Member Mondays | Give Peace A Chance: The Photographs of Gerry Deiter with Joan E. Athey

Join us for a special virtual talk, offered exclusively to Gallery Members, to discover an insider account of Yoko Ono and John Lennon’s 1969 Montreal BED-IN FOR PEACE.

In 1969, American freelance photographer Gerry Deiter (1934–2005) was assigned to cover the BED-IN FOR PEACE in Montreal for Life magazine. He ended up staying to take photographs for the entire eight days. Being present at the BED‑IN FOR PEACE opened Deiter’s eyes to a different way of life. He eventually settled in Victoria, BC, and dedicated his work to the documentation of social and environmental causes. The almost 1,000 photos Deiter took at the BED-IN FOR PEACE remained tucked away until friend Joan E. Athey, now the owner of his archive, convinced him to share them just before his death.

Today, Athey is the curator of the Gerry Deiter Archives and has loaned a selection of photographs as well as other archival items to the exhibition GROWING FREEDOM: The art of John and Yoko. In this conversation with the Gallery’s Associate Curator Stephanie Rebick, Athey will share more about Deiter’s life and legacy with us, as well as some of the iconic images that he took of John and Yoko.

Gallery Members, check your weekly email for the registration link or email Membership Manager Liz Ayre at layre@vanartgallery.bc.ca for more information.

Questions? Submit them during the Zoom presentation using the Q&A function. You can also engage with your fellow attendees and panelists during the event using the Chat function.

New to Zoom? Learn how to register and attend a webinar here »

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Joan E. Athey has worked with creative people all her life. A marketing and promotions strategist for over 20 years, she spent the bulk of her career as a communications specialist with the CBC in Vancouver. Born in Toronto, Athey’s father ran a camera shop on Danforth Avenue, where she was exposed to the magic of photography. She learned about journalism working for the Toronto Star as an entertainment writer. Eventually making her way to the West Coast via Edmonton, Athey learned about music production in the studios at the CBC. For the last eleven years, she has been the curator of the Gerry Deiter Archives, exhibiting the photographer’s works all over the world.