“i don’t do math” is a photographic series exploring dyscalculia, a learning difference that affects a person’s ability to understand and work with number-based information. While dyslexia (difficulty with language) has become widely recognized thanks to years of advocacy and early detection, dyscalculia remains largely unknown. Research estimates that 3–7% of children, adolescents, and adults are affected (Haberstroh & Schulte-Körne 2019), though the actual numbers may be higher, as only a small fraction of those who struggle with math are ever screened (Sparks 2023).
Despite its prevalence, dyscalculia is often misunderstood—dismissed as a lack of education or mistaken for a personality trait. Left unrecognized, it can impact many aspects of daily life. It is also frequently confused with math anxiety, a sense of apprehension that interferes with math performance and while the two are not the same, dyscalculia can contribute to the development of math anxiety.
Photographer Ann Piché approaches this project both as an artist and an advocate, documenting the experiences of people affected by dyscalculia while engaging educators, learners, and parents in conversations about its effects and possible supports. Her exhibition presents abstract images paired with mathematical formulae, visually translating unfamiliar equations into recognizable photographic forms. The pairing of images and formulas conveys the frustration many with dyscalculia feel when navigating a number-centric world, while accompanying text-based panels guide viewers through the assumptions and challenges that shape these experiences.
The series consists of 15 photographs and 5 text-based panels, including works created during fieldwork visits in courses taught by University of Toronto, Department of Math, Professors Amenda Chow and Sarah Mayes-Tang of Calculus and Symmetry and Professor Pam Sargent of Business Calculus, Professor Ada Chan of Pre-Calculus at York University, and Dr. Pamela Brittain of K–12 Curriculum Education from the Fields Institute.
The exhibition runs through October 15 at University of Toronto New College’s D.G. Ivey Library – 20 Willcocks Street.
Notice: Elevator Out of Service at 30 Willcocks
The elevator at 30 Willcocks is currently out of order. At this time, there is no accessible route to the lower and upper floors other than by stairs.
Unfortunately, this means the “i don’t do math.” A Photography Exhibition by Ann Piché in D.G. Ivey Library’s lower level is currently not accessible.
We understand the impact this may cause. Elevator Operations and Maintenance are working to restore service, however due to parts on order, the current repair estimate is October 10th at 5:00 PM.
Thank you for your patience and understanding. If you have questions or concerns, please contact Keelan Robinson, manager, elevator operations & maintenance at keelan.robinson@utoronto.ca or 416-526-0955.
References:
Haberstroh, S., & Schulte-Körne, G. (2019). The Diagnosis and Treatment of Dyscalculia. Deutsches Ärzteblatt International, 116(7), 107–114.
Sparks, S. D. (2023, May 1). Dyscalculia and Dyslexia: Reading Disabilities Offer Insights for Math Support. Education Week.
About the Artist
Ann Piché is a photo-based artist in Ottawa, Canada. Working in technology since the early 1990’s, Ann was the first female electronic technician hired by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Experiencing the disconnect that can exist between science and the arts she constructs visual links to build those connections, creating accessible entry points for conversations about the less familiar.
A graduate of the School of the Photographic Arts: Ottawa (SPAO), Ann’s work has been presented in solo exhibitions in Canada and in group exhibitions internationally. Her collaborations include the Department of Mathematics at the University of Toronto and the Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences. A recipient of grants from the Jackman Humanities Institute at the University of Toronto, the City of Ottawa and the Ontario Arts Council, Ann has been published in North American magazines such as SHOTS and PhotoED.
Ann’s images are not software generated. Working primarily in digital photography, she stages her images using real and constructed landscapes with custom-built sets. Her work explores photographic abstraction and experimental camera techniques, a visual acknowledgement of the anxiety we can feel when facing the unfamiliar.
Upcoming Exhibition Events
Join us for a series of events running through September 25 to October 16 that include an opening reception, additional tour and two panel discussions. Together, these events aim to raise awareness about the challenges posed by dyscalculia with educators, fellow mathematicians, and parents while normalizing its existence, leading to early detection and augmented support. It will also explore more broadly on the role and significance of mathematics and math education in today’s shifting socio-cultural and economic contexts.
Click below to learn more about each event:
Opening Reception – Thursday, September 25, 2025 @ 5 PM
Join us for the Opening Reception of “I don’t do math.” A photography exhibition by Ann Piché.
Event Details:
Thursday, September 25, 2025
Starting at 5 PM
D.G. Ivey Library, 20 Willcocks Street
Additional Exhibition Tour – Saturday, September 27, 2025 @ 2 PM
Registration is not required.
Meet at Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences, 222 College Street, at 2 PM to walk over to D.G. Ivey Library. 20 Willcocks Street.
Panel Discussion – Monday, September 29, 2025 @ 4 PM |
Artist Ann Piché and Professors Daniel Ansari, Darja Barr and John Mighton
Join artist Ann Piché and Professors Daniel Ansari, Darja Barr and John Mighton for an interdisciplinary discussion that contextualizes dyscalculia and explores how changing notions of mathematics and math education have shaped, and continue to shape, our history and society.
Event Details:
Monday, September 29, 2025
4 – 6 PM ET
In-Person: The Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences, Room 230, 222 College Street
Online via Zoom
Meet the Panelists
Daniel Ansari – Department of Psychology and Education, Western University
Daniel Ansari is a Professor in the Department of Psychology and the Faculty of Education at Western University in Canada, where he heads the Numerical Cognition Laboratory (www.numericalcognition.org). Ansari and his team explore the developmental trajectory underlying both the typical and atypical development of numerical and mathematical skills, using both behavioral and neuroimaging methods. Ansari has a keen interest in connecting the science of learning with education and served as the President of the International Mind, Brain and Education Society (IMBES) from 2014-2016 and is currently the Director of the Centre for the Science of Learning at Western University. Ansari has published over 100 articles in peer-reviewed journals. He is a member of the The College of the Royal Society of Canada, and a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science as well as the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research.
