This interactive art piece depicts a brain made of puzzle pieces, each revealing statistics or symptoms of mental health challenges. Surrounding the brain are quotes from an international student who struggled during the pandemic. Engaging with the artwork—removing and replacing puzzle pieces—symbolizes the often invisible struggles international students navigate.

I hope this piece fosters awareness and support from families, peers, educators, and the broader community worldwide.

1. Event Overview

• Event Name: Art for Equity: A Celebration of Black Artists

• Purpose: To support underrepresented Black communities through a silent auction featuring artwork donated by the ROM, created by Black artists.

• Format: Hybrid (In-Person & Virtual Live Stream)

• Date & Time: June 15, 2025

• Venue: ROM or Partnered Cultural Spaces in Toronto

• Virtual Component: Live-streamed on social media platforms (Instagram Live, YouTube, Facebook)
  

2. Event Objectives

• To highlight and celebrate Black artists within the community and their contributions to the arts.

• Raise funds for Black-led initiatives through the silent auction.

• Expand public engagement through in-person and virtual participation.

• Increase media visibility and awareness around Black representation in the arts.
  

3. Key Event Components

  Art Silent Auction

• Two art pieces by Black artists donated by the ROM.

• Additional contributions from local Black artists (optional).

• Silent auction conducted both in-person and online via a bidding platform. All proceeds will be allocated to un underrepresented black communities.
  

B. Artist & Community Engagement

• Panel discussion with Black artists, cultural leaders, and ROM representatives.

• Live art performance or spoken word presentation.

• Audience Q&A and artist meet-and-greet.

  
  

C. Virtual & Media Integration

• Livestream of the event via ROM’s social media and event page.

• Social media engagement using hashtags (e.g., #ArtForEquity #BlackArtistsMatter).

• Live auction updates and winner announcements online.

  
  

4. Target Audience

• Art collectors, community advocates, and museum supporters.

• Black artists and creatives.

• General public (both local and virtual).
  

5. Logistics & Planning

• Venue Setup: Gallery space at ROM or a partnered venue with seating and stage.

• Tech Needs: Livestream equipment, auction platform, microphones, and screens.

• Marketing & Promotion: Flyers, press releases, influencer engagement.

• Partnerships & Sponsors: Collaborate with Black-led organizations and media outlets.
  

6. Budget & Funding Sources

• Potential sponsors and donors.

• Ticket sales for exclusive access (optional).

• Silent auction proceeds directly benefiting the cause.
  

7. Measuring Success

• Fundraising total from auction.

• Attendance (both in-person and virtual).

• Media and social media engagement.

• Feedback from attendees and artists.

Below are the two art pieces by Black Canadian artists donated by the ROM.

Participants were given the option to engage with one or both of the prompts. Then, the images were collected and compiled, and additional images were added. The fruits and flowers on each side have different meanings related to drugs and alcohol, growth, or potential destruction. Other elements like community and chaos can be seen as well.

Purpose: To encourage people creating the work to explore different aspects of active addiction and recovery. The final work is given back to the community to display as a reminder of the fellowship and support available.

This work is also used to highlight the presence of Secular AA groups and make a stand, pushing back against traditional AA attitudes that centre belief in a Judeo-Christian God as foundational to addiction recovery. Secular AA is not well known, and it can be a game changer for people looking to find a support group who are not interested in the religious aspect of AA. The themes represented in this work underline what the research tell us about recovery, that the most important aspect of getting well is reestablishing community (not religious belief).

Process Note: It is important to disclose that the style uniformity of images in this work is because they are my transcriptions of the original images. This was done because there were some concerns about anonymity from participants, and this allowed for identifiers like handwriting to be eliminated. Rather than just transcribing a couple I opted for transcribing all to create visual cohesion.

1. Use plain language: I didn't want to translate these very simple slogans into very academic or political language, as this may feed into Poilievre's goal of isolation.

2. Show the impact of his slogans: I wanted to demonstrate how the policy behind his slogans uphold the status quo or make it harder for average Canadians, especially those who are lower-income or Black/Indigenous.

Please comment with any slogans or translations I missed and I can add them before class tomorrow!

The image features Chinatown East’s Zhong Hua Men Archway and dragon, representing the Chinese community, while the movement of interlocked hands and waving flags across the frame visually conveys solidarity with Palestine. The color palette amplifies the vibrancy of the flags, making them stand out with striking emphasis.

The working principle of the Forum Theatre:

Step1. The audience will watch a performance.

Step2. The audience will reflect on the plot of the performance.

Step3. Option One: The audience can choose to become a certain character in the play and change the character's lines, actions, etc. according to their own ideas to solve the oppression and social problems that arise in the play. Then the play will be reenacted.

Option Two: The audience can modify and comment on the plot from an outsider's perspective.

Therefore, without your participation, this will not be a complete performance. So I sincerely hope that everyone can participate in this performance.

Thank you!

By combining creative and analytical approaches, my goal is to challenge the dominant narrative that frames international students’ hardships as individual failings, and instead highlight the structural inequalities embedded in Canada’s education and immigration systems. This project is both a personal testimony and a collective call for greater awareness, policy change, and a more inclusive future.

