Photo Story: SYiM – Southern Youth in Motion (Toronto)

SYiM (Southern Youth in Motion) is a campaign of North-South Partnership for Children that aims to connect youth from southern Ontario with youth in northern Ontario’s First Nation communities through art, music, videos, etc. We’ve been following SYiM since August 2012 and they’ve accomplished a lot in the past 7 months. Their work continues to impress and inspire us and we can’t wait to see what’s next for them in the coming year. We asked SYiM’s Youth Engagement Coordinator, Lauren Akbar, to contribute regular updates to ArtBridges so we can all follow the journey of this unique and much-needed initiative so check back regularly because we have a feeling that big things are in store for them!

- Cora-Rae Silk, ArtBridges

“Southern Youth in Motion (SYiM) Showcase on December 1, 2012 brought together youth from northern and southern Ontario to share their voices, songs, paintings, drawings, poetry, spoken word and much more – all to spread awareness of First Nations aspirations and challenges. Elder Pauline Shirt facilitated the day, she started by sharing her wisdom and cultural insights with us. She provided us with wonderful traditional teachings and led a smudging ceremony. She made us all see the beauty and goodness of Spirit at the gathering. For southern and northern youth, this was a way to connect to First Nation culture in a safe and welcoming space.

During the day we had several activities taking place:

1) The young people’s fantastic art performances and presentations, where they had the chance to take the stage (some for the first time) and share their art to the whole group. The youth performances sparked emotions, conversations and was the first step to bridging the gap between northern and southern Ontario.

2) Mural art with Michael Cywink, Artist, Muralist, Curator and Author from Manitoulin Island spent the day with us at the SYiM Showcase. He drew an outline of a mural and encouraged the youth to paint freely and feel the emotions from the poems, songs, etc. while they paint. Michael shared his experiences and stories with the youth and also created a positive environment for youth to see art through their own eyes.

3) We had a videographer, Kyle Montague and a photographer, Sherry Prenevost to capture the moments of the SYiM Showcase. They each created a video to share with others the wonderful and inspirational moments of the day, these videos will be launched with the SYiMzine: Showcase Edition.

SYiM is connecting youth from southern Ontario with youth in northern Ontario’s First Nation communities through art: music, videos, etc…
SYiM is hearing youth voices…
SYiM is sharing youth voices with others…
SYiM is spreading awareness of what life is like in northern Ontario…
SYiM is bringing people together, sharing cultures and becoming one…
SYiM is Southern Youth in Motion!

If you are interested in art, music, videos, etc. and would like to get involved with SYiM please contact Lauren Akbar at lauren.akbar@northsouthpartnership.com or connect with SYiM on Facebook here.”

- Lauren Akbar, Youth Engagement Coordinator
SYiM, North South Partnership for Children

All photos courtesy of Sherry Prenevost

To read other ArtBridges’ posts about SYiM, please click here.
See ArtBridges’ Google map for contact info.

For ArtBridges/ToileDesArts sponsorship opportunities: Simon Constam, Sponsorship Director, simon.constam@gmail.com, 905-537-7227
Return to ArtBridges/ToileDesArts homepage

ArtBridges / ToileDesArts: A Visual Celebration

A huge thank you to the community arts initiatives across Canada that contributed to ArtBridges / ToileDesArts in 2012!

Above photo collage created by Cora-Rae Silk, ArtBridges / ToileDesArts.

Art Project: dIE ActIvE Art Collective Graffiti Project (Thunder Bay, ON)

Photo courtesy of Definitely Superior Art Gallery.

Thunder Bay’s dIE ActIvE Art Collective recently completed a project where youth artists were invited to paint a train car donated by local company, Mission Terminal. dIe ActIvE hosted a week of workshops in preparation for the project that included graffiti stencil design and spray techniques and a painting demo by visiting graffiti artist, James Jameserson. Artists were required to attend at least two days of workshops to be able to participate in the project, which was covered by local media. Click here to read the article or here to watch a video. For more information about dIe ActIvE visit their Facebook page.

- Cora-Rae Silk
Indigenous Community Arts Coordinator & Communications Assistant
ArtBridges / ToileDesArts

Posted with permission from Lora Northway
Community Outreach Administrator, dIE ActIvE Art Collective

Click here to read the ArtBridges’ profile on the dIE ActIvE Art Collective.
Please see ArtBridges’ Google map for contact information.

Photos courtesy of Definitely Superior Art Gallery.

