SAAG x STEPS STEPS Reclamation Public Art Workshop

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"Reclaim Public Art Workshops - SAAG x STEPS"

Courtesy of the Gallery.

Join the Southern Alberta Art Gallery Maansiksikaitsitapiitsinikssin, STEPS Public Art and the RECLAIM Public Art Residency to help build a public art piece that will be on display for Alberta Arts & Culture Days! Participants will explore techniques like beading, rope-making, clay stamping, sewing, and paper folding and investigate pattern, text, scale, and upcycled materials to animate social space.

All ages are welcome and all supplies are provided for this free drop-in workshop.

Kylie Fineday is a nehiyaw (Plains Cree) artist and curator from Sweetgrass First Nation, Saskatchewan. Currently based in Lethbridge, Alberta, Fineday completed the BFA-Art Studio program at the University of Lethbridge in 2020 with great distinction, an honours thesis, and the Faculty of Fine Arts Gold Medal. Fineday’s art practice often focuses on themes of personal identity and family history, as well as addressing social issues and injustices, particularly those affecting Indigenous peoples in Canada. Fineday’s material practice is multidisciplinary, and includes drawing, photography, performance, sculpture, and textiles such as sewing and beadwork. Fineday has exhibited work in various institutions in Lethbridge, Alberta, and has also worked on multiple curatorial projects within the community.

Michelle Sylvester was born in Camrose, Treaty 6 Territory, Alberta, Canada in 1982. She completed an Art BFA (2017) and New Media MFA (2021), from the University of Lethbridge. Recently Sylvestre completed a public artwork consisting of thousands of handmade ceramic tiles at Legacy Park Pavilion commissioned by the City of Lethbridge and Allied Arts Council. As a multidisciplinary artist, her practice often focuses on the intersection of technology, craft, and identity, often employing traditional and digital mediums. Sylvestre is an artist and educator based in Lethbridge, Treaty 7 Territory, Alberta where she is a Sessional Instructor at the University of Lethbridge.

Arianna Richardson is a sculptor, performance artist, sewist, and mother from Lethbridge, AB in Treaty 7 territory. She is a lifelong crafter and thrift-store enthusiast, constantly collecting plastic-based trash and discarded craft materials. Richardson sometimes performs under the pseudonym, The Hobbyist, taking her hobby-craft pursuits outdoors to activate public spaces and talk to people about trash. While she isn’t making art, Arianna works as Lead Prepator at the Southern Alberta Art Gallery and as a sessional instructor teaching Spatial Practice at the University of Lethbridge. Richardson holds a BFA (2013) in Studio Arts from the University of Lethbridge and an MFA (2018) from NSCAD in Halifax, NS. Her first artist book, Garbage Party: A Collection of Thoughts About Trash, was self-released in March 2021.

STEPS Public Art fosters dynamic and inclusive communities through public art and creative placemaking. We transform urban spaces into vibrant places through cultural planning, community arts and artist capacity building programs. STEPS works with organizations and cities across Canada to create welcoming public spaces that reflect the local communities through artistic excellence. We are proud to have produced some of Canada’s largest and most community-engaged art initiatives.

This residency program is made possible by STEPS Public Art. The workshops are made possible by Alberta Culture Days Celebration Site grant. We thank the Government of Alberta for supporting this program.