Raven's View

   The Canada Dance Festival is putting on HipHop360 here in Ottawa from June 19-23. There will be bboys/bgirls, MC's, DJ's and graff. And the big finale on Saturday is the amazing House of Paint.

As part of this, I'm putting on an exhibition in the foyer of the NAC, by the fountain. Big thanks toNoora and Jamie and all the rest of the NAC "gang" for making htis happen. The exhibition will be there from June 18 to 25th. (Update - exhibit stays until after Canada Day - big ups to the NAC)

There will be 15 photos from the past House of Paint events, 15 photos of graffiti from a number of Canadian cities, and 4 canvases by local graff artists. In addition, I've set up a graff demo by four local graff artists. It's June 19, on an NAC terrace, facing the canal. 

Here are some views of the exhibit itself:

There's a great article in today’s Citizen on a local mover and shaker – see http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/arts/story.html?id=9eb514b3-3e64-4fd4-afd9-139c9a818d5f  The title is cute, but sacrifices accuracy for alliteration- the author must have noticed that this art is far more than a scrawl.

I’ve worked with Sabra for a few years on various projects. She’s into building communities and also bridging between them – such as the virtual hip-hop community and the physical neighbourhood. As a true leader, she provides the vision and direction, and then builds and motivates a strong team to work together to reach their objectives. This year's House of Paint, that she's coordinating as part of the Canada Dance Festival HipHop360, has a site here.

There has been an increased effort locally to control graffiti by focusing on eradication and criminalization, based on a “tough on crime” mandate and narrow focus. This summer will be an opportunity in Ottawa to use legal walls and mural projects to break down some of the virtual walls we’ve seen raised between “us” and “them”. An opportunity to build on the support and vision already shown by some, to encourage more open and creative attitudes and approaches – from city staff, police, council, and residents.

I'll also be going thru the report City Staff had prepared, in an attempt to clarify some of what they had presented as evidence to support their claims - especially that which is anecdotal, or outdated, or not applicable to the issues unique to Ottawa. If anyone out there is good at research (especially on-line) and can assess info from a logical point of view - I'd appreciate the help.

As many of you know, one of my resources in Toronto has been the group CAVE (Communities Advancing Valued Environments), I’ve been able to both learn from them and contribute some of my ideas. They  “empower and engage individuals to become active participants in transforming their communities” – which has included a number of successful neighbourhood transformations using graffiti murals to bridge between youth, property owners, and community residents. At my last meeting with them it was suggested (and I accepted) that I prime their first expansion, to Ottawa. I’m looking forward to using the resources and experiences of CAVE to add to mix here in Ottawa.

Their main site is at www.communitycave.com

Feb 23 -I sent the following email in to City Staff here in Ottawa. No response on it as of March 18. They are open to the idea of legal areas, but I thought I'd add more info and persuasion. This email went to those developing a graffiti control program: namely Leslie Vanclief and Paul McCann (Service Operations), Walter Duhme (Orleans - Ottawa police anti-graffiti), and the councilors with the walls in their wards, Clive Doucet (House of Paint) and Diane Holmes (Tech Wall). Also copied my local councilor, Bob Monette.

Big thanks to Sabra for her word-smithing; stay tuned in here for info on the annual House of Paint event she is coordinating again -this year as part of Canada Dance Festival's HipHop 360.

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Leslie,

I understand that you have some meetings coming up about Ottawa’s illegal graffiti and the different elements of a graffiti management program. As you know, I have been focusing on ways to encourage the positive artistic side of graffiti. I've put together some information on the subject that you might find interesting.   

In recent years I have been looking at legal, open walls, as well as commissioned one time pieces, and it is my belief that both are important elements in an effective graffiti management program.

Legal walls, on the one hand, provide an area for young, creative artists to express themselves freely, in the true spirit of graffiti art, with minimal rules and the knowledge that their pieces will be temporary, soon be replaced by another artists’ work. Despite the volume of use that some of these areas receive, careful site planning can minimize any issues of “bleeding” to other structures. In addition, it is often found that the quality of work at these legal walls is significant, as youth are given the opportunity to work on their creations in a worry free environment.

Commissioned pieces, on the other hand, entail working with the same young artists frequenting the legal walls to cover trouble spots with colourful and creative murals. This approach helps youth not only by providing short term employment but also by assisting in the long term development of a positive work ethic and personal skills such as project conceptualization and follow through.

