely in French—a language the novelist cannot read. Moreover, she has lost her original English manuscript of this work. Hearing this, the scientist, who is fluent in French, impulsively offers to retranslate the novella back into English for the novelist.As she embarks on this task, the scientist finds herself haunted by vivid memories and distracting questions—particularly about a passionate affair from her own life with a French lover. These insert themselves into her translation process, troubling it, then disrupting it entirely. She desperately tries to complete her task before losing control of both the work and her well-organized existence—but soon the novelist and the French lover reappear in the present, further complicating both life and art.Here is sparkling, irresistible debut fiction from one of our most consistently inventive voices, the award-winning and multi-talented Madhur Anand.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Madhur Anand’s debut book of creative non-fiction This Red Line Goes Straight to Your Heart (2020) won the Governor General’s Literary Award for Nonfiction. Her debut collection of poems A New Index for Predicting Catastrophes (2015) was a finalist for the Trillium Book Award for Poetry and named one of 10 all-time “trailblazing” poetry collections by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Her second collection of poems Parasitic Oscillations (2022) was also a finalist for the Trillium Book Award for Poetry and named a Globe and Mail Top 100 Book. To Place a Rabbit is her first novel. Anand is a professor and the director of the Global Ecological Change and Sustainability Laboratory at the University of Guelph, Ontario.
ABOUT THE MODERATOR
Shyam Selvadurai was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Funny Boy, his first novel, won the W.H. Smith/ Books in Canada First Novel Award and the Lambda Literary Award in the US. He is the author of Cinnamon Gardens and Swimming in the Monsoon Sea, and the editor of an anthology, Story-wallah! A Celebration of South Asian Fiction. His books have been published in the US, the UK and India, and published in translation in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Denmark, Turkey and Israel. His latest novel, The Hungry Ghosts, was published April 2, 2013 in Canada, India and Sri Lanka. Shyam co- wrote the screenplay for his first novel Funny Boy, for which he won the Canadian Screen Award and the New York Cinema Independent Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Shyam’s new novel Mansions of the Moon is a historical novel about the Buddha’s wife, Yasodhara. In 2016, Shyam had the interesting honour of having a spider named after him: Brignolia shyami, a small goblin spider.
Call for Proposals: RE:SciComm February 19-20, 2026 Oakham House, Toronto Metropolitan University, 55 Gould Street, Toronto
RE:SciComm (formerly SciCommTO) — a dynamic, in-person conference exploring the art, science, and strategy of science communication in Canada. The conference will attract science communicators, researchers, journalists, graduate students, and outreach professionals from across the GTHA [Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area] and beyond.
The RE:ScieComm conference website offers a clue as to why it was mentioned in ArtSci Salon announcements,
Join us for a dynamic conference exploring the art, science, and strategy of science communication in Canada.
Whether you’re behind the mic, in front of a classroom, or crafting stories for the screen, RE:SciComm is the place to build your skills, grow your network, and join the national conversation on science engagement and communication.
In an era shaped by climate change, public health crises, and rapid advances in AI, the need for effective science communication has never been clearer. Science impacts all of us — but how we talk about it, and who gets heard, matters more than ever. RE:SciComm will dive into the challenges and opportunities of today’s engagement landscape, from tackling misinformation to reaching communities historically excluded from science conversations.
Why RE:SciComm?
Formerly known as SciCommTO, the original 2020 conference drew wide praise for its collaborative spirit and practical focus. Now we’re rebooting with fresh energy, a broader scope, and a renewed commitment to advancing inclusive and effective science communication.
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Call for Proposals Now Open ◐
We’re looking for bold, practical, and thought-provoking session proposals that explore the future of science communication. Workshops, panel discussions, interactive sessions, debates, or something unexpected — if you’ve got an idea that could inspire or empower fellow communicators, we want to hear from you.
*Speakers and Conference Program will be released in October 2025. Registration will open October 2025.
DEADLINE Monday, September 15, 2025 at 11:59 PM ET
Conference Themes
Re:framing
What does inclusive, community-first science communication look like? This theme is about democratizing science and shifting perspectives—getting research out of the lab, beyond academic journals and conferences, and into public spaces where it can be shared, shaped, and understood by all. It’s about centering equity, decolonization, and Indigenous ways of knowing in how we communicate science. Whether it’s through co-creation, storytelling, art, language, or lived experience, we’re looking for sessions that challenge the status quo and open up new possibilities. Let’s explore fresh frameworks, participatory approaches, and best practices that make STEMM [science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine] more accessible, responsive, and representative of the world we live in.
Re:building
As we navigate a rapidly changing world, how do we rebuild public trust in STEMM, and reimagine science communication for today’s reality in Canada? This theme explores emerging challenges and opportunities—from misinformation and AI to science policy and education. We invite sessions that tackle the unique contexts of science engagement in Canada, offering insight into how science communicators can meet the moment with integrity, creativity, and care. Let’s reshape the narrative and design strategies that help STEMM thrive across diverse communities.
Re:igniting
Let’s get inspired. This theme is all about renewal—of relationships, collaborations, ideas, and purpose. What fuels your passion for science communication, and how can we grow the field together? We’re looking for sessions that celebrate creativity, connection, and momentum—whether through innovative formats, bold new projects, or reflections on what keeps us going. Together, we’ll build a more vibrant, interconnected, and future-focused science communication community across Canada.
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Conference Co-Hosts
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The Royal Canadian Institute for Science (RCIScience) is Canada’s oldest scientific society, celebrating its 175th year of science engagement. Through award-winning events and programs, RCIScience sparks curiosity and builds a stronger science culture across Canada.
