How and Why It Is: Arts-Based Research in Community Engaged Public Visual Art

CTCHC Community Mosaic Project is a partnership between Red Dress Productions and Central Toronto Community Health Centres.

In community-engaged art contexts, we’re often asked: How do community consultations connect with the design? What is the relationship between you (the artists), contributors, and communities?

The answer – or, more accurately, the answers – are layered and nuanced. This narrative attempts to retrace and distill the collaborative process that we call “arts-based research”, or alternately, community consultation (of which arts-based research is the major component, and the foundation of our work in and with communities).

The backstory: In February 2011, Red Dress Productions was approached by CTCHC to partner on the CTCHC Community Mosaic Project. We spent the next year fundraising, imagining, and planning the project. In January 2012, we began.

Contribution stations with images and project information, along with flipcharts and markers and a suggestion box were installed in the centre’s lobby and the primary care area on 2^nd floor to welcome ideas. Extensive promotion and outreach was done both within the health centre itself, and beyond through grassroots networks and with community partners[1].

We met with more than 150[2]  project contributors to: inquire and listen; brainstorm ideas, themes, and motif; and experiment with visual expressions using accessible approaches to art making. We facilitated a total of 12 community consultations with program participants, community members, staff and board members at Central Toronto Community Health Centres – home of Queen West Community Health Centre and Shout Clinic.

At each consultation, we assume little or no prior knowledge of the project, who we are, or our approach to community art. We begin at the beginning: introductions and welcomes, a review of the project’s path and development process, where we are in the project at the time of the consultation, what we’ve heard from contributors at previous consultations, and where we were going.

Food, drink, art materials, and project handbills were laid out, and a projection system was set up. Transit tokens were made available to increase access, and, at two consultations, we had the support of an Anishinabe Elder, and a Cantonese and Mandarin interpreter. We worked hard to thread the voices of contributors from previous consultations.  On a practical level, we did this by recording discussion points and ideas (without personal identifiers), and photographing contributor-generated artwork at each consultation, which we shared these ideas and images at subsequent consultations.

Most of the consultations took place in specific programs at the centre including Four Winds, TRIP, Sketch, the Perinatal Program, Primary Care, an all staff meeting, and a Harm Reduction Open House. We also held three public consultations, which were open to anyone interested in being a part of the project.  Each consultation was designed to meet the needs of contributors, with the time amount of time available (from one to three hours), depending upon the program. We brainstormed in large and small groups, and had many one-to-one conversations. We made art with a range of materials including oil pastel, foam plate “carving” and printing, and collage.

Essentially, we invited contributors to move from spoken language into visual language. Many contributors said, “I’m not an artist,” or “I can’t draw.” We offered materials and encouragement: Try experimenting with colour, with shapes. If you move your pastel across the sheet, something will show up. We returned to our anchor questions: If there was an artwork on the CTCHC building that welcomed you and the communities you’re a part of, what might it be? What creates healthy communities? What does this look like?

 We also talked about the wall that the artwork would ultimately live on (at the front entrance of the building on Bathurst Street), and discussed public space, and other site-specific environmental and architectural elements. At the end of each consultation, we reviewed our findings from this participatory arts-based research – notes, brainstorm maps, sketches, prints, and collages – and together, we identified key words or phrases, themes, and visual motif.

The great volume of material produced through the consultation process – more than 200 small solo and multiple artworks, 20 pages of notes, and 15 flipchart brainstorm maps  – draws clear lines between the social determinants of health including access to safe and affordable housing, nutritious food, non-judgmental health care, and community engagement. Certain images and motif repeated; however, accompanying stories and perspectives carried distinct and often multiple meanings.

Let’s look at water, as one example. Water was drawn as lake, river, stream, and ocean. Water was also suggested by canoes, kayaks, and boats; sea and freshwater birds, beavers, fish, turtles, and Turtle Island itself. There were stories of selkies, merfolk, water spirits and sprites; deep water, still waters, and still waters running deep.

Water was cited as the foundation of all life: 75% of our planet composition is water, as is true for most plant and animal life. Direct connections were drawn between water, nutrition and sustenance, and environmental health and justice. Many contributors associated water to birth, motherhood, and parenthood. Some spoke of rushing waters carrying the voices of ancestors. Concerns were voiced for rising waters, diminishing shorelines, and the impact on Indigenous peoples. Others spoke of migrations across oceans to Canada.

As lead visual artist, it’s my job to produce a design that reflects contributors and the communities that intersect at the centre, and that threads visual motif, themes, stories, and nuances therein. The design must also be technically and artistically achievable in an open and inclusive studio environment, and have an aesthetic relationship to the neighbourhood – in this case, the Queen West neighbourhood. So, how is this done?

