Odawa Native Friendship Center 2010
12 Stirling Avenue Ottawa, ON - www.odawa.on.ca

Partners and Location
Our collective partnered with the Odawa Native Friendship Centre as part of the city’s Paint it Up! program. They run support and engagement  programs for all age groups and needs of the aboriginal community. We have worked with them in the past on an indoor mural in their Dreamcatchers youth group meeting room.

Odawa is located on Scott St, very close to areas that have problems with drugs, prostitution and gangs. The outer wall of the parking garage was frequently vandalized, and looks patchy from continuous buffing and painting.

Youth Engagement
Our artists and youth workers ran a five hour Art for Action session with ten aboriginal youth from Odawa's programs. Our goal was to tie aboriginal culture and art forms into urban expression.
The session started with a purifying smudge ceremony and traditional circle, used to introduce the group and talk about what they would like to learn. Discussion covered graffiti as an art form, the impact of vandalism vs legal murals, issues in the community, what they would like to change and how to make a difference in a constructive way.
Participants were encouraged to embrace their cultural roots. They were taught about aboriginal symbols and crafts, and chose animal symbols they felt represented them.

Lessons were given on how to paint with acrylic, use paint markers, ink, stencilling, collaging, as well as outdoor lessons with spray paint. Everyone was given a sketchbook to turn into their own creative space.
Youth collaborated on the production of 10 multimedia canvases based on themes covered in discussion. Themes included honesty, bravery, .....Once the canvases were finished, the group talked about what elements they would like to include in the mural.
The session wrapped up with another circle, where participants talked about what they learned and what they would like to do in future sessions. Response was very positive - everyone learned new things, and wanted us to come back again.

This mural was based around the aboriginal creation myth, incorporating significant animal symbols and styles of eastern Canadian tribes.