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SciXchange at Toronto Metropolitan University is dedicated to making science accessible, engaging, and inclusive for all. From hands-on outreach to science communication training, SciXchange brings science to life for communities across the GTHA.
I very much appreciate the visual puns used to illustrate and ‘illuminate’ the conference themes.
This next and last event is more typical of the ArtSci Salon’s offerings, although the more accessible (IMO) description for the event and the artist was on this University of Toronto Jackman Humanities Institute event page,
Description
Join us for a series of events running through September 25 to October 16 that include an opening reception, additional tour and two panel discussions. Together, these events aim to raise awareness about the challenges posed by dyscalculia with educators, fellow mathematicians, and parents while normalizing its existence, leading to early detection and augmented support. It will also explore more broadly on the role and significance of mathematics and math education in today’s shifting socio-cultural and economic contexts.
“i don’t do math” is a photographic series exploring dyscalculia, a learning difference that affects a person’s ability to understand and work with number-based information. While dyslexia (difficulty with language) has become widely recognized thanks to years of advocacy and early detection, dyscalculia remains largely unknown. Research estimates that 3–7% of children, adolescents, and adults are affected (Haberstroh & Schulte-Körne 2019), though the actual numbers may be higher, as only a small fraction of those who struggle with math are ever screened (Sparks 2023).
Despite its prevalence, dyscalculia is often misunderstood—dismissed as a lack of education or mistaken for a personality trait. Left unrecognized, it can impact many aspects of daily life. It is also frequently confused with math anxiety, a sense of apprehension that interferes with math performance and while the two are not the same, dyscalculia can contribute to the development of math anxiety.
Photographer Ann Piché approaches this project both as an artist and an advocate, documenting the experiences of people affected by dyscalculia while engaging educators, learners, and parents in conversations about its effects and possible supports. Her exhibition presents abstract images paired with mathematical formulae, visually translating unfamiliar equations into recognizable photographic forms. The pairing of images and formulas conveys the frustration many with dyscalculia feel when navigating a number-centric world, while accompanying text-based panels guide viewers through the assumptions and challenges that shape these experiences.
The series consists of 15 photographs and 5 text-based panels, including works created during fieldwork visits in courses taught by University of Toronto, Department of Math, Professors Amenda Chow and Sarah Mayes-Tang of Calculus and Symmetry and Professor Pam Sargent of Business Calculus, Professor Ada Chan of Pre-Calculus at York University, and Dr. Pamela Brittain of K–12 Curriculum Education from the Fields Institute.
Ann Piché is a photo-based artist in Ottawa, Canada. Working in technology since the early 1990’s, Ann was the first female electronic technician hired by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Experiencing the disconnect that can exist between science and the arts she constructs visual links to build those connections, creating accessible entry points for conversations about the less familiar.
A graduate of the School of the Photographic Arts: Ottawa (SPAO), Ann’s work has been presented in solo exhibitions in Canada and in group exhibitions internationally. Her collaborations include the Department of Mathematics at the University of Toronto and the Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences. A recipient of grants from the Jackman Humanities Institute at the University of Toronto, the City of Ottawa and the Ontario Arts Council, Ann has been published in North American magazines such as SHOTS and PhotoED.
Ann’s images are not software generated. Working primarily in digital photography, she stages her images using real and constructed landscapes with custom-built sets. Her work explores photographic abstraction and experimental camera techniques, a visual acknowledgement of the anxiety we can feel when facing the unfamiliar.
This initiative is supported by JHI Program for the Arts, the ArtSci Salon & the Fields Institute, and New College. Many thanks to the Departments of Mathematics at the University of Toronto and York University for their collaboration.
ABOUT “I don’t do math” is a photographic series referencing dyscalculia, a learning difference affecting a person’s ability to understand and manipulate number-based information.
This initiative seeks to raise awareness about the challenges posed by dyscalculia with educators, fellow mathematicians, and parents, and to normalize its existence, leading to early detection and augmented support. In addition, it seeks to reflect on and question broader issues and assumptions about the role and significance of Mathematics and Math education in today’s changing socio-cultural and economic contexts.
The exhibition will contain pedagogical information and activities for visitors and students. The artist will also address the extensive research that led to the exhibition. The exhibition will feature two panel discussions following the opening and to conclude the exhibition.
Photographer Ann Piché is using her artistic practice both to document the struggles experienced by people affected by dyscalculia, and to educate math educators, students, and parents about its effects and potential support strategies.The series consists of 15 photographs and 5 text-based panels, including work produced during fieldwork visits in Prof. Amenda Chow and Prof. Sarah Mayes-Tang’s Calculus and Symmetry classes; Prof. Pam Sargent’s business calculus class (all three professors are from the dept. of Math.); Prof. Ada Chan’s pre-calculus class (dept. of Math., York University); and Dr.Pamela Brittain’s K-12 and curriculum education program (Fields Institute).
Opening: Thursday September 25, 5:00 pm [ET] Tour: Saturday September 27, [2025] 2:00 pm [ET] (meet us at the Fields Institute, Atrium 2nd floor) —- Panel Discussion: Monday, September 29, 4:00 pm [ET] Ann Piché (independent artist) Daniel Ansari (Department of Psychology and Education, Western University) Darja Barr (Department of Mathematics, University of Winnipeg) room 230, the Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences 222 College Street, Toronto —- Stay tuned for the Final Panel Discussion on October 16, 10:00 am with Andrew Fiss (Professional & Technical Communication, Michigan Technological University Humanities Department) and other panelists
All panels will be recorded and posted on our Youtube channel
