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EMPOWERING KIDS THROUGH CREATIVITY
A Project in St. James Town Supported by The South Rosedale Ratepayers'
Association
Art City is all about bringing out the best in kids, kids who need
a helping hand to get ahead. It's not about turning them into little
Picassos. The art is a tool, a means to allow them to explore their
world and express themselves.
What we are creating here is a safe environment, both physically
and emotionally. With art, anything goes and there are no rules.
Here kids are able to use their imagination and here they are encouraged
to think creatively, outside of the box, to express themselves through
the medium.
It's empowering and it's freeing. There are no mistakes in art and
no judgements.
Working through art, we want these kids to take risks, to try new
things, explore new territories and, mostly, we want them to connect
to who they are and to their own strengths.
But, when it comes right down to it, we really want them to have
fun. And they are, they're having a ball. 
On another level, Art City is about partnerships - a sense of community
and building a neighbourhood. Where would our City be without art
and artists? The most vibrant neighbourhoods in Toronto - Yorkville,
Queen Street West and King-Spadina, the theatre district, became
what they are today because of the power of art, in all its forms.
When we were fill out a grant application for Art City, we came
to the question, "What economic impact, if any, will your project
have?" The answer we gave was this - We know that there has been
for a long time a pocket of artists in the neighbourhood at Howard
and Glen Road - but in the last nine months the neighbourhood has
seen the opening of two non-profit studios (Art City six months
ago - and a couple of months earlier the opening of the Sculpture
School and Studio by the founder of Greenwin Developments - Al Green)
We hope in a small way that the immediate neighbourhood could be
known for its art and at the same time revitalize the neighbourhood.
Does that translate into dollars? We think it's worth much more.
We are thrilled that the City of Toronto publicly proclaimed today
(May 24, 2001) "Toronto Youth Arts Day" and cited Art City as an
example of good works. One of our sponsors, Crayola, is rolling
out a national public and media awareness campaign to spread the
message that art makes you smart - it's actually called "art grows
brains". And they're promoting Art City as a way to demonstrate
the intrinsic value of art.
So what are we doing in the future? Next week we are involved in
the Arts and Culture Festival associated with the Toronto 2008 Olympic
Bid and will have our first exhibition outside our studio with an
assigned professional artist and Olympic athlete supporting our
studio. The kids are excited about the prospect of displaying and
possibly selling some art work at Loblaws' new flagship store on
Queens Quay.
The Subtonic Monks are going to be training the kids during the
summer months to do improvisional performances using the Zoose-Mobiles
and will be performing in the Cabbagetown Fall Fair.
One of the suggestions from the kids when we opened in December
2000 was to have an art camp in the summer months and, with the
generous installation of air conditioning by Medallion Properties,
we hope to be able to raise the money to extend the hours of the
studio and do just that.
This is just the beginning. The opportunities are limitless and
I quarantee that you will be hearing a lot more about Art City in
the months and years ahead. But I'm here today to say we could not
have done it without your support. Thank you. (Speech by Lori Martin,
Chairperson of the Art City Board of Directors at the Official Opening
of Art City on May 24, 2001) (Click here to see ArtCity in action.)
For more information about Art City, contact Lori Martin, Chairperson,
Board of Directors of Art City, at lmartin2@city.toronto.on.ca.
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