February 10 to February 28, 2026

Location:  Art Space Connect Gallery

Presented by: Loretta Faveri

Curated by: Samantha Lance

Opening Reception: TBA

These stitched paper portraits shed light on the WWII internment of the Reverend Libero Sauro, Loretta Faveri’s Italian Canadian grandfather. Like thousands of Italian Canadians, he was believed to be a fascist sympathizer by the government of Canada and was taken from his family and held at Camp Petawawa, Ontario for four months. Unlike others, his stay was short due to the numerous letters Faveri’s grandmother wrote advocating for his release. Ironically, five of his nine children were serving in the Canadian Armed Forces. It is a time in our Canadian history that is largely forgotten but could easily happen again to another targeted immigrant community.

To build this series, Faveri transcribed the letters her grandmother wrote on paper made by her aunt. (she gave Faveri her stash of handmade paper shortly before she died). After transcribing the letters, she tore/cut them and stitched them together to create portraits of her grandparents, her five uncles and the red target that was stitched to the back of each internee’s uniform. When light is cast upon these delicate, monochromatic tapestries that hang approximately 8” from the wall, a detailed shadow appears like a ghost from the past. The process of making this series of work, allows her to go back to that time, empathize with her family, forgive, and perhaps let go of any lingering trauma.

Samantha Lance is a curator and writer based in Ontario, Canada. She recently became the new Curator for the Visual Arts Centre of Clarington. She holds a Master of Visual Studies in Curatorial Studies degree from the University of Toronto and a BFA with Distinction in Criticism and Curatorial Practice from OCAD University. Her Graduating Exhibition, The Love that Remains, was on display at the Art Museum at the University of Toronto (2024). Samantha’s writing has been published by The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery, C Magazine, and the University of Toronto’s Master of Museum Studies Student Publication. She has worked for The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery and the Art Gallery of Algoma.