Bet On Yourself with Fred VanVleet and Derek Folk

Removing barriers to art with Gaetane Verna

Bet On Yourself with Fred VanVleet and Derek Folk

Show Notes

Born in the Congo and raised in Montréal, today’s guest both embodies and promotes the cultural diversity of her new hometown, Toronto, where she is the Director of The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery, Canada’s leading public gallery.

Without a permanent collection, Gaetane isn’t bogged down by the past and instead keeps her finger on the pulse of the contemporary art world AND current issues in society. It is her job to find and present a wide array of diverse artists who often question history, challenge injustice and inequities while also producing works that transcend the mere materials being used.

And when one exhibition is complete, it’s onto the next. She and the art presented at the Power Plant are always looking forward and staying relevant to the issues of interest to both artists and audiences alike, and in the process, prompting a more constructive conversation around cultural change. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More from Bet On Yourself with Fred VanVleet and Derek Folk

Jan 19, 2022

In the season one finale of Bet On Yourself, Derek Folk and Fred VanVleet sit down with Boyd Reid, the Co-Founder and COO of Hopin, an app that helps mobilize transportation options and logistics - enabling employees to get to work efficiently and incentivizing them to commute during a pandemic when the popularity of remote work is skyrocketing.

Jan 12, 2022

In episode 11 of Bet On Yourself, Derek Folk and Fred VanVleet sit down with Baba Ajayi, the CEO and founder of andie.work - a live information app that uses artificial intelligence to help both businesses and customers. Andie.work enables user input settings to give suggestions on which restaurants to go to - all based on user preferences. The app drives more traffic and sales to the businesses, while eliminating unnecessary wait times for customers.

Dec 29, 2021

Most people use filtered water to make good cup of coffee… but in this episode, we learn how our entrepreneurial guest uses coffee to make clean water - particularly in service of remote reserves in Canada where some Indigenous communities lack proper water filtering systems.

Dec 22, 2021

From Granada to Canada comes a superfood like no other… sea moss. Turns out this algae, sourced responsibly from the Caribbean, is a nutrient dense, affordable, natural remedy with a variety of health benefits.

Dec 15, 2021

Bet on Yourself is back with another incredible innovator, as Fred and Derek are joined by Tammy Yiu Coyne; she's the co-founder and CEO of Partial, an online art platform and marketplace for collectors to discover and elevate outstanding Canadian and BIPOC artists.

See all episodes →