At my “DIORAMA DRAMAS” exhibition at the Gallery in the 918 Bathurst Centre, Toronto, May 2023 (A CONTACT Photography Festival Exhibit)

DIORAMA DRAMAS:

Playfully Exploring Big Issues

Restless and pandemic-weary but very concerned about the state of our world, I began my “Diorama Dramas” project in the late fall of 2022.  I had an 11×17” lightbox built in my front garden and every ten days or so have been creating a new diorama. They explore challenging social or environmental issues with a playful and lighthearted touch, using miniature animals, figures, toys and bright coloured photographic backgrounds. Passers-by, often with children in tow, stop to view and discuss the ephemeral creations within the lightbox. 

Over three years, I’ve created over 100 3-D dioramas, using humour and heart to make challenging topics approachable, and I’m still going strong! My mission is to spark conversation, reduce anxiety and inspire creative problem-solving among people of all ages.  Climate, Food Security, Housing and Technology are among the many issues I explore.                        

CURRENT EXHIBITIONS (Fall, 2025)

In May of 2023, I exhibited 26 dioramas in the CONTACT Photography Festival. There were photographs of the dioramas, as well as six 3D ones set up.  Eight classes from local schools  attended the show and participated enthusiastically in discussions and drama sessions on the themes in the dioramas.  These drama sessions empowered students to engage viscerally with the issues and to problem solve in a small group using movement and dialogue.

I’ve created a book (two volumes, 20 pp. ea) where each diorama photo is accompanied by a single thought-provoking question to begin the discussion. This book is intended for people of all ages to explore, discuss and ponder together.  You can purchase one directly from me ($22 Cdn. plus shipping). Here are a few pages from the book.

See even more Diorama Photos in my BLOG and in PROGRAMMES

Interview: Finding Yourself in a Diorama Drama

An interview was published in the Journal of Wild Culture in February, 2023. I discuss my process and how I moved into dioramas. The interview includes eight photographs of the early dioramas. Find it under Press.

Other Exhibitions

After my solo show at 918 Bathurst in May 2023, I again entered the Contact Photography Festival and exhibited in a little-known art gallery on the Danforth from June 1st until September 1st, 2024. For this show, I received Exhibition Assistance from the Government of Ontario through the Ontario Arts Council. The show consisted of four 3D dioramas, (each with lights and movement), 35 photographs of dioramas (five of them large scale) and a large floor installation. The books I created, both adult and child versions, were also available for sale at the exhibition. CBC radio (Metro Morning with David Common) did an interview with me that aired on July 24th. CityNews came to the gallery and created a segment which aired several times, beginning on Aug. 5th. (Find them in the PRESS tab.) I held a successful Artist’s Talk on Aug. 22nd, which included a screening of PANDALAND, a 25 min. slide show and tour of the gallery.
On the last day of the show, I had an offer from Trinity St. Paul’s United, 427 Bloor St. W., to exhibit twelve of the photographs around the Sanctuary.

Class visits to the show at 310 Danforth

Here’s the 3 min. piece that aired on CityNews on August 7th:

DIORAMA-MAKING WORKSHOPS for SCHOOLS:

HEALING OUR WORLD

This iteration of my DIORAMAS project is my invitation to school groups to visit me at Trinity St. Paul’s OR have me visit the school where students create their own dioramas from kits I have created! See PROGRAMMES for more information and another segment on CityNews on this unique branch of the project!

ADULT DIORAMA-MAKING WORKSHOPS: DIVING into DIORAMAS

See PROGRAMMES for this fascinating and popular new branch of the project!

PANDALAND

In the summer of 2021, I created PANDALAND, a mixed-media installation of what became 80+ toy pandas, in a public place in my downtown Toronto neighbourhood.  I originally designed PANDALAND as a way for kids to enjoy playing outside during the pandemic, but as it evolved it became so much more than that and caused a sensation in my downtown Toronto neighbourhood. It was the inspiration for and the precursor to the dioramas.

I made a 14 min. documentary film about the summer’s experience. It has been screened in schools and in theatres at Festivals internationally. Like most of my films, it is distributed through the Canadian Filmmaker’s Distribution Centre.

