We had a perfect sunny day today for the Artist Walking Workshop! Visitors set out on "artist walks" in the yard and surrounding neighbourhood, slowing down to notice and sketch overlooked details of the landscape. An unusually shaped tree, a face drawn in the sidewalk cement, a tiny orange flag: once we start looking with the eyes of an artist the ordinary becomes captivating, worthy of documentation and celebration. Participants were invited to slow down and use all their senses to look at the world with fresh eyes. Back at the house we added colour and detail to our drawings. Then we compiled them to create a collaborative map of the neighbourhood's meaningful minutiae. Every artist brought their own unique perspective to the project. I loved seeing what each person noticed and documented! This collaborative map will be exhibited at You Are Here during Doors Open Richmond. Visit the upcoming events page for more info!
On Saturday, I met up with a wonderful group of community members from Richmond Poverty Response Committee to do some field work for our upcoming public forum presentation. Over the last few months we've been meeting regularly to work on this presentation, using poetry, song, public speaking, and other creative mediums to express the experience of facing poverty and housing instability in Richmond. One element of the presentation will be an installation of photos taken by community members with disposable cameras which explore their lived experiences surrounding themes of home and belonging. Stay tuned for more information on this important upcoming event!
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