Portrait of Daniela Rocha Street artist

On assignment: taken during a collaboration with  @panampath  and steps initiative from our 2017 for a project called TRANSFORMATIONS CONNECTED

“Always looking to animate unlikely spaces in a meaningful way, this female-led mural series integrates various designs, styles, and shapes featured below the Gardiner at the confluence of the Martin Goodman and Lower Don Trails (Lake Shore Blvd & Cherry).

The project responds to the many evolutions this site has experienced over the years. Originally, a marsh, the Port Lands were used for industrial activities, and later a dump site for old ammunition and construction waste. This dumping resulted in the creation of the Leslie Street Spit, which has been reclaimed over the years by seeds, plant matter, and local fauna—specifically birds—as the result of natural ecological regeneration.
”
— https://stepsinitiative.com/project/toronto-public-art-mural-transformations-connected-fathima-mouhidden-meera-sethi-stephanie-bellefleur-daniela-rocha-panam-path/

Daniela Rocha has been creating #publicart in #Toronto and #Colombia for over three years. Her work is inspired by her #LatinAmerican roots and love for #nature. Her #murals are characterized by #bold #colour, #texture, and references to the natural world.

Daniela Rocha is _muisca_ on instagram

Reclamate the river: mural project

On assignment _ a group of local students taking part in a mural project by cobechenonk (the Humber river) with the help of the Friends of the PanAm path and their mentor Jason baerg. I love a project like this!

“Jason Baerg is a Cree Métis curator, educator, and visual artist. As a visual artist, he pushes new boundaries in digital interventions in drawing, painting and new media installation. Often through means of visual abstraction, Baerg’s projects work with various themes such as language, the Anthropocene, and Indigenous connections to land and the environment.

Dedicated to community development, Baerg founded Métis Artist Collective and has served as volunteer Chair for organizations such as the Aboriginal Curatorial Collective and the National Indigenous Media Arts Coalition. ”
— https://fazakasgallery.com/artists/jason-baerg

Anishinaabe creation story and Philip Cote.

On assignment - Philip Cote, “Noodjmowin” – Moose Deer Point First Nation Shawnee, Lakota, Potawatomi, Ojibway and Algonquin
Philip Cote is an artist, an educator, a Sundancer, a Pipe Carrier, a Sweat Ceremony leader, and a member of the Eagle Society.

Working on a mural project in collaboration with Kwest & Jarus under Old mill Station,

“Cote’s circular murals depicting the Anishinaabe creation story are a public art commission for the Pan Am Path, the 80-kilometer path that will eventually link walking and cycling paths across the city.

For Cote, the murals are a chance to share Indigenous history and science, informed by a spiritual understanding — typical of Indigenous thought.

”The whole idea of this mural is a small seed that’s going to get planted and it’s going to go somewhere,” said Cote. “It’s the creation story of the Anishinaabe people, so we’re talking about a different way of looking at the world.””
— https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/programs/metromorning/old-mill-bridge-transformed-into-canvas-for-indigenous-art-1.4213284

Canoeing and Cobechenonk (Humber River) Shadow Show

Took Part in a local event called Cobechenonk Shadow Canoe Show. You get to paddle down the Humber River while experiencing a shadow puppet show the group By Drawing With Knives Presented by Balance Bringers

“We can tell you that our relationship to Cobechenonk (Humber River) goes much deeper than 150 years. We can telll you that the river has been an important waterway since time immemorial. That it continues to be a significant site for many Indigenous people. We can tell you many things about Cobechenonk, but actually, we’d rather invite you to board one of our canoes and experience it for yourself.

Explore and share stories of the river and teachings about water, the animals, plants, and ancestors of the river past and present. Paddle a canoe with us as these stories are brought to life by shadow puppetry. Or if you prefer to stay on land, sit and share food, songs and stories from Elders and hand drummers. A fire will be lit.
Presented by Eventual Ashes and the Balance Bringers
Elders: Wanda Whitebird, Ma-Nee Chacaby, Blu Waters
Directed by Gein Wong, Producer Erika Pulfer
Shadow Puppetry By Drawing With Knives”