Idle Whirlpool
CreateSpace Public Art Forum 2022
An artistic response to the 2022 CreateSpace Public Art Forum, a national forum virtually convening participants who identify as Black, Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit and Métis), racialized, rural and/or youth with disabilities and between the ages of 18-25. Participants were presented with online talks themed around public art practices, studio tours by artist facilitators, a Keynote Event by artist Lori Blondeau, and opportunities to engage with fellow peers to inspire their final creations.
Project at a Glance
Location: Camp Morton, Manitoba
Artist: Meganelizabeth Diamond
Year: 2022
Program: Artist Capacity Building
45
CreateSpace participants
10
artist facilitators
1
keynote speaker
Artist Statement
In the CreateSpace Public Art Forum, I connected with and responded to Latifa Pelletier Ahmed’s video and created an idle whirlpool. The natural world is often the focus of my practice and my work reimagines how we perceive and process the natural world from seeing it to experiencing and feeling it. At one point Latifa says “allow space for the slowness that true care requires” and I used that as a meditative starting point to reflect and create. There is so much value in slowly reflecting on history and how the natural world is connected to everything. Geographically, I live alongside Lake Winnipeg where I have been spending time slowing down, collecting and reflecting for the duration of this Public Art Forum. This multimedia collage is a result of practicing that slowness.
About the Artist
Meganelizabeth Diamond
Meganelizabeth Diamond is a lens-based artist, programmer and facilitator living in rural Manitoba on Treaty 1 Territory. Using photography, collage, performance and moving images she explores our perceptions of the natural world, real vs. artificial, and our connections to domestic spaces. Her work has been shown at artist-run centres and festivals internationally. Most recently, she was a New Media Artist in Residence at Video Pool Media Arts Centre (2019-2020).
CreateSpace Public Art Forum
STEPS Public Art believes public art has the ability to challenge the systemic inequities that exist in public space. In support of this important work, we facilitate artist capacity building programs that foster inclusive public art practices, build the capacity of underrepresented artists, and demonstrate how public art can help reimagine equitably designed cities.
CreateSpace Public Art Forum is a digital forum that virtually convenes participants who identify as Black, Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit and Métis), racialized, rural and/or youth with disabilities and between the ages of 18-25. This forum fosters connections, builds understanding across geographies and cultures, as well as provide emerging equity-seeking artists with the skills, relationships and support needed to develop public art practices. Visit the online gallery to view all artistic responses by the 2022 forum participants.
CreateSpace Public Art Forum is supported by Canadian Heritage, Canada Council for the Arts and CIBC.
