Nannygoat Community Gardens
Ottawa, ON

Partners and Location
Our collective partnered with Youth Services Bureau and Nanny Goat Hill, a community garden located above Tech wall. The mural space, also known as Tech 2, is a retaining wall inside the garden. located just above Tech wall at Bronson and Slater. It has been painted regularly since the 90s, as an accepted but not legal "second wall".

Rosemary Taylor and Leslie-Ann Paveling, garden coordinators, wanted to find out how to make this an official legal wall, in the hopes that continuous creative attention would improve the atmosphere. When this request was not accepted by the city, they collaborated with the local graffiti community in a joint effort to beautify the space. Two smaller walls in the garden were also done as part of the project.

Youth Engagment
Youth from YSB attended a number of meetings with garden coordinators and our artists . Discussions covered the social impact of street art vs vandalism and methods of positive community involvement, as well as mural design possibilities. The garden donated a patch of land to youth participants, providing space to grow their own plants.

Rosemary reached out through many avenues to residents of the entire neighborhood. People of all ages and walks of life were invited to an info session to give input on the design. The YSB group were encouraged to lead discussions with community members, as well as contribute their own ideas. Local children brought drawings done on recycled paper and organic vegetables. Suggestions included natural elements (Animals, plants, gardening), and the theme “We grow as one”, to represent the partnership between the garden and the graffiti community.

Mural
Painting with the group was done over 2 days. Ten youth - some redirected vandals - worked with ten local graffiti artists to scrape and prime the wall. Participants were then guided through mapping out a mural and painting techniques. The second day, other local youth and community members were invited to participate in the painting, and to leave their handprint on the wall.

Members of the community, city staff and local councillors (such as Diane Holmes) were invited to come to a ribbon cutting ceremony and celebratory event.
Feedback was positive - This project has given the space a completely different atmosphere.