Indigenous Initiatives celebrates mural unveiling with School of Fashion and Jewellery at ribbon cutting ceremony.
The fourth-floor atrium is a place to gather, eat, work, and connect for many students at the George Brown College Casa Loma campus.
An artistic addition was made to the space by three fashion program students.
AJ Valerio, Emily Kang, and Maemaengwahn “Maemae” Fam-Ducharme have created three murals in the space, related to and inspired by the indigenous culture, the fashion, jewellery, and design aspects, and the diversity of communities.
The ribbon cutting ceremony was held on Nov. 1 where Rosa Fracassa, chair for the School of Fashion and Jewellery, introduced the artists and the ideas behind the murals.
The murals are made in partnership with Indigenous Initiatives, who hosted the mural opening ceremony.
“This spring, I had the opportunity to work closely with three of our amazing students. They were able to share a little bit of the vibrancy that this hub embodies for students and staff. It is no longer just a pass through. It took several months to bring this work together. But we hope that you’ve started to enjoy the artwork around the middle,” said Fracassa.
The three artists were approached to create the murals such that the artwork was interactive and also incorporated the various departments present on the floor. They shared their experiences building the murals and what each artwork means to them.
Fam-Ducharme’s mural, which stands facing the Indigenous Initiatives centre, was inspired by the woodland style painting which is a form of Anishnaabe artwork.
It consists of a monarch butterfly to symbolize student transformation as they learn and grow at the college. All elements of the mural also closely relate to the indigenous cultural heritage and symbols and are meant to tell stories.
“It’s not something that I have very often been able to display with pride and having the backing of an educational institution meant so much,” said Fam-Ducharme.
Kang’s mural represents harmony and inclusivity on campus while Valerio’s pays homage to Toronto city. However, Kang said that the three murals have one thing in common.
“We had an indigenous student on the project. And so, the main wall that is facing the indigenous centre, we wanted her to be able to express herself, however she wanted, and so she was really inspired by the butterfly. And then the other student AJ drew the snapshots inside of each butterfly, the rings and each section,” she said.
An elder present at the opening, Julie Debassige, shared her thoughts on the murals and the use of the butterfly as a perfect metaphor for transformation and change.
“I’m so proud of these young people that I am meeting in this centre.”
The process of creating the murals started in April and the students worked through the summer.
This is the first collaboration of its kind between the School of Fashion and Jewellery and Indigenous Initiatives. The collaboration came to be when Fracassa reached out to Audrey Rochette, director of Indigenous Initiatives, who helped them the symbols.
“She helped us and we reached out to the Mississaugas of the Credit, and we were given permission to use their symbol. I think it’s really important to be respectful of each other’s cultures and backgrounds. So, it was great,” said Fracassa.
Lisa Zangerl, Indigenous Initiative’s indigenous student support specialist said, “For Indigenous Initiatives, this collaboration signifies an act of reconciliation. This is a visible marker of Indigenous presence on campus that will support our efforts to further Indigenize all three George Brown College campuses.”
A symbol of partnership; culture; and art, the murals are now a permanent fixture at the fourth-floor atrium for the GBC community to learn from and enjoy.
