The idea of the Steps agency CreateSpace initiative is that the 10 indigenous, black and colored artists can create public spaces to share their works. (Image of a work by the artist © Jieun June Kim)
Ten multi-disciplinary and multi-ethnic Canadian artists will be supported to bring public art to communities across Canada this year. It is an initiative of STEPS, (Sustainable Thinking and Expression on Public Space), a Canadian public art organization.
Through a public art residency designed in collaboration with consultants from across the country, the goal of this project called CreateSpace is to provide emerging black, indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, and Métis) and racialized artists with the skills, network, and hands-on experience necessary to take their public art practice to the professional level.
Public art has the ability to challenge the systemic inequalities that exist in public space, but Canada’s public art collection does not currently reflect its diversity. For black, racialized and indigenous artists, CreateSpace is creating a platform to foster important and difficult conversations. Nico Taylor of the Black Speculative Arts Movement Canada and Art Residency Advisor
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The ten artists who will benefit from this public art residency with the support of STEPS and multidisciplinary artistic mentors in their communities in five provinces are:
With nearly 100 submissions from across the country, the resident artists were selected by a committee of public and professional artists from across Canada identified as BIPOC.
I was very interested in CreateSpace because it matches Tangled’s desire to create access to a more intersectional conversation, as well as to focus the experiences of queer, trans, and disabled people.Consultant Sean Lee of Tangled Art + Disability
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While Jennifer Smith, from the National Indigenous Media Arts Coalition, reflects that “residency has to do with creating change.”
Some of the works of some of the selected artists:
STEPS fosters dynamic, inclusive, and resilient communities through public art, community-engaged design, and the creation of creative spaces. We transform urban spaces into vibrant places through a unique combination of cultural planning, community art, and artistic capacity building services. STEPS is a registered charity with the Tax Agency of Canada.–
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