SUMMER ART POP-UP
Every Tuesday + Thursday from July 11-August 22 | 1-3PM
Tuesdays: Ryan Heights Playground, Ryan Heights Rd.
Thursdays: Youth Wellness Hub (YMCA), 140 Durham St.
This summer, join us for free cultural art programming for youth aged 12 and up at two sites each week. All materials provided. Caregivers welcome.
Registration is not required but supplies are limited so RSVP to reserve your spot here. Email mythsandmirrors@gmail.com for more information.
This program is offered in partnership with Future North - Futur du Nord, Ryan Heights Neighbourhood Association, and the Youth Wellness Hub.
SCHEDULE
WEEK ONE: JULY 11 + 13
Silkscreening with Kayode Akande
In this exciting workshop, participants will learn about the silkscreening process and get hands-on experience printing their own canvas tote bag! Featuring a design created by Kayode Akande and Raven Debassige, the image celebrates Black and Indigenous solidarity. No experience required. All materials provided.
ARTIST BIO: Kayode Akande is a digital artist based in Sudbury, Ontario. He is heavily inspired by lots of music, old art masters, and vintage comic books. He often dives into different art mediums which inspire the different textures, photographs, and traditional aesthetics he incorporates into his digital works. Kayode's work largely depicts his experiences and those of the people around him, highlighting BIPOC characters, strong emotions, and bright colours.
Instagram: @artofkay
Website: kayakande.github.io
WEEK TWO: JULY 18 + 20
Sunflower Squares with Dieter Lische-Parkes
In this workshop, we will go through the steps to create a sunflower granny square. We will go through and learn all the required stitches used to make the square, the basic stitches of crochet, and how to successfully combine each of the steps to produce a finished product.
ARTIST BIO: Dieter started crocheting when he was around 7 years old. He initially picked it up as a hobby from his grandmother, who helped cultivate his passion. Throughout the years, he would gain new skills while improving the quality of his work. He started to sell products sporadically at the beginning of high school, slowly gaining renown within his community. He now has a website, ‘Crimson Rose Crochet’, where he sells products and accepts commissions. Dieter is about to start his 3rd year at George Brown Theatre School, where he studies Theatre Performance in Toronto. He's acted on stage and screen, having been in various shows with YES Theatre and Sudbury Theatre Centre and having two movies available on streaming services. You can catch him playing Paris in YES/STC's production of Romeo And Juliet this August. Dieter wants to thank you all for participating.
Instagram: @crimsonrosecrochet
Tik Tok: @crimsonrosecrochet
Facebook: @crimsonrosecrochet
Website: crimsonrosecrochet.ca
WEEK THREE: JULY 25 + 27
Political Poetry with Connor Lafortune
Political poetry consists of poems that reflect, reject, and reform political climates while shedding light on activism, protest, and abolition. The youth will be guided through writing exercises aiming to fuel their creative fires within a political lens. Their poems will reflect their understanding of the world while pushing them to seek their ideal alternatives. Writing political poetry seeks to change, challenge, and transform the world as we know it. The youth will be encouraged to rewrite their radical history.
ARTIST BIO: Connor Lafortune is from Dokis First Nation on Robinson Huron Treaty territory of 1850 in Northeastern Ontario. He completed his Bachelor’s Degree at Nipissing University with a Double Honours Major in Indigenous Studies and Gender Equality and Social Justice with a minor in Legal Studies. In September, he will begin his Masters in Indigenous Relations at Laurentian University. Connor is Anishinaabek, Queer, and Francophone; he uses his understanding of the world to shape his creations as a writer, spoken word poet, and musician. Connor often combines the written word with traditional Indigenous beadwork and sewing to recreate the stories of colonization, showcase resilience, and imagine a new future. Above all else, Connor is an activist, a shkaabewis (helper), and a compassionate human being.
Instagram: @connorrandy9 / @nmkns_ndow
Facebook: @connorlafortune / @NMKNS
WEEK FOUR: AUGUST 1 + 3
Build a Baby Birch Boat with Leisha Neuman
Peeling birch bark (and obviously writing on it!) is almost a rite of passage when you grow up in the north. Whether you’re a seasoned pro, or you haven’t even heard of the birch tree, come experience the beauty of working with birch bark as we make small birch canoes! Participants will come away with their own canoe, as well as the tools and know-how to create more birch pieces in the future.
ARTIST BIO: Leisha (they/them) is a Two-Spirit artist whose special interest right now is working with natural materials including leather, bark, porcupine quills, and deer hair. They spend a lot of their free time crafting, hanging out with their dog, and watching anime!
Instagram: @biisidiye (coming soon)
WEEK FIVE: AUGUST 15 + 17
VR with Katya Serre, Near North Mobile Media Lab
Participants will learn to use virtual reality equipment to draw and express themselves visually. They will be asked to react to and reflect on a curated music playlist by drawing what they feel and think. Expressing oneself in this manner should be carefree and enjoyable, art without the pressure of perfection. Participants using the VR headsets will have their screens cast to a laptop so that others can view their work.
ARTIST BIO: Katya Serre is a Two-Spirit Anishinaabe artist from Nipissing First Nation who operates within a variety of artistic disciplines. Practicing and exhibiting Anishinaabe art is a way for her to feel connected to her culture in the 21st century as an act of resistance against colonialist efforts. Her personal art practice often revolves around themes of tradition and modernity working in harmony or in some cases, in dissonance with one another.
Katya has graduated from Nipissing University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (honours, with distinction) minoring in Indigenous Studies. She is currently working for the Near North Mobile Media Lab as a network facilitator. Previously, she was a program facilitator for Digital Creator North and was integral in the North Bay program’s success with the youth: she hopes to spread positivity through creation whether that be digital, traditional, or a mix of the two.
Instagram: @dgtlnorthbay / @peachesanishinaabeart
Website: n2m2l.ca