First, I don’t consider myself to be external to a process; I’m not a third party observer who translates. We exchange ideas and goodwill; the learning and sharing is mutual. I reviewed and reflected on all the ideas and notes and images in their totality – all voices, whether a community member contributed to one or three consultations. I looked for related elements, echoes, and threads. I listened closely to the quietest voices, and attributed value to those voices. I recognized differences in perspectives and lived experience. This recognition speaks to our mission as community artists: To produce original artwork that strives for innovation, technical excellence, and that elicits dialogue and creative exchange across difference.

I looked for related elements, echoes, and threads. I listened closely to the quietest voices, and attributed value to those voices. I recognized differences in perspectives and lived experience. This recognition speaks to our mission as community artists: To produce original artwork that strives for innovation, technical excellence, and that elicits dialogue and creative exchange across difference.

Inspired by contributors, I also conducted more text-based research on subjects including native and drought tolerant flowers and shrubs; tree physiology; Mississauga First Nations unceded territories (upon which Greater Toronto is built); the Law of Conservation of Energy; sky lanterns (also known as Chinese lanterns); Atlantic and Pacific salmon; migratory birds in the City of Toronto; and archival footage of Queen Street West from Trinity-Bellwoods Park to Augusta.

CTCHC Community Mosaic, 2012, detail

Finally, I walked about the Queen West neighbourhood, and took many photographs. This field-research was inspired by a young self-identified homeless contributor who said: “Look up. Look down. A lot of people forget to look at their environment. A lot of people don’t want to see me.” I allowed this contributor’s voice to guide me:  to enable me to see more, and differently. I saw: cranes and condominium towers; grasses and Eastern Red Columbine growing out of concrete; shoes strung on hydro lines; discarded coffee cups, feathers, and cigarette butts; sewer grates and birds nests; weathered paint, vacant storefronts, and many new home décor boutiques; and a lot of graf art and tagging.

CTCHC Community Mosaic, 2012, detail

Through the consultation process, contributors shepherd Red Dress Productions’ artistic leadership team, and I steward the progression of this arts-based research into a cohesive design – one that makes room for multiplicities, difference, and echoes.

We presented my first-draft design to 60+ contributors at our final public consultation on April 4, 2012. We invited feedback, which was offered and incorporated into the final design. Shortly thereafter, the studio was opened.

CTCHC Community Mosaic, 2012, detail

Consultation, of which arts-based research is the anchor element, is a collaborative dynamic process. It’s not a linear here to there event. It’s cumulative and circular. It loops, doubles back, and stretches forward to make room for more of us.

It is cultural democracy at work. It is how we make real our belief that all people should have opportunities, access, and tools for shaping their neighbourhoods and communities.

- Anna Camilleri

Lead Visual Artist for CTCHC Community Mosaic Project

Red Dress Productions, Artistic Co-Director

Postscript:

More than 350 community members contributed to the creation of the CTCHC Community Mosaic Project, which was unveiled on Wednesday June 20, 2012.

The CTCHC Community Mosaic Project has been made possible through the support of the Toronto Arts Council, the Ontario Arts Council, and the City of Toronto: Public Realm, Transportation Services, and the TD Bank Group.

CENTRAL TORONTO COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTRES’ (CTCHC)
(Queen West Community Health Centre and Shout Clinic) mission is to act as a resource to improve the health and quality of life of the people and communities we serve. CTCHC achieves this through health promotion, harm reduction, education, community outreach, engagement, development and advocacy, as well as through the provision of innovative primary health care, counselling, support and dental services.

To find out more about CTCHC (168 Bathurst, south of Queen St. West), visit
http://ctchc.com
or call 416-703-8482

RED DRESS PRODUCTIONS (RDP) is a Toronto-based, not-for-profit, professional arts company that creates and disseminates interdisciplinary art and performance projects and works with/in communities on community-engaged public artworks. Since 2005, RDP has: directly engaged 2000+ contributors in the conceptual development and building of 7 community engaged public artwork projects; produced 5 original interdisciplinary stage performances; toured to more than 8 urban and rural Canadian communities; and created 17 paid apprenticeship positions for youth under the age of 25.

To find out more about Red Dress Productions, visit us online at
http://reddressproductions.blogspot.com

All images are courtesy of Red Dress Productions and project photographer Katie Yealland.

---

[1] Community partners include: Sketch, Meeting Place Drop-in (St Christopher House), Scadding Court Community Centre, YMCA House Residence, Youthlink, Supporting Our Youth (Sherbourne Health Centre), and Bleecker Street Co-operative Homes

[2] The 150 contributors cited here are specific to the consultation phase, which informs the conceptual development of the artwork.

Sherbourne Health Centre Mosaic

The Sherbourne Health Centre has partnered with Red Dress Productions to facilitate a community-engaged mosaic project. They will host a reception and official unveiling of the mosaic on Tuesday, June 21 at 7 PM. Refreshments and special guests will be included, as will an opportunity to name the mosaic. Check out this link for more information.

