We Are Here – Moss Graffiti Project with the South Hill Education Centre (Art Class Students)

Posted on July 31, 2012 by juliana

There has been a debate in the media about the abrupt termination of the moss graffiti project I started on July 23rd with the art class group at the South Hill Education Centre, as one of the components of our We Are Here Community Mapping Project:

http://blogs.canoe.ca/davidakin/energy/todays-lesson-pipelines-are-evil/

http://www.torontosun.com/2012/07/30/vancouver-graffiti-artist-dismissed-from-mural

http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/News/local/2012/07/30/20045756.html

After having two inspiring sessions with the students, where the participants had the chance to identify or “map” different issues of their individual and collective concern present in their community/neighbourhood, along with a great photo-shoot session, the group agreed on presenting 5 different proposals that were intended to be installed in one of the walls of the Sunset Community Centre using the moss graffiti technique.

After presenting them during the second session, they concluded with one great proposal that included one of the portraits taken during the first session and a tag line or message reflecting on the common environmental issues addressed somehow in all the small group proposals pitched before: “How green are you?”

Even though the project was stopped before its completion, I would like to continue working with this amazing group of students that generated a very interesting moss graffiti mural proposal, and extend an open invitation to each one of the participants to complete this project outside their art class schedule and outside the South Hill art class curriculum.

I really value, respect the community art process the students already started and think their participation is very important until the full completion of the project they were invited to actively take part on.

Juliana Bedoya

Canada Day at Sunset Community Centre

Posted on July 4, 2012 by flick

For the second year in a row, Something Collective set up shop at the Canada Day Celebrations at Sunset Community Centre.

This was part of our ongoing project “We Are Here,” a community mapping art experiment in which we try to see the neighbourhood visually through dance, music, video, puppets and more.

Eventually we’ll have an online, interactive map that combines all these elements into one space.

See more about this mapping project…

Patterning the Community at Sunset Community Centre

Posted on June 10, 2012 by juliana

On the morning of June 9th the rear windows of Sunset Community Centre’s foyer were transformed into an enormous glass canvas in celebration of the rich diversity and multiculturalism in the Sunset Neighbourhood. Patterning the Community was an interactive and collaborative window mural project with artist Juliana Bedoya that was based on patterns, images and markings that paid homage to our diverse ethnic backgrounds.

Using black ink, around 30 community members young and old contributed to this temporary decorative art installation. The window mural activity engaged community members to the point that some of them were very inspired and worked for a long period of time on their cultural patterns. These included Punjabi writing, the French fleur de lis, clouds, rain, Indian and Chinese symbols, Japanese flowers, Latin and African inspired geometric shapes, a Taiwanese boat, a Jewish star of David, the city of Vancouver, batman and other multicultural traces were left on the window panels.

People also had the chance to participate in the four activities facilitated by artist Laura Barron happening on the tables at the lobby that directed them to create each challenge with a different medium on a specific surface (ie. chalk on black construction paper; colored pencil on notecards) created an attractive and consistent aesthetic.