Both approaches replace the thrill of illegality and recognition within a relatively small underground community with the positive feedback of public recognition by other artists, as well as community at large, and provide opportunities for youth to develop as artists. Thus adding a fifth element to the four “E”’s of Eradication, Empowerment, Education and Enforcement – that of Enjoyment. In addition, once these large pieces are done, tagging over that area is seldom an issue.

Legal Walls

The City of Gatineau has had several legal walls in place for a number of years, and they are considered a successful component of their graffiti management program. The Gatineau walls consist of free standing 8x12 foot walls in several parks as well as some free zones on bridge underpasses. Local youth, seeing these walls established to provide them an outlet for expression, realize that the community listens to their interests, so that relations with them have improved.

One legal wall already exists in Ottawa: The House of PainT, located under the Bronson Avenue Dunbar bridge. This was established in 2003 with the cooperation of the City of Ottawa, City Councilor Clive Doucet, and the Ottawa South Community Association, after a proposal by Ottawa South resident Sabra Ripley. Since then this legal wall has been used as the focal point for a successful yearly hip-hop festival, enjoyed by the community (young and old) and attracting local artists as well as crews from Toronto and Montreal. In addition, there is a year round changing display of graffiti by local artists enjoyed by community members and students, who often use the walking path to move between Ottawa South and Carleton University.

The Ottawa Tech Wall, on the school board property at Slater and Bronson, is a semi-legal area, in that it has been tolerated and used actively for over 15 years. Internationally recognized artists such as Juan Carlos Noria, Pat Thompson and John Brownfield started the wall years ago and, like many others, they have used it as a stepping stone to a formal career in art. The Tech Wall, also known as the Piece Park wall, also serves as an attractive backdrop to an inner city area, and is enjoyed every day by commuters along Slater Street.

Other cities, such as St. John’s, have put in place legal areas, with varying degrees of success. Two elements seem to be careful placement relative to other areas, and designing as part of an overall management strategy.   

I am currently working with my local City Councilor, Bob Monette, to establish a legal graffiti area this summer at the Orleans Sportsplex Skateboard Park. This will be patterned after the wooden walls used by the City of Gatineau.

Commissioned Pieces

Commissioned pieces, as part of a graffiti deterrence approach, have been used in Toronto as part of a successful 10 year program known as the Toronto Graffiti Transformation Project. This project funds local community groups to use graffiti art to alleviate the problem of youth unemployment and inspire neighborhood improvements. Through the program young artists are hired to target areas frequently plagued with illegal graffiti – they work with land and business owners on designs and help to cover problem areas with permanent murals.

The benefits to this approach include reduction in tagging, community beautification, youth engagement and employment, and dialogue between city officials, business and private land owners, and youth.  “Graduates” of the program have gone on to art school or to pursue careers in the field of art, occasionally working to establish other legal painting areas.

Here in Ottawa, some enterprising youths formed a ‘crew’ last summer, approached the landlord of Interpares on Laurier East with a design, and were paid to do a full length composition.  The wall, which had been frequently vandalized, remained tag free for months.

Commissioned or not, legal or not, graffiti art has become an admired aspect of the urban landscape.  Large pieces have been used as backdrops for advertisements, videos and films, even the CBC’s Rick Mercer stages his weekly “rant”  is against the artistic graffiti background of a downtown Toronto alley. Also in Toronto, Constable Scott Mills of Division 14 took a novel approach to the tackling the problem of local alleys that were plagued with garbage, tags, and drug dealers. He organized store owners and local youth to clean up and repaint the laneway – filling it with murals. Now you’re more likely to see tourists in there, snapping pictures of the urban art.

In Ottawa, areas like Tech Wall and House of PainT draw artists and art appreciators from across the city.  People using the parks associated with both walls indicate a general fascination with the art, appreciate the colours put up on otherwise grey concrete spaces, and enjoy the fact that the art is so often changing. 

I could speak more about the over all value of graffiti and free art, but I’ll stop here and share some links that you may find interesting and helpful as you work to find an effective resolution to the question of graffiti, here in the nations’ capital.

Please keep me in the loop as to how the discussions are going and don’t hesitate to contact me should you have any questions or require further information.   

