Ottawa Street BIA in Hamilton
This past month I have taken a step into a different part of the public art scene within Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) with the iHeART Main Street Program.
iHeART Main Street began as a response in 2020 to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a way to support Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) in response to the difficult circumstances that the world faced. The iHeART Main Street program works with BIAs and local businesses connecting communities through public art activating outdoor spaces and window fronts. iHeART Main Street makes a point to look at the talents of equity-seeking Canadian artists and designers.
Since 2020 STEPS has supported over 50+ BIAs bringing unique and diverse public art projects to the main streets of Ontario. Some examples include: storefront window activations, mural activations, sidewalk decals, ground murals, street pole banners, audio storytelling, park activations, etc.
Maia (Me), Sharon (Artist), Madison (STEPS), and Autumn (Artist) —Photo by: Beth Bierema
I had the chance to connect with the artists and community at the Ottawa Street BIA Sidewalk Sale. We hosted a community paint workshop celebrating the new vinyl pieces on the street posts in Hamilton, ON.
The Ottawa Street BIA worked with two local artists Mishiikenh Kwe / Autumn Smith and Sharon Trottier to create street pole wraps that draw attention to the Indigenous presence in the area.
Sharon's work Exploring Turtles, Dance of the Leaves, Underwater Sanctuary serves as a reminder that “the gifts from Mother Earth must always be appreciated. We must recognize their contribution and connectedness to our ongoing well-being”.
She is a registered psychotherapist and art therapist who worked with Northern Indigenous populations of Canada. She is extremely proud of her Bay of Quinte Mohawk ancestry which she traces back to the 1700s. Her artwork is an ongoing personal and spiritual journey establishing connection to her people's culture and customs.
You can discover more of her work at https://www.sharontrottierart.com/
Photo by: Beth Bierema
Autumn Smith is an Ojibway artist, member of the Caribou clan, and currently resides on Magnetawan First Nation. She is a self-taught painter and her biggest inspiration are the stories from her Grandmother and experiences as a young Anishinaabekwe.
Different Worlds by Autumn Smith uses images of turtles and fish. This piece focuses on how “We can learn from animals, plants and people who have different ways of living and being than we do. Turtles and fish, our knowledgeable teachers and leaders show us how we learn and how we can adapt, and how we can live in harmony with each other and the world around us”.
Discover more about Autumn and her work at https://indigenousartscollective.org/autumn-smith/
Photo by: Beth Bierema
Collaborating and learning from iHeART Main Street I see this as a great example of something positive that came out of the pandemic. As the world shifts towards a “new normal” this is an initiative that is helping communities reconnect with each other and discover what they want in spaces through a creative platform.
As I continue to engage in these different spaces people share their feelings on not wanting go back to how they were living their lives before. In those two years there was a shift in priorities and I can not wait to see how this program continues to move forward. As many local businesses have had to close due to the effects of the pandemic iHeART Main Street has been a way to stimulate economic revenue through art and rediscover our connections with each other.
*** Thank you again for reading! I appreciate the continued support and welcome any comments, questions or suggestions to maiashelbyhay@gmail.com. I apologize for the silence but I have lots of exciting posts coming soon! ***