Photo Story: ArtsExpress (Halifax)

Many thanks to Sabine, who generously gave us a treasure trove of wonderful photos of ArtsExpress collaboration projects to show to our readers! We love hearing about thriving community arts initiatives, but it’s even better to see them! So send us photos/videos of your community art initiative–we’d love that! As promised, here are a few more from ArtsExpress:

“Feather Project” Collaboration with ArtReach , art installation about the evolution of flight created by students from J.L.Ilsley High School’s class of Bonita Aalder with artist Miro Davis, here on display at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia and now in at the Boardroom of the Minister of Education. (Photo by S. Fels)

“Brain Print” by students of the Youth Health Centre at J.L.Ilsley High under the artistic guidance of Melissa Marr. This project was a partnership with the AGNS and Stan Kutcher, Sunlife Finacial Chair of the IWK, and was on display during Nocturne 2011 and part of the exhibit ‘Synaptic Connections: Art and the Brain’, at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia during the winter of
2011/2012. The art work has been donated to the IWK Children’s hospital. (Photo by AGNS)
“The making of a traditional birch bark canoe with artist Todd Labrador in partnership with Viewfinders.
“Building Legends – Mi’kmaq Canoe Project” a collaboration of Viewfinder Film Academy , Mi’kmaq Liaison Office of the NS Department of Education and local youth. (Photo by Viewfinders) “Youth on the Radar Courthouse Mural”, funded by a Lighthouses Grant and on display at the Provincial Court of Nova Scotia. (Graphics and photo by Aaron Jeffrey)

For more information about ArtsExpress, please read ArtsExpress’ profile on ArtBridges and see ArtBridges’ Google Map.

Video: Alexandra Park Youth Street Art Mentorship Project (Toronto)

“In the summer of 2011 community arts heavyweights Art Starts teamed up with Emerging Artist Gallery Whippersnapper, to launch a groundbreaking program called the Youth Street Art Mentorship project. Throughout July and August five local youth from the Alexandra Park and Chinatown area worked along side 7 different professional public artists to create artworks that respond to issues that directly affect them and their community.”

Posted with permission from Joshua Barndt, Whippersnapper Gallery and Liz Forsberg, Managing Director of ArtStarts

Photo Story: Art City in St. James Town (Toronto)

photos by Gillian Foster

Art City in St. James Town is the “most recent mural project “Escape and Explore – An urban Adventure” is at the corner of Sherbourne and Wellesley. The mural will be up until the end of 2012, we hope you get a chance to stop by and have a look!”

“More information about this project is on Art City’s Facebook page. It was completed between July and September, by over 40 children and youth and measures 240 feet long.”

- posted with permission from Gillian Foster, Artistic Director, Art City in St. James Town

Please read ArtBridges’ profile on Art City in St. James Town.
See our Google map more contact information.

Photo Montage: Les Productions des Paysages éclatés – 2e Festival International du Masque du Québec à Saint-Camille

Les photographies par Jean-Claude Ételain

“Festival international du masque du Québec:
Pour (re)vivre quelques moments marquants du Festival MASQ’ALORS 2011 à travers les yeux du photographe Jean-Claude Ételain et les capsules vidéo de Sylvain Laroche, rendez-vous au Portail Mes Sources.

L’équipe de MASQ’ALORS!”

- affiché avec l’autorisation de Hildegund Janzing, Les Productions des Paysages éclatés

Lisez notre profil des Productions des Paysages éclatés ici.
Veuillez s.v.p visiter la carte Google pour l’information de contact.

Photo Montage: Association franco-culturelle de Yellowknife

Crédit: Caroline Lafontaine

Crédits: Caroline Lafontaine

Crédit: Pascaline Gréau

Crédit: Caroline Lafontaine

Crédit: Pascaline Gréau

- soumis par Pascaline Gréau, Animatrice Culturelle, L’Association franco-culturelle de Yellowknife.

Lisez notre mini profil de l’Association franco-culturelle de Yellowknife.
Veuillez s.v.p visiter la carte Google pour l’information de contact.

Photo Story: Creative Spirit Art Centre (Toronto)

-photo from Creative Spirit Art Centre website

“Mandate: Advancing the Creative Power in Artists with Disabilities. To provide a public art gallery/studio/information centre dedicated to universal access in arts and disabilities.” (from Creative Spirit Art Centre profile)

Presentation by Gabe Anderson to Hon David Onley photo by Richard Picton

Left: 2 Hanni Sager Mexican Folk Art Collection. Right: Alan Shain CS Arts Festival photo by Robert Picton

-photo from Creative Spirit Art Centre website

Photos posted with permission from Michael D’Amico, Creative Spirit Art Centre

Read ArtBridges’ profile on Creative Spirit Arts Centre here.

Please see ArtBridges’ Google Map for more contact information.

Project Hightlight: Art Starts’ Demolition Art House (Toronto)

- photos by Tamara Haberman

Art Starts’ Demolition Art House

“Working with 5 professional artists and local youth aged 11 – 17, Art Starts took an abandoned, creepy house, slated for demolition Toronto’s Oakwood-Eglinton area, and turned it into a “Kingdom of Awesome!”.  Demolition Art House galvanized local youth, changed community perceptions of the street corner and transformed the visual landscape of the area.”  - Tamara Haberman, Director of Development and Administration, Art Starts

-submitted by Tamara Haberman, Director of Development and Administration, Art Starts

Read ArtBridges’ profile on Art Starts here.
Please see our Google Map for more information.