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Art In Hard Times

What are the themes we want to explore in this mural?

Updated: Jul 3, 2020

After looking at all the answers closely, Art Buddies found these eight categories. Like a nautilus shell, we indefinitely unravel from tight places of injustice opening up into rage and discomfort, continuing with action, and remaking, and expanding into creation and Love/Right relationships. We felt this cycle is not only cyclical, but it's also a spiral opening to infinity.

Over the next few weeks, participants will be exploring further what images could represent this path of transformation.

Below each category you can find the themes that participants articulated.

Injustice

  • homelessness

  • Racial inequality

  • systemic racism

  • Homophobia

  • health crisis among migrant workers and BIPOC

  • Social class

  • Trans Lives

  • Black Lives

  • Mental Health.. stigma

  • Racism in Guelph and the violence committed by its largely white community

  • Police brutality

Rage

  • Systemic Racism

  • Racism

  • Black Lives Matter. White supremacy & colonialist systems & structures must be dismantled.

  • Covert racism and how it effects the sense of community in Guelph/How do POC's navigate through a predominately white town during times of social injustice and unrest

  • Injustice that is acknowledged, but not followed through consistent action (ex: the class divide, homelessness, racial injustice etc.)

  • Police brutality

  • How COVID-19 disproportionately affects marginalised people

  • Environmental exploitation goes hand in hand with degradation of humanity

Discomfort

  • Befriending body and emotion

  • Changing your opinions based on new information, especially when the information is coming from someone who has more direct experience with it than you

  • Keeping an open mind, and being willing to think subjects you feel uncomfortable with in order to grow as a person

  • The uncertainty of the future is extremely draining but sometimes exciting and can be motivating

  • Racism

  • Humans are not necessary for Mother Earth to heal herself. She is sustainable on her own. It is us who need Her.

  • Mental Health Issues

  • Importance of learning to play in whatever way you know how.

  • Shoot I answered this above lol. Ok- first Integrity, (without it nothing works- be it addressing racism, homo/trans phobia, ableism, etc)

Voice

  • disability advocacy

  • Decreasing mental health stigma

  • Importance of voicing discrimination and violence

  • My culture (Pakistan)

  • Emotional Intelligence/empathy have as much value (or more) as intellectual intelligence

  • Elevating voices of black people and their experiences

  • Gender Equality

  • I would talk about equality for all

  • I would talk about stress and anxiety in youth

  • Current Events/Movements (Pride Month, BLM, etc.)

  • Benefits that art play in communicating.

  • Humans are an imbalanced species out of sync with nature

Action

  • Anti-Oppression

  • equal access to basic food, shelter and income

  • increasing mental health support

  • Social justice/disability justice

  • The importance of listening

  • How to practice sense of Community through social distance

  • Defunding the Police

  • More funding towards mental health initiatives, less towards police - creating an example to the world that police should not be attending wellness checks alone, if at all. Social workers and crisis support teams should be.

  • Taking direct action instead of just 'talking the talk'

  • Use of art/doodles as a tool for non violent communications.

  • Access your humanity, find balance in small ways hopefully leading to balance in greater rings of connection (home, community, nature, politics, social justice, etc)

  • Equal access to food, shelter, water

  • Everyone needs a basic income

  • Everyone gets equal opportunities to resources

  • Equal access to resources and services

  • Racism and sensitivity training for officers

Remaking

  • Knowledge sharing

  • Reforming the bad things in the world

  • Love

  • We should aspire to be so much more than just nice. "Nice" people can be complicit in harmful things.

  • The world can feel chaotic right now, but organization and support through community can radically change systems that have long been in place and have not served the people.

  • Mental wellbeing and support

  • Resiliency

  • Schools such as St. John Bosco deserve more funding. Alternative learning settings for students who've experienced homelessness, abuse, mental illness, bullying, or who are neurodivergent, deserve a place to learn just as much as other teenagers.

  • I would talk about how art is real work and if you have a passion for it then you would be able to make a life out of it.

  • Everyone is included


Creation

  • mental health

  • Being in relation with difference.

  • Expression of self and imagining other possible worlds through art.

  • Co-creating transformative justice

  • Hope

  • the importance of making sure that every one in a community is well represented and heard.

  • Equality

  • Community/connection

  • Active ongoing cocreation of peace

  • Support

  • building healing & honouring relationships with all creation

  • Environmental justice

  • How can we face discomfort, together?

  • I think it is important for people to stay safe in Guelph

  • Homes for everyone

  • Lots of green spaces


Love/Right Relations

  • Empathy

  • Environmental Stewardship

  • Thoughtfulness ,kindness and respect

  • Faith

  • Empathy

  • Self compassion

  • Water is life

  • Creation/Creator is still creating

  • Please be kind to one another.

  • Human rights and justice

  • Being unique

  • Lowering expectations of yourself

  • Self-care (responsibility & respecting boundaries)

  • We have one life to live , live like a civilized person

  • People are connected and helping one another

  • People are participating together


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