‘THEY’RE A GOOD GROUP’
Schwab asks the Urban Canvas participants to speak to a group touring SCYAP about what they’re up to.
It’s a small moment, but another step in building confidence.
APRIL 12, 2017
Urban Canvas unveils three murals at the Calder Centre, a facility that offers in-patient care to people with addictions. The staff members are thrilled with the outcome.
The pieces feature an eagle and patterns inspired by traditional star blankets. The colours are bold and cheerful, adding warmth to windowless hallways lit by fluorescent lights.
The participants have also started working on pieces for their graduation exhibition at Art Placement, a professional gallery just across the street. They will get to see their own work on the same walls as established artists.
At this stage of the program, Bird says she’s nervous and excited for it to be over. Her post-graduation plans are still forming.
“I don’t know exactly what I’m going to be doing and I don’t want to leave SCYAP,” she says.
It’s not quite spring, but it’s one of those sunny days warm enough to roast the inside of a car. Seven weeks to go.
MAY 3, 2017
The White Buffalo mural takes shape inside an empty store in Market Mall. Plastic on the floor catches errant blobs of paint as the group applies broad, bright strokes to the piece, which features powwow dancers, a medicine wheel and other scenes related to Indigenous culture.
Bird and her sister are working on a separate piece, a series of cubes covered with painterly interpretations of Saskatoon bridges. It will be a puzzle for the PotashCorp Children’s Festival of Saskatchewan.
Later in May, Urban Canvas finishes its 12th iteration with a mural unveiling at White Buffalo. Looking ahead, staff are tasked with keeping the program going.
The non-profit can’t always bank on funding. The federal government funded Urban Canvas until 2010. After that was cut, the program went on hiatus until 2015. The Government of Saskatchewan funded the last two Urban Canvas Projects, including the most recent.
Shaw says the program costs about $220,000, most of which goes to pay participant allowances. The money, around minimum wage, is meant to ensure participants treat the experience like a job.
If they don’t show up, they don’t get the money.
Staff will reapply for funding, but won’t know what they have to work with until later this year. SCYAP gets $160,000 from the province for core expenses.
Meanwhile, Shaw and Storey want to make SCYAP more selfsustainable, including expanding the organization’s small graphic arts department to generate revenue.
They also hope it leads to internships or future employment for some of the youth involved in Urban Canvas.
MAY 26, 2017
Hustle & Show, the Urban Canvas finale, is a bustling affair. Dozens of people have come to Art Placement to celebrate their loved ones who are showcasing their growing talents.
All 12 participants have completed the program. The exhibition is a unique assemblage of their different styles and inspirations. Many of the pieces feature inspiring celebrities. Others are abstracts or landscapes.
Shaw says his first year with Urban Canvas was a wonderful experience.
“I met 12 gifted individuals that all came from different backgrounds who were all really unique,” he says. “To see them build self-confidence and have some opportunities with employment and personal development was really exciting.”
Shaw learned quickly that the job is all-encompassing. He travelled with one Urban Canvas student to Prince Albert to help him clear up charges in court.
When another group member landed in the emergency room as a result of mental health issues, Shaw was the first person he called. He took some time away to seek treatment but was welcomed back and able to complete Urban Canvas.
“These personal connections are real,” Shaw says.
“My role is to not judge but listen.”
Several of the Urban Canvas grads have already been hired by the organization to assist with drop-ins or to work on upcoming projects. Another has firm plans to return to school.
For one graduate, the focus is simply to work on mental health.
“We really want to make SCYAP a healthy place, whether it’s future employment or a place to come do art or just come and visit staff,” Shaw says.
Bird used the exhibition to showcase her love of music by Taylor Swift and Joni Mitchell.
She painted another piece for her mother, a portrait of her grandparents, including her late grandfather.
Looking back, Bird is proud of how far her artwork has come. She admits she didn’t really like her art in the beginning.
Though she says she gets “mostly frustrated” during the artmaking process, the result always feels amazing.
But Urban Canvas is about more than art for Bird. She’ll likely always have to work on her anxiety, but has new coping strategies and a new-found belief in her abilities.
“I’ve never done anything where I’m super proud of it as I am with this,” she says.
She plans to start working on her GED soon with help from SCYAP staff.
She has no plans to say goodbye to the organization. She’ll still attend drop-in art sessions and do face painting with the group this summer at local festivals.
She knows she can count on her friendships with the staff.
“I trust them all completely. That’s the biggest thing,” she says. “I know if I have anything I need help with in the future it will always be that way.
“I’m always going to have this as a support.”
Bird’s long-term plan is to pay the kindness of SCYAP forward by pursuing a career in social work, with the ultimate goal of working with children.
“I’m just looking forward to my future because it’s going to get a lot better from here,” she says.
I met 12 gifted individuals that all came from different backgrounds who were all really unique. To see them build selfconfidence and have some opportunities with employment and personal development was really exciting.