Raven's View

The Ottawa Sun came last weekend and talked with us (Ottawa Urban Arts) about our work. We were a little cautious after some of the negative spin we'd received, but they showed a balanced understanding of some of the issues, and a desire to learn more. The reporter, Tony Spears,  wanted to talk about the Paint It Up! program and what projects we had done so far, and their impact. He spent a while with us at the Jules Morin field house wall, part of the Lowertown project we are doing, also was a photographer there for some shots of artists at work. He made a short video too, all here on the article.

It was as a good article, focusing mainly on the positive work we were doing, and of course attracted comments - many negative, some positive. And apparently attracted a few letters to the editor - trash talking us and our past. 

We've decided that debating our history is time consuming and a losing battle - our detractors don't seem that interested in facts or any possible positive effects. What is relevant to us - and the program - is the positive impact we know our work is having on the community groups and youth we work with - and we know this from comments in the sessions as well as written feedback after the events. I added a comment to the Sun article to that effect, as follows:

Thanks for the positive coverage of this program. The $50,000, compared to a total police budget of $300 million, is money well spent, spent mainly on supplies by the way, plus a modest youth fee - ee won't get rich from this.
We have had positive feedback from community members, youth program coordinators, and youth themselves. They like both the collaborative design process and the finished murals. In the workshops the youth have learned to express themselves better on their own issues, via the various media we use, and have demonstrated some positive behavioural changes to the concepts and role models we have shown them.
And that's what is really relevant here - positive changes to communities and youth via art.
That's our passion. 

I'm moving next week - from my house in S'Norleans to a rental apartment in Parkdale area. Time for my accommodation to catch up with my urban lifestyle.

It's been a challenge getting rid of things - it helps to have a friend do it with you, as they are a little more objective. Also helps for packing, as they just fill the boxes rather than reminiscing over ever single item.

I've been using Kijiji to sell things, it's a great way, easy to use and free. I'm wondering, does anyone use the hard copy classified's anymore? Part of the new lean and mean paradigm for print newspapers I guess. Here's the stuff I have currently:

• 21" colour TV
• 8000 BTU window air conditioner
• Ikea kitchen table
• Ikea desk with drawer unit
• Ikea desk with dresser
• Holwick #4A coffee mill

Please check it out, need it all gone by Aug 29th.

Sept 16th update - mixed results with Kijiji - decided to keep TV and kitchen table for now, no good offers on air conditioner so just left it in the window. Nothing on the coffee mill, maybe I need to bring it to a consignment store. 

The Citizen published a positive article last weekend on a mural on the wall of the Ottawa Mission. It's one of several walls being done by our group, Ottawa Urban Arts. It's part of the city's Paint It Up! program, sponsored by Crime Prevention Ottawa, designed to prevent tagging, redirect "youth at risk", and also beautify the city.

I was called yesterday about a couple of emails the Citizen had received, one anonymous, one from a Peter Lamar. Content was similar to ones we saw last year-alleges our artists are all currently active graffiti vandals, a selection of photos from the past few years of various tags - most of the photos taken illegally from on-line sites, and a warning to prospective customers not to hire us.

We have tried to get these people to see the positive side of what we do - not interested. They focus on the past, missing the point that often a person's past helps them relate better to current issues - and to others in similar situations.

Here's the article the Citizen published today - could have been more supportive I think, too bad they gave a voice to this vocal minority.

And here's what I sent in today as a Letter to the Editor.

Note - I found out later they did check Lamar's background, and what they found was not relevant to the story. So I asked myself, what did they find? I did a Googlefor the words Peter Lamar Ottawa, and found several entries for that name and location, one about helping in a rescue, and several describing charges in 2005 of 27 Criminal Code offenses, including trafficking in firearms. I've no idea if that is the same person, no idea if the charges stuck. I would hope that whomever this was, they were given the opportunity to reform their ways and the support to do so, and also to learn to help others heading down the same path.

Just as our artists do with the youth we work with. 

Anyways - the letter to the Editor...