Artasia at Tansley Woods
YMCA Day Camp
🖌️ Artist Educators: Sophie Zuccolo, Meshach Pathmathaneswaran
Crafting our Stories
Participants explored their identities by creating personalized badges out of upcycled fabric and markers that represent them, their identity and their culture. Through these creations, participants expressed what brings them joy, what is important to them, and what makes them unique. Each art piece became a tangible expression of their individuality and heritage.
The kids engrossed themselves in this activity, some making up to five badges each! Their badges showcased their favourite animals, foods, characters, games, hobbies, and music. One artist made a badge depicting her and her younger brother, as family is an important part of her identity. One child made an array of badges for different car brands he likes, including Korean cars like Hyundai and Kia and German ones like BMW. He talked about which cars are best in operation and for the environment, and spoke about how electric cars are good, but our infrastructure has to change first. He said that in his opinion hybrids are the best cars and the most efficient. He told me about how his dream is to run his own car company when he grows up. I was impressed by his breadth of knowledge and passion at such a young age and his awareness of caring for the environment. He said he liked upcycling the fabric to make art instead of throwing it away.
When We March
Participants worked in small groups to create vibrant banners and flags out of upcycled fabric that expressed their shared values and messages, gluing pieces together and adding words and designs with paint and markers. We invited participants to reflect on the question: “What matters to you?”. We hung some around the room with string and attached others to sticks from outside so they could be waved around like flags.
The kids enthusiastically jumped into this activity, with most taking the approach of finding a partner with a common interest and working together to make a banner dedicated to their passion. Subjects for the banners included food, science, lego, sleeping, love, pets, Garfield, Roblox, cars, and Sponge Bob. There were several banners made showcasing the artists’ love for nature and their desire to save the Earth. These symbols of unity highlighted the importance of solidarity and the power of coming together for a common cause. One unique banner was made for the artists’ band, K Kids! The artists’ informed me that the members are them and their friends. They illustrated the silhouettes of the band members and embellished the lettering. Another artist has a passion for dogs. He was inspired by the paw print fabric and drew a dog with marker as well. His dog’s name is Tank and he loves him very much.
Connection with Land and Environment
Participants created botanical prints on squares of fabric with flower pounding and natural tie dye. We collected some of the artists’ pieces this week to combine into a large picnic blanket for our exhibition at Supercrawl. This week’s activities emphasize the beauty of nature and the importance of shared spaces for communities to gather and celebrate togetherness. I gathered the plants we used from natural spaces around Dundas, which included sumac, dandelions, black eyed Susans, purple coneflowers, yellow toadflax, red maple leaves, birds foot trefoil, purple crown vetch, butterfly bush, Japanese maple leaves, and African daisies.
The kids were amazed by the flower pounding, as many had never seen the method before and thought it looked like magic. They enjoyed the tie dye as well, though some weren’t fond of the smell of beets or turmeric. They created many beautiful pieces, which we encourage you to browse in the gallery below. One artist’s work that stood out had a creative concept, where the mirrored flower print on each side is supposed to represent a reflection in water. He drew with a blue fabric marker to indicate water which reflects the land created by the green pigment.
Wearable Designs & Sustainability
Participants upcycled scrap materials to create unique, expressive pieces of wearable art. These pieces showcased their individuality, creativity, and self-expression. They reflected on how their clothing choices express their personal style and identity, the importance of sustainability, and how they can creatively repurpose materials to make something new.
The kids were a little apprehensive about the open prompt and the amount of materials at first, but quickly embraced the activity. There were a lot of headbands, top hats, and unique creations such as skirts, goggles, rings, necklaces, lanyards, eye masks, and goodie bags. The kids were very engaged by the activity and as a result were a little reluctant to clean up. Some were working on their pieces right up until the last few seconds before they left for a swim! One artist made a headband using pipe cleaners and pink ribbon, smartly deciding to reinforce it with wire for stability. She was very clever and used her handheld fan to help the glue dry quicker. Another artist made a necklace that demonstrates her proficiency with patterns. She told me about how she incorporated four different patterns into her piece: hot pink and light pink, blue and purple, red and white, and pink and blue. A top-hat became the setting for a story about a family of penguins and their security system that keeps them safe from the monsters.
A Feast of Stories
Participants made pretend food items out of felt and craft paper, creating recipes both real and imaginary that reflect the diverse cultures and experiences within our community. We pondered the cultural and social significance of food as a means of connection and celebration, and as a group discussed our favourite dishes, the role of food in our lives and communities, and celebrated the power of shared meals and the stories they tell. We also explored different kinds of “recipes” beyond food, asking participants to think creatively about what constitutes a recipe for happiness, love, and other elements of a thriving community.Â
The kids made a wide variety of food items, including ice cream, pizza, cupcakes, doughnuts, milkshakes, lollipops, pasta, fries, burgers, salad, sandwiches, pie, sushi, and Oreos. One pair of girls worked together to make ten different food items, on top of plates and a menu! There were two artists that decided to create doughnuts with accompanying recipe cards. Another artist utilized their excellent cursive and penmanship, and the other created a detailed ingredient list. One artist decided to work in 3D, creating fries and a burger. Yellow paper was used for the fries, and red felt to construct the uniquely shaped container. The bun of the burger was created with felt, hot glue, and scrap fabric as stuffing.
