July20 Newsletter — Making Art Making Change

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July 2020 — Newsletter

NEW INITIATIVE

On March 14, MAMC faced an unprecedented challenge. In the past, we have worked with diverse groups in studios and classrooms, always with the aim of fostering community through the creation of socially relevant art. How to achieve a similar impact within the dramatically altered landscape of a city-wide lockdown?

Realizing that the pandemic would render Toronto's most vulnerable citizens more isolated than ever, we decided to experiment with new ways to deliver our programs. We knew that virtual programming had huge potential to reach hitherto untapped communities.
We approached women from the communities of Regent Park and Flemingdon Park with whom we had worked on previous projects. Eight participants signed up for eight sessions. In preparation for the project, we mailed each woman a box containing art supplies and a blank accordion book. The boxes were received with much enthusiasm and anticipation for the work. The theme of their book would be: "Your life in the time of Covid-19"

“
Today's class was very fulfilling! Feel inspired to get-to-it in between!!
You two are very special.....Thank you.

Deb, participant

Fouzia sharing her book at the EverGreen Brickworks

“
I loved the session which gave me the feeling that I can learn to draw and that is a brand new feeling at a late time in life. I feel like spending the whole afternoon drawing!

—Trudy, participant

As the project progressed, we found strategies to overcome the challenges in demonstrating skills by making instructional videos, which we uploaded to Youtube. Most heartening was that the women found solace and friendship in the virtual room. The creation of community is vital to all our projects, and seeing it grow was magical. We met in our virtual space twice a week, for "two-ish" hours (we always went over, too busy sharing stories). On July 7th we gathered at the Evergreen Brickworks where the women showed their books, and appreciated each other's work. They celebrated the new bonds and the chance MAMC had offered them to make art together while meeting other women in isolation.

“
Thanks! It was such a real blessing for me to connect with you all today and to hear your many narratives. The unknown and many possibilities await us with this new common ground and art project.

— Edith, participant

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Making Art Making Change is a non-profit charity committed to giving voice to individuals in a group setting within communities through the use of visual arts.

Our experienced artist educators are committed to creating a safe space and engaging projects where participants can explore artistic expression while developing self-awareness, collaboration skills and original creative thinking. Our focus is to facilitate dialogue and collaboration, thereby strengthening community bonds and reducing isolation.

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