Located at the intersection of Regent Park, St James Town and the Church-Wellesley Village, the Sherbourne Health Centre (SHC) serves a diversity of communities in southeast Toronto. The Centre’s primary concern is providing accessible health care, affording particular attention to Canadian newcomers, the LGBT community, and the homeless and under-housed. As an interdisciplinary community centre, the SHC is more than a traditional health-care provider; outreach, mentoring, health promotion and education programs are central components of their programming. This broad range of services has contributed to the Centre’s role as a place of social connection and engagement for local residents. Providing a welcoming, safe oasis within a rapidly changing area, the SHC has become a neighbourhood hub of inclusive activity and interaction. Although it has only been open for eight years, many local residents have formed close attachments to the SHC, and consider it an essential resource for the surrounding communities.

This local appreciation is evident in the overwhelming participation in the SHC’s mosaic project, which will be mounted on the facility’s exterior wall when completed. In partnership with community-arts facilitator Red Dress Productions, the SHC invited clients and local residents to contribute to the mosaic. After years of thoughtful planning and careful preparation, the project is finally nearing its culmination: the mosaic will be unveiled on Tuesday, June 21. I spoke with lead artist and Red Dress co-founder Anna Camilleri about the project, and how public arts can benefit a community.

Lead artist Anna Camilleri cuts a piece of mosaic tile.

Anna and co-lead artist Tristan R. Whiston are local residents themselves, and have been involved with the Health Centre for years as both artists and mentors. A few years ago, they realized that they would love to spearhead a community-engaged arts venture with the Centre, recognizing its importance within the region. After successfully pitching the idea to the SHC, and securing project funding from the Toronto Arts Council and Ontario Arts Council, Anna and Tristan began the preliminary stages of planning the project.

The difficulty in designing something for community participation, Anna says, is balancing exciting aesthetics with achievability. An essential quality of this project is its total accessibility: Anna and Tristan were adamant about including everyone who wanted to contribute. To accommodate this ethos, they had to ensure a multitude of tasks that could suit a range of participants. The flexible medium of mosaic helped in this regard, as it requires minimal dexterity, and allows for a number of people to work simultaneously. Anna’s design further develops the project’s versatility, by strategically incorporating elements of varying difficulty.

The end result is visually impressive, but the array of contributors is even more extraordinary. Anna tells me that over 300 community members have contributed in some way, offering everything from conceptual ideas to tile-cutting labour. Participants include a wide variety of ages, genders, ethnicities, religions, sexual orientations, artistic experiences, and health statuses. The youngest contributor is two, and the oldest is in her nineties; people with degrees of blindness were also able to contribute, since mosaic is a tactile medium.

In addition to beautifying the neighbourhood, one of the project’s major purposes is to capture the spirit of the Health Centre, and then broadcast that message to local residents. “The current [SHC] building doesn’t really represent the vibrancy of its programs- we heard this from many clients and community members during the consultations,” Anna says. With colourful panels that feature symbolic imagery, Anna hopes to communicate the SHC’s positive atmosphere to the general public.

“We want people to walk by and think, ‘I’m welcome here.’”

As Anna often finds with community-engaged arts, the process itself has proven equally as important as the intended product. It is the first program at the SHC that brings together clients and employees from all of its sectors, providing an anomalous opportunity for inter-disciplinary connection.

“What’s great is that people who come for certain programs get the chance to meet community members who use other [SHC] services. It also brings together the different workers; a chiropractor might be working alongside a maintenance worker or a nurse.”

With music playing in the background while people work in the studio, stories and jokes tend to flow between participants, creating a convivial atmosphere of bonding and trust. The community has enjoyed working on the project so much that, in anticipation of the mosaic’s imminent conclusion, they’ve already started thinking about starting another art project in the neighbourhood.

When asked to offer advice to fellow community arts practitioners, Anna emphasizes one thing: be realistic about your work. Organizing a community-engaged project entails endless tasks and responsibilities, and Anna says it’s easy to underestimate the time commitment required. If the Sherbourne Health Centre mosaic is any example, though, the hard work can lead to both stunning works of public art, and unique opportunities for community rejuvenation.

-

Amy Goudge is the Summer 2011 Membership Intern at the Neighbourhood Arts Network.

RED DRESS PRODUCTIONS (RDP)  creates and disseminates interdisciplinary art and performance projects, and works with/in communities on large-scale, community-engaged public artworks. Founded in 2005 by Artistic Co-Directors Anna Camilleri and Tristan R. Whiston, RDP is particularly interested in collaborative artistic practices, and the interaction between community narratives and urban public space. For information about Red Dress Productions, please visit  
http://reddressproductions.blogspot.com
> or email <reddressproductions@gmail.com>.

All images are courtesy of the Red Dress Productions blog.

STEPS video on art and public space

Check out this video by the Sustainable Thinking and Expression on Public Space (STEPS) Initiative, a group of artists, activists, architects, and academics, collectively promoting sustainable and community-centred public spaces.