Cultivating Creativity:
Community Mural Art Project Video
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This video gives an overview of the community art/youth mural program and what it is trying to achieve through the words of the youth who have participated in the program. Also, it celebrates art by permission, community involvement and youth participation in finding a solution to graffiti.
The video is part of the ongoing plan for solving the graffiti issues in HRM. It will be shown in schools, at conferences, to other municipalities and business commissions.
HRM's Community Art Program engages young people (and emerging) artists by providing new opportunities to work with each other and in their communities to create vibrant and creative murals. |
Project Update: Youth Mural Unveiled at Bedford Highway and Melody Drive
Over 100 community members joined students from Park West School, Clayton Park Junior High, Fairview Junior High, and Halifax West High School to celebrate the official unveiling of their Community Mural on Sunday, March 25, 2007. more...
What are the connections between Art and Graffiti management?
We say art is not just for behind closed doors--it’s a part of everyday life!  Places that are vibrant, attractive, and inviting often use art to showcase their community spirit and cultural identity.
Uninvited Graffiti destroys community spirit and threatens community viability at a number of levels. We know that citizens want graffiti managed in their communities and we also know that community art can be a powerful tool to make that happen.
True Community Art comes from a highly creative process by engaging local artists in developing works of art that capture the essence and identity of the place and the people it represents.
We believe that by working with young artists in communities across the HRM we can achieve two important objectives: communities will be beautified through public art and young citizens will be directly involved in community development. Young emerging artists will also be able to express their own identity through a creative outlet.
This is the essence of the HRM Community Art Pilot Project.
HRM Community Art Pilot Project
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| Sackville youth create a mural for Acadia School. |
HRM Community Development and the Culture & Heritage division will be partnered with key stakeholders to get the Community Art Project off the ground in November of this year.
Two communities were identified to launch the six-month pilot project: Sackville and Herring Cove/Spryfield.
On November 2nd in Sackville and November 20th in Herring
Cove, community gathered to clean-up graffiti and public spaces. Two art projects were unveiled.
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| Youth from the Spryfield & Herring Cove community play drums at the Community Cleanup event, Nov. 20th, where their artwork was unveiled. |
Following these events, other HRM communities and emerging young artists will be involved in creating community art projects. This pilot project will take place between November and March 2007.
We anticipate that the Community Art Pilot Project will be a great success and will lead to more future art initiatives to help implement both the HRM Graffiti Management Plan and Cultural Plan.
Meet HRM's Mural Artist: Kate MacLennan
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| Kate scopes out a spot for the Sackville community mural. |
Kate has been hired by HRM to assist in the Sackville and Herring Cove Community Art Projects.
Kate MacLennan is a local artist in Halifax with a background in both
art and education.
She graduated from York University with her Bachelor of
Fine Arts in Visual Arts. Kate then went on to volunteer in West Africa
where she taught art to children from kindergarten to grade six at the
International Neo-Humanist School in Ejura, Ghana.
After traveling through
the continent she returned to Canada and went on to complete her Bachelor of
Education at Queen's University, in the Outdoor and Experiential Education
program. Kate also wrote and taught the first high school course to
integrate visual arts and outdoor adventure in Canada, at Boundless High
School.
Kate has owned her own mural painting business for ten years:
painting both commercial and residential murals. Her work will be seen in
the new Ronald McDonald House Family Room at the IWK Health Centre in Halifax.
Creativity will drive us forward!
Do you have any creative ideas for how HRM’s communities can continue to develop as healthy and vibrant places? If so, please share them with us!
For more information on the Community Art Pilot project, please contact:
Kate MacLennan
Halifax Regional Municipality
490-4408
maclenk@halifax.ca
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