September 24, 2025 (Zoom): Cross-Pollinations with Finnegan Shannon and Laura Davidson
Join the League of Canadian Poets, the Health Arts Research Centre, and the Canadian Association for Health Humanities for the next iteration of the Cross-Pollinations Virtual Rounds Series.
In July 2025, artist Finnegan Shannon and speech-language pathologist Laura Davidson will read, present, and discuss on the topic "Access as Place," a talk on disability interdisciplinary practices.
Hosted by Mic Jones
Finnegan Shannon
Finnegan Shannon (b. 1989, Berkeley, CA) is an artist experimenting with forms of access. They intervene in ableist structures with humor, earnestness, and rage. Some of their recent work includes Alt Text as Poetry, a collaboration with Bojana Coklyat that explores the expressive potential of image description; Do You Want Us Here or Not, a series of benches and cushions designed for exhibition spaces; and Don’t mind if I do, a conveyor-belt-centered exhibition that prioritizes rest and play. They have done projects with MUDAM Luxembourg, the Queens Museum, moCa Cleveland, the High Line, MMK Frankfurt, MCA Denver, and Nook Gallery. Their work has been supported by a Wynn Newhouse Award, an Eyebeam fellowship, a Disability Futures Fellowship, a United States Artists Fellowship, and grants from Art Matters Foundation, Canada Council for the Arts, and the Disability Visibility Project. Their work has been written about in Art in America, BOMB Magazine, the Believer, and Out Magazine. They live and work in Brooklyn, NY.
Laura Davidson
Laura Davidson (MHSc., Reg. CASLPO) is a registered Speech-Language Pathologist based in Toronto. She holds a Master of Health Science in Speech Language Pathology from the University of Toronto and currently works at Surrey Place—a nonprofit organization providing interdisciplinary, community-based support to children and adults with autism and intellectual disabilities. Laura primarily works with adults and is part of several specialized teams, including the Transitional Age Services team, the Augmentative Communication & Writing Aids Clinic (ACWA), and the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Diagnostic Team. Her work focuses on supporting clients and caregivers in accessing and using assistive communication devices, adapting environments to reduce communication barriers, and fostering connection through caregiver coaching and personalized, functional communication strategies. Laura is particularly interested in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and is deeply committed to neurodiversity-affirming care practices that center the needs and autonomy of the individuals she supports.
Recordings from past events can be viewed on YouTube.