Landscapes of community: THE GROVE MURAL PROJECT
“I realized I could do something that was not in my comfort level. I was proud of myself.”
“The most important difference participating in the mural project has made for me is letting go of the idea of perfection”
— Mural Project Participants
I first connected with Michelle Peek, of Art not Shame, through a mentorship program hosted by the Guelph Arts Council (GAC). I felt an immediate connection; our weeks flew by during our time together with meaningful conversations about art, community, equity, well-being, and the intersection of it all. I left our conversations feeling inspired - thinking critically about our current society, the role of the arts, and my place in it all. Despite the GAC program ending, the mentorship and friendship continued.
At some point we started dreaming about creating a community-engaged mural together as part of the next phase of our mentorship, and it occurred to us that The Grove Hubs* would be a perfect place to house such a project - given that these murals would both provide youth the opportunity to tell their stories through art and connect with other youth, and that the Hubs are uniquely youth-driven spaces.
We thought: how cool for the youth who access the Hubs to see their stories, their creativity, and their relationships reflected on its walls?
So, I reached out to the folks at The Grove about the possibility of making this happen. When we learned that one of the sites for The Grove was currently looking for some art, it felt like kismet. A week later, the idea was set into motion. The Grove, Art Not Shame, and I put out a call to youth aged 16+ with lived experience of mental health challenges who were interested in contributing to two murals at the Skyline Community Hub in Fergus. We had 10 wonderful artist-participants who engaged in two online workshops, where we explored mark-making, community, landscape, and mental well-being. We focused specifically on the connection between mental health and landscape . Artist-participants painted each other as trees, reflected on how nature grounds them, and discussed how we can apply what we learn from natural landscapes to our local community.
We used free-writing, gouache painting, doodling, and group poetry to invite folks into a core belief both I and Art Not Shame hold: we are all creative, and we are all, already, enough, exactly as we are.
From these workshops, expressive, grounding imagery emerged. The imagery from the workshops along with inspiration from our local landscapes came together to make two sketches of distinct murals for two of the hub rooms. Then, we teamed up with three local artists; Abby, Charity, and Alexa to help us get painting.
The first day we got to the hub was surreal. There we were, in a circle, introducing ourselves to one another for the first time in person, my heart so full knowing that each person standing in that room was about to make an impact on everyone who would come in the Hub following the mural's completion. The music was on, the paints were opened, the brushes were out, and the art-making began. Chat began among the painters, and time flew by.
There is an indescribable feeling that emerges when you look up and see people thriving, working towards something together; to see brushes leave colour on the wall, to hear shared laughter, to witness bravery in the face of fear releases something inside that only community-making through art can achieve.
In many instances, this combination of community and art allowed for bravery, allowed people to feel past fear or discomfort, and into joy and support. To be in a space where we can unlearn alongside each other the shame that can surround personal creativity is a rare and special thing because those messages of “I’m not good enough”; “Did I pick the wrong colour?”; “Do they have more skills?” can be loud, and feels endemic to much of what makes us feel inadequate. In this space, there was knowledge that you can arrive just as you are, and you will be met there without judgement. And everything we needed was provided for us: paint brushes and paint pens, a support animal on site, and the understanding that participants could take a break at any time, for as long as they needed. No matter the contribution, it is enough and it is valuable. Some people could attend one session, some could attend multiple sessions, some used different materials, some had guidance, some took breaks, some painted with someone, and all those scenarios were needed. In hindsight, there are things I would have done differently to create an even more welcoming, inclusive and accessible space. What I learned from the whole process is that there is always a need for flexibility, a need for love, a need for connection, a need for joy, and a need for art.
So, yeah… we painted two murals. But what happened along the way was so much more: two organizations partnered, 16 community members came together, a mentorship was strengthened, we learned and we unlearned, we laughed, we cried, we were brave, and we made art alongside one another. Last week, Alexa and I went to the murals for some last-minute finishing touches. There I was, a few months after sending that email, standing in the painted rooms. I couldn’t help but feel the sense of community. When I looked at the wall, I saw all the hands that had made marks on it, and when I stood in the space, I felt held by the strong resilient youth who had been there.
By Maeve Hind
*The Grove Youth Wellness Hubs are a group of hubs across Ontario providing a wholistic suite of mental health and wellness supports to youth. These hubs are designed by youth, for youth, to access counselling support, housing services, and career services, all through one centralized system.
Acknowledgements
These murals could not have happened without the partnership with The Grove Youth Wellness Hubs, the unwavering belief, support, facilitation, and mentorship of Michelle Peek and the Art Not Shame team, the amazing artist-participants: Tyler LaBerge, Ella Ongena, Julian Akrey, Sabrina Mastroianni, Alura Sutherland, Keira Dreyer, Melanie Moore, Mya Kidson, Rashmeet Kaur, and Anne-Marie Portelli and talented local artists Alexa Collette, Abby Nowakowski, and Charity Mae Beatrix Cruz.
