Art centre hopes to fill ‘void’ with online programs

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This article was published 25/05/2020 (2252 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The loss of in-house activities at Graffiti Art Programming due to the COVID-19 pandemic has been felt by the organization and its community members — the reason why GAP has turned to delivering programs online.

“There’s a void, and we’re just trying to help out and provide some sense of unity as well,” said Elliott Walsh, manager of Studio 393, a youth arts initiative of GAP located in the Portage Place skywalk.

It’s been a few weeks since GAP launched new online programming, a first for the South Point Douglas not-for-profit art centre. Free sessions relating to visual arts, dance, and music are being offered through video communication platform Zoom every week. The organization has also distributed about 1,500 art kits throughout the community, with more to come.

“We recognize that free, low-barrier recreation and art activities are really, really important for the health of communities,” Julia Wake, GAP programs director, said.

Not only are youth missing out on the in-person services GAP would normally provide, such as its popular recording studios, but the valuable resources and connections that are available through the organization as well, Walsh said.

“Our site is not just for the concrete programming that we offer, it has also become a community hub,” he said.

“They just come in even if they weren’t working on art just to talk to us or see what was going on. So it’s a matter of providing that space still in some capacity.”

Delivering programs online has been a challenge, according to Walsh, since some participants have been apprehensive about using technology, and others don’t have access to devices at all.

On the other hand, GAP has been able to expand its reach across Manitoba and make programming more accessible to individuals with mobility issues.

“The legacy of what is being done right now is that maybe it brings down barriers in terms of accessibility for people with mobility issues, or people that can’t get to the city of Winnipeg to go through the programs that we offer on a regular basis beforehand, before COVID. Hopefully some of these things can stay in place,” Walsh said.

GAP is hoping to have a soft opening of its art gallery space in June or July, Wake said. Until then, the organization plans to roll out additional online programs. Further information and schedules are available on social media and at graffitigallery.ca/

“People are looking to still be a part of something and to connect to something. It’s never just been about the art. The art is what connects us all.”