Darja Barr – Department of Mathematics, University of Winnipeg
Darja Barr is a mathematics educator in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Manitoba since 2007. She has a Bsc in Mathematics and Management Sciences from the University of Manitoba, an MSc in Mathematical Biology from the University of Alberta, and a PhD in Mathematics Education from the University of Manitoba. She has organized many outreach and education projects focused on spreading the joy of mathematics and her research on students’ struggles with mathematics.
John Mighton – JUMP Math, University of Toronto
John Mighton is an award-winning mathematician, playwright and best-selling author. As the founder of JUMP Math, he is globally recognized for his ground-breaking work in advancing equity in math education to reveal the math prodigy within every child.
For his achievements, he has been named a Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneur of the Year, an Ernst & Young Social Entrepreneur of the Year for Canada, an Ashoka Fellow, and an Officer of the Order of Canada. John, a Fellow of the Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences, also taught mathematics at U of T.
His plays have been performed across Canada, Europe, Japan, and the United States, winning several national awards, including two Governor General’s Literary Awards for Drama, the Dora Award, the Chalmers Award, and the Siminovitch Prize.
Closing Exhibition Panel Discussion – Thursday, October 16 2025 @ 10 AM | Artist Ann Piché in conversation with Professors Andrew Fiss, Jacqueline Wernimont, Amenda Chow, Ellen Abrams, Michael Barany and JP Ascher
Join artist Ann Piché and a panel of distinguished interdisciplinary scholars for a discussion marking the close of the exhibition. They will reflect on the themes of “I don’t do math,” and the on-going conversations the project seeks to inspire.
Event Details:
Thursday, October 16, 2025
10 AM – 12 PM ET
In-Person: The Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences, Room 309, 222 College Street
Online via Zoom
Meet the Panelists
Andrew Fiss – Professional & Technical Communication, Michigan Technological University Humanities Department
Andrew Fiss works at the intersections of STC (scientific & technical communication) and STS (science, technology, and society), and writes about unexpected texts held in college archives. His articles have appeared in the journals Science & Education, the History of Education Quarterly, New York History, Peitho, Configurations, The Mathematical Intelligencer, and Technical Communication Quarterly. His book, Performing Math: A History of Communication and Anxiety in the American Mathematics Classroom (Rutgers, 2021), uses archival research to argue that we must understand mathematics as communication-based, particularly in light of Americans’ widespread math hatred and high rates of math anxiety. Looking to historical developments in higher education, it brings together nineteenth-century instructions for reading mathematics textbooks, manuals for speaking at the blackboard, debates about written testing, with student funerals for mathematics textbooks and student-written mathematical plays.
Dr. Jacqueline Wernimont – Digital Humanities and Social Engagement and Film and Media Studies, Dartmouth College
Jacqueline Wernimont is Distinguished Chair of Digital Humanities and Social Engagement and an Associate Professor of Film and Media Studies at Dartmouth College, where she runs the Digital Justice Lab. She specializes in mathematic and computational media and their histories, using humanistic and creative methods in her histories and analyses.
Her books include Numbered Lives: Life and Death in Quantum Media and the co-edited Bodies of Information: Intersectional Feminism and Digital Humanities (with Elizabeth Losh). Her current projects include creative considerations of the energy consumption of data centers and 21st century streaming, cloud computing, and data storage, as well as a book on the machines and systems of mortality in the United States.
Amenda Chow – Department of Mathematics, University of Toronto
Amenda Chow is an associate professor, teaching stream, in the Department of Mathematics. Some of her areas of interest include mathematics education, math-art and hysteresis. Before joining U of T, Chow was an associate professor of teaching in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at York University. Chow has been a member of the Canadian Mathematics Education Study Group since 2017.
Ellen Abrams – Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology
Ellen Abrams is an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology. Her current research examines the historical relationship between gender and mathematics in the United States.
Michael Barany – History of Science, University of Edinburgh
Michael J. Barany (https://mbarany.com) is a historian of mathematics and Senior Lecturer in the History of Science at the University of Edinburgh. He is PI of the Situating International and Global Mathematics (SIGMA) project and MathsWorlds research group (https://sigma.mathsworlds.org).
JP Ascher – School of Social and Political Science, University of Edinburgh
JP Ascher is Research Fellow at the University of Edinburgh for the history of global mathematics and its cross-historical influences in the history of science and the history of knowledge. His current work examines the early-modern and modern history of learned printing, mathematics, and global bookselling.
“i don’t do math”. A photography exhibition by Ann Piché
RSVP Today!
Please note: The Panel Discussion and Closing Exhibition Panel Discussion will be offered in a hybrid format. Registrants can choose the format they would like to attend below. Zoom links will be sent prior to the event.
Thank you for your interest – registration is now closed.
Have questions about the upcoming event – reach out to: roberta.buiani@utoronto.ca
If you missed this event, don’t worry, check out New College’s Event page for all our upcoming events.
Questions about this event? Please email roberta.buiani@utoronto.ca
We would like to thank New College, NewOne: Learning without Borders program, the Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences, the Departments of Mathematics at the University of Toronto and York University and OISE, and the Jackman Humanities Institute.
