Public art projects inspire youth

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 23/7/2018 (752 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The two young people entering the West End BIZ office had the words ‘MURAL MENTOR’ in big red letters on the back of their white T-shirts. 

University of Manitoba fine arts students Annie Beach and Breanna Wentz have been hired by the West End BIZ for the summer. They are presently working with local youth who are painting a mural on the side of 595 Clifton St. It is the 16th annual summer public art project in the West End and will be formally unveiled on July 31 with an artist’s talk, small presentation and refreshments.

Whoever thinks that kids just want to  hang out in summer doesn’t live in the West End.

Recently, about 30 middle school students in the Daniel McIntyre ward recently participated in a group project to temporarily re-imagine an underutilized parcel of land at the intersection of Cumberland Avenue and Sherbrook Street.

The participants were nominated for Youth Studio 2018 by their teachers or youth leaders. 

HTFC Planning and Design staff spearheaded and  donated their time to lead the project.  Local businesses and organizations generously donated everything from in-kind materials to lunches, trolley rides and more.

It’s a good thing that HTFC and the sponsors treated the youth to breakfast and lunch daily, as the activities just didn’t stop. After a guided walk around the neighbourhood, they spent two busy, fun-filled days travelling from site to site by trolley bus. At each stop a different local expert would talk about  an aspect of good design and its effect on the community. 

The whirlwind crash course gave them the confidence to pitch their ideas to Winnipeg mayor Bowman and Daniel McIntyre councillor Cindy Gilroy.

The common elements from all the designs were then incorporated into the final installation. 

Community members and volunteers pitched in with the students to build and paint the planters, paint the poles, set the reclaimed elm pieces in a conversation circle, and plant the Spirea. Chalkboard paint was used too as the kids really wanted community members to be able to participate in some way. A little container of coloured chalk was left so anybody walking by could draw a picture or add a message.

Summing up the three-day experience Kirouac said "sometimes it’s less about creating an ‘Aha’ space than inspiring students to see the value of community space and design in creating healthy communities."

Anne Hawe is a community correspondent for the West End. She can be reached at annie_hawe@hotmail.com