When I first started this project, I thought I would begin with the data—laying out the numbers, pointing to the problems, and then using poetry at the end to reflect on what it all means. But as I worked through it, I realized that approach felt too flat and boring. I didn’t want the whole project to come across as just another policy report. So I decided to switch the order. But if you find the written part too long or a bit boring, feel free to just look at the charts, I've already added some key insights directly into them.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read, warmly welcome any thoughts or feedback you’d like to share:)

I look forward to presenting this for you all tomorrow!

My project is connected to a trip I will be taking to Türkiye this summer. During my time there, I will spend ten days providing psychosocial support to orphans and vulnerable populations in a setting that resembles a summer camp.

As a child, I often used art as a way to express myself, understand myself, and help others understand me. With this in mind, I wanted to create an art activity to share with the children. They are able to use any medium they have access to; colour pencils, markers, clay, stickers, paper, pom poms and pipe cleaners. The simplified instructions are as follows:

1. Draw a tree: include roots, a trunk, and branches, but no leaves yet.

2. Once your tree is complete, we’ll begin filling it in: Roots: Represent where you come from. This can include a flag, your beliefs, or colors that symbolize you. Trunk: Depict what gives you strength, what makes you strong. How you have been strong in the face of difficulty. Branches: Illustrate your dreams and hopes for the future. Leaves: These will be filled in by others around you. They can add symbols that remind them of you or represent themselves in some way. For example, they might leave a fingerprint with their name.
   

The tree I’ve uploaded is my own. I do not have art supplies ready at hand, but Canva is a dear friend. My roots reflect where I am from, where I grew up, and the core of my beliefs. My trunk represents not only my sources of strength but also what I have endured and persevered through. My branches showcase my aspirations: publishing a book, attending law school, and being a source of love, care, and happiness. Since many of my friends live far away or find it difficult to express their feelings, I asked them to send me PNG symbols that represent our relationship. I then added these symbols as leaves.

I would love for you to create a tree as well. You do not have to share it of course. But this process truly brought forth many emotions for me, even though it may seem like silly symbols.

Arts-based Intervention: My connection to the arts is beading. Beading has proven to be a healing agent in my personal life and privileges many conversations that empower well-being.

I have created an informative piece of art that reflects resistance, resiliency and hope. The medium is painted canvas with beads, quills, sweetgrass, abalone, with a medallion of symbolism of Land Back Canada. Mixed materials can include textiles, beads, pelon, quills, sweetgrass, antler, and painting that express landback priorities and/or symbolism. A metaphor or analogy to symbolize Land Back Canada, would be a broken arrow. This is represented in the centre of the painting; and I incorporated all colours of the Medicine Wheel – Black, white, yellow, and red on each side of the canvas.

The three medallions beaded to the canvas, represent: Green for health and mental wellness, Orange for prison abolishment, Purple for homelessness. There is no colour for harm reduction, but “Gradualism” is inferred and is a transition of colour from light to dark. All the medallions include the gradual light to dark beads from inner to outer. The medallions represent all four presentations of LHA1109. The Eagle in the middle of the orange medallion is embracing the sun and the arrowhead and shaft are regaled in leather and crow beads. The orange is the new dawn. The smudge bowl in the centre of the purple medallion is filled with sweetgrass, tobacco, sage, cedar, and represent healing. The three red feathers symbolize Indigenous Ways of Knowing, Resistance, and Activism. The white banding (bling) is glow in the dark.

Lastly, the “L” in the bottom left corner represents Land Back Canada.

A collaborative arts-based project can manifest from a call for beaded “pins” in support of Land Back Canada to create a mosaic on a leather sheath for an installation in a public space.

My art piece represents Hope. I did not want to create damage-centred art and wanted to create something that brings light. A lot of the materials came from the Dollarstore.

Miigwech (Thank you).

In 2005, I was captivated by a trailer for the documentary "RIZE." Vibrant colors and triumphant dancers who resembled me filled the screen, momentarily transporting me to a realm where raw expression flowed effortlessly as a common tongue. As the one-minute trailer concluded, I was abruptly pulled back to my suburban home in Durham Region, a stark contrast to the bustling energy of Toronto I had just moved. Adjusting to this new environment, where faces like mine were less common, became a journey of its own. Yet, amidst this adjustment, one thing remained clear – I needed to watch that documentary and immerse myself in the dance it showcased.

The mesmerizing art form revealed in that trailer was Krump, and since that moment, I've been entwined in a profound relationship with this dance. Now, in 2025, nearly two decades later, I find myself still dancing, navigating the complexities of adulthood through the raw language of Krump. Krump sessions have evolved into sacred spaces where individuals can shed the masks of maturity and societal norms, expressing vulnerabilities without uttering a word, surrounded by a community eager to do the same.

Open Discussion: 

1. I would like folks to watch the documentary and respond to the prompt “WHAT DO YOU SEE?”.

2. Please outline the physical aspects that stand out to you, emotions you are feeling, emotions you believe the dancers are feeling, and more. Ensure to be as open and earnest as possible in your description

Attached here is a more detailed description (typed on a Remmington portable typewriter) and a couple sketches of what the setup will look like. I will be setting up the typing station this week or next, and will add a picture or two once I do. I will also bring in a typewriter to the final class if people would like to try it out.

Looking forward to chatting about the project in class!

Thank you all such an engaging semester.

-Isaac

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