Safe Space January 10 – 31, 2022
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
45
CreateSpace participants
10
artist facilitators
1
keynote speaker
Artist Statement
In Safe Space January 10 – 31, 2022, I documented my movement from place to place within Lethbridge from January 10 through January 31 2022. While reviewing Ammar Mahimwalla’s video for the CreateSpace Public Art Forum, I became interested in documenting the spaces that I occupy and engage with through commuting. The main places I travel to and from are home, school and work, with little variation outside of that. These places are the ones that I feel the safest, most understood, and welcomed, and the routes I take to these places are the same nearly every time. Safe Space January 10 – 31, 2022 depicts the lack of space that I occupy and the isolation of feeling uncomfortable in more spaces than I feel comfortable.
About the Artist
Kaela Murphy
Kaela Murphy’s practice is multidisciplinary, incorporating sculpture, drawing, and printmaking as she responds to unsolicited touching and uncomfortable conversations that she faces as a multiracial woman. Having been raised in Regina, and now residing in Lethbridge as she completes her final year of the BFA program in Studio Art at the University of Lethbridge, Murphy’s lived experience has been one of confrontation often centred around and filtered through her hair. Through her work, Murphy establishes and addresses boundaries that are regularly crossed by those who eroticize and objectify her.
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.
