Red Dress Productions: 519 Church Street Community Centre Public Artwork

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

519 Church Street Community Centre Public Artwork

Flux
June 2010
27’ long x 5’ high

Flux is a community-engaged public artwork, a project of the 519 Church Street Community Centrer, located in the heart of downtown Toronto. More than 300 community members participated in the vision, design, and build. At eleven community consultations, we brainstormed ideas. Seventy-five sketches and some common themes emerged: a desire to firmly anchor the work in diversity and inclusion, LGBTTQ2S activism and resistance, honouring of community members who have passed, and looking ahead to the future. After a final design was produced by Anna Camilleri and approved by community members, the mosaic studio was opened. We built the mosaic together, piece by piece. Over 2000 volunteer hours were invested in this artwork.

Flux was led by lead-artist Anna Camilleri and co-lead artist Tristan R. Whiston of Red Dress Productions, with community art apprentices Heidi Cho, Rafaela Dominici Vidinha, Tamara Perez Mucino, and placement student Ingrid Vellekoop.

The 519 Community-Engaged Mosaic has been made possible thanks to the Province of Ontario via the Ontario Arts Foundation; the Community One Foundation; and generous donations from Tile City Ltd., Stone Tile International Inc., and community members. Special thanks to Robin Elliot, Tim Leeder, Lisa Reichardt, Lee Delaino, Jo Petite, Skye Louis, Neighbourhood Arts Network, [murmur], the George Brown College Redirection Through Education Program, and the board of directors and staff of the 519 Community Centre.

The 519 is a meeting place and focal point for its diverse downtown communities. Within a supportive environment, it responds to the needs of the local neighbourhood and the broader Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTTQ) communities by supplying resources and opportunities to foster self-determination, civic engagement and community participation. www.the519.org

RED DRESS PRODUCTIONS (RDP) creates and disseminates original interdisciplinary performance, and works with/in communities on large-scale, community-engaged public artworks.

Founded in 2005 by Artistic Co-Directors Anna Camilleri and Tristan R. Whiston, RDP is particularly interested in the relationship between community narratives and urban public space.

CONTACT

Anna Camilleri and Tristan R. Whiston

URL reddressproductions.org

FB reddressproductions

TWEET @reddressprod

EMAIL reddressproductions@gmail.com

VIDEO vimeo.com/reddressproductions

VOX 647-937-1470

CURRENT

Promise in the Park: The Winchester Park Public Art Project, a 4-year community engaged permanent and ephemeral public art project.

 ASSOCIATE ARTISTS

Katie Yealland

Wy Joung Kou

Sage Willow

Jelani Ade-Lam

Alana McLeod

Ill Nana DiverseCity Dance Company

Syrus Marcus Ware

Heidi Cho

Parker Dirks

Alvis Choi

Shaunga Tagore

Kike Olajumoke

Moynan King

Andrenne Finnikin

Domanique Grant

Henry Campos

Pascal Trudel

Shamila Miller

Andrew Henderson

Jay Stewart

Emily Jones

Dorian Johnson

PUBLIC ARTWORKS

Everyone. Everwhere., 2013, a community engaged mixed media public artwork project in partnership with Arts Etobicoke, Creative Village Studios, and Amnesty International;

Dwelling, 2012, The Diane Frankling Housing Co-op Memorial Project, a 4'x12' mixed media visual project;

centre, 2012, the CTCHC Community Engaged Public Artwork Project;

Many Hands Make Light Work, 2011, a community engaged public artwork in partnership with the Sherbourne Health Center (18'x 8');

Flux, 2010, The 519 Church Street Community Center, based in the Church/Wellesley neighbourhood, Toronto (27’ x 5’) ;

untitled, 2009, The Co-operative Housing Federation of Toronto project, based in the St. Lawrence Market neighbourhood, Toronto (4 panels, each 5' x 2.5' high);

Scape, 2007, Bleecker Street Co-operative community, based in the Cabbagetown neighbourhood, Toronto (17' x 5') ;

Tribute, 2006, Bleecker Street Co-operative community, based in the Cabbagetown neighbourhood, Toronto (12' x 8').

PERFORMANCE WORKS

Sounds Siren Red, workshop production in December 2004 (Buddies in Bad Times Theatre) : Sounds Siren Red, full professional production in January 2006 (Alchemy Theatre) ; Sounds Siren Red tour: Victoria, Vancouver, Kingston, Boston and Seattle ; The Acting Out Against Violence Project, a multi phase Ontario-wide public education arts initiative in partnership with Toronto Rape Crisis Centre, and the Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres ; State of the Queer Nation, staged reading in February 2008 (Buddies in Bad Times Theatrre) ; Never Man’s Land, full production in February 2008, Alchemy Theatre ; Still Breathing Fire, full production in July 2008, Vancouver’s 10th Annual Pride in Art Festival. 

Camilleri and Whiston have collaborated on many community art projects since 2004, including Central Toronto Youth Services’ Gender Play Theatre Project for 6+ years as Artists in Residence.

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Ontario Trillium Foundation, Neighbourhood Arts Network, Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, Ontario Arts Foundation, Toronto Arts Council, Laidlaw Foundation, FADO Performance Centre, New Adventures in Sound Art, Park People, Arts Etobicoke, Amnesty International, Emmanuel College (University of Toronto, The Church Street Murals Project, Sherbourne Health Centre, the 519 Church Street Community Centre, St. Lawrence Community Centre, Central Toronto Youth Services, the Co-operative Housing Federation of Toronto, Diane Frankling Housing Co-operative, OWN Co-operative, the Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres, Mayworks Festival of Working People and the Arts, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, Pride in Art Festival, Stone Tile International Inc, and Tile City Inc.