Sincerely,

Mike Young

www.ravensview.ca

Articles and Websites

Gatineau Graffiti Management Program – http://www.adogatineau.ca/graffiti/index.asp

St. John’s legal wall - http://creativecity.ca/resources/project-profiles/St-John's-Legal-Wall.html

Toronto Graffiti Transformation Program - http://www.toronto.ca/graffiti/graffiti_transformation.htm

Toronto Observer story on Scott Mills’ project - http://tobserver.centennialcollege.ca/cycleoctnov2007/6-11-17-JoshGraffiti.html

Community report on House of Paint - www.oldottawasouth.com/oscar/200311/november.pdf

Pictures

House of Paint opening (2003) http://www.flickr.com/photos/ravensview/sets/554921/

Tech Wall – http://www.flickr.com/photos/ravensview/106152403/in/set-190870/

                 - http://www.flickr.com/photos/ravensview/156836041/in/set-190870/

                 - http://www.flickr.com/photos/ravensview/181215596/in/set-190870/

Gatineau Walls - http://www.flickr.com/photos/ravensview/211984334/in/set-72057594121026661/

Interpares (Laurier) -  http://www.flickr.com/photos/ravensview/168377573/in/set-190870/

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Last Friday night on my blog's calendar I had several things I wanted to get to - so I did them all. And as luck would have it a friend was looking for an excuse to get out and dance, so I dragged her along too.

We started at La Petite Mort Gallery, then to the World Beats & Eats fundraiser, then to Disorganized in the basement of the Clocktower, then upstairs for some Timekode. And by 2:30 I was bagged, and ready for a cab to S'Norleans.

La Petite Mort, the first stop, opened back in October of 2005, and has a constantly changing collection of works - it's always pushing the edge. As described by owner/curator Guy Berube:

As contemporary art and industrial design have come to occupy an increasingly larger space in the consciousness of today's consumers, the line between "design" and "art" continues to blur, even at times to disappear. Consequently, La Petite Mort has created a new space dedicated to exploring this shifting, evolving dialogue. The new gallery will present work which bridges these two disciplines, fusing craft and production, art and design, outsider and mainstream, designer and producer. This is an approach which we've followed from the early days of being artists and designers, and we are now positioned to pursue it in a much more focused way.

Last night's vernissage was for a show running until the end of January, by Sherry Tomplaski. It's entitled Jewelled Body Parts, and is in her words:

"Psychological realism. For the past 20 years as a psychiatrist, I have tried to help people make sense of their inner life, and in a sense, my paintings are that inner life made visible.

The Jeweled Body Parts Exhibition is a natural outgrowth of my Body Language Series, which was recently featured in Brazil's psychological magazine "Mente & Cerebro".

Jeweled Body Parts examines feminine beauty, objectification, and the desire to be complete. I have chosen to express this with playful bold designs and subliminal images".

So, ranting aside, the evening continued at World Beats and Eats - usually held at the Mercury Lounge in the Market but this time "due to the expected overwhelming success" was moved to the larger SAW Gallery, on Nicholas. Good plan, as it was very popular, as usual.The art consisted of collections of posters from a number of recurring events in the past year - including those by La Petite Mort, Spins and Needles, and World Beats and Eats. Nibblies were great, especially the chocolate-chili cookies. Beats started with Emily Jones, as usual - I meant to get a better pic this time but missed her before she took off for her regular Friday night at e18hteen, at 18 York. I guess I was too busy sipping my beer and flirting with all the charming ladies and passing out business cards to my blog and pics. The next DJ, Benmore, was ready to start the dancing, so Brad started pushing back tables after the raffle. Unfortunatley, we had to move on - places to go, people to do.

We got to the Clocktower around 10:15 - as it was to start at 10, but when we got downstairs there were only a few there already, mostly to help set up I think. Someone came over to where we were sitting there to clarify that it was to be DJ's and dancing - if we were at the pub for food we should go upstairs. We assured him we were there for Disorganized. He seemed surprised for some reason - might have been all my grey hair, as the crowd tends to be mostly in their 20's. The music had started early but for the next hour, although a lot started to pack in, all the kids looked like they were at their parent's cocktail party - standing there with drinks in their hand and talking. Some had the occasional spasm of dance, but it never lasted more than a few beats. However, eventually a critical mass was attained, and the chain reaction started. We joined the crowd, and spent the next hour or so prancing and dancing up by the DJ's. Spinning for us were Juiceboxxx and Dreskull, and a few others. Ir was a great blend of hip hop and samples from back as far as the 60's, they kept it rolling along and the crowd pumped up. My partner was very energetic and appreciative of the music so we just kept on dancing - until I REALLY had to go to the can. By then it was waaay over the legal limit in there, with a line of the fashionably late waiting all the way up the stairs. So, if you left for the can - that was it, you were out and at the back of the line. We figured we had danced enough for one night anyways, so just headed upstairs, where it was much quieter (and cooler).