See the TRAILER:

PANDALAND:  Making IT Count is about how children become engaged and learn to grapple with big social issues.  The filmmaker encourages playful exploration and the children initiate an election to improve the living conditions for a society of toy pandas.  Their experience  evolves organically to embody community building and demonstrate acts of civic engagement.  

Book an in-school presentation of PANDALAND or add it onto a diorama-making workshop!

My film PANDALAND: Making IT Count has many connections to strands in both the Science and Social Studies curriculum. It is a great tool for demonstrating civic engagement and many aspects of Character Education.  As well, it’s playful, optimistic and lighthearted!  (See the whole film below!)

CLASS VISITS for PANDALAND the FILM

• For classes from K-6
• $60 per class, I come to your school/childcare centre
• One period needed
• Maximum 35 students per screening
• Students will view the 14 minute film.
• I will answer questions.
• Discussion of 2 big issues: Housing and the Environment
• For older grades, discussion of how the two issues are interconnected
• Film to be screened straight from this website using a data projector
• Prefer to do at least two classes in each school with a break in-between.
•  Maximum of 4 classes per day.
• I request that the regular teacher be present and participating.

Fun and so much learning!

VIEW the Film Here:

PANDALAND: Making IT Count

DREAM SCENES

I work with both children and seniors, empowering them to fulfill their dreams, virtually!  Participants can go anywhere and do (almost!) anything through the magic of green screen photography. 

92 year old Dorothy rides the great grey owl.

I’ve run my DREAM SCENES programme in many different schools and daycares, seniors’ residences and Long Term Care Homes since 2017.  Through this ongoing joyful and positive programme, I’ve enriched the lives of over 1000 people, young and old, through the photographs, collages and calendars I’ve created with them.  I exhibited my work with seniors twice in the CONTACT Photography Festival, in 2019 and 2021.  Photos of some of this work are currently available for purchase or exhibition through Hello Art! 

See the GALLERY for photos of seniors. Find out the benefits of my programme for seniors and how much it costs under FEES.

For “Dream Scenes” with children, go to PROGRAMMES. You will find four different ways kids can experience this programme. You will find the Fees listed on each of the descriptive posters.

Excited senior participants at the opening of DREAM SCENES at the Hashtag Gallery, Toronto, May 2019

BOOKS

The two 20-page volumes of my DIORAMA DRAMAS books are now available for sale! They feature 16 full-page diorama photos each. A single question is posed underneath each photo as a spark for conversation. The first blue volume is the one I use in schools. It explores my “top 3″ issues: Climate, Housing and Food Security. The second pink volume is all about ‘Belonging.’ They are soft cover, 8.5 x 11” on semi-gloss paper and the photo reproduction is excellent. They are $24 each or both for $44, plus shipping. Get in touch with me through CONTACT if you’d like to purchase.

I have also self-published six books for children of text and photographs using green screen and have won two Writers’ Awards from the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario for my children’s books (2013 and 2017).  I also helped my students create books on various curriculum topics which I self-published for them. Check out my TROLLOGY: Three Books about Trolls who Long to Belong or If Pandas could Talk: Students’ Conversations with Animals.  The TROLLOGY is available for purchase in the bookstore at blurb.com. ‘If Pandas Could Talk’ is for viewing only.

FILMS

I’m also an accomplished independent filmmaker with 24 shorts and two feature-length films and videos to my credit.  Two of my short films were nominated for Genies and, along with one of my features, have been screened internationally.   (View Reading Between the Lines and my feature PATH on vucavu.com.)  Most of my early films are distributed through the Canadian Filmmaker’s Distribution Centre. Many of my more recent shorts can be viewed on YouTube.  Search “the Martha Tapes.”  In this group of videos, there are two that were made in 1995 with my grade 3 class in the intergenerational program which I ran for many years. One of these, She was a Mean Old Cat, has the children valiantly re-enacting the seniors’ strong school memories in the setting of the old-fashioned schoolhouse.  It is poignant and heartbreaking.   (Check out the comment made by a former grade three student!)