After a series of free community hair and art workshops in Toronto’s Little Jamaica, STEPS Public Art and project partner D’Andra Montaque invites the public to the Unveiling of Our Crowns by Curtia Wright!
The Mane Event is a community arts series that speaks to the importance of hair in Black culture, recognizing hair as art and an expression of identity. This past summer, D’Andra Montaque, founder of Empress Mane and long-time resident of Little Jamaica, has partnered with STEPS Public Art for six (6) pop-up and in-person intergenerational hairstyling and art workshops for members of the Little Jamaica community and the African diaspora.
Gather with community members on Sunday, October 9, 2022 from 12:00 – 3:00PM for the unveiling celebration of the new mural titled Our Crowns at 529 Oakwood Avenue. Drop-by to experience the final works and help us acknowledge the community spirit, personal stories, and local community knowledge shared to shape this project together! The pop-up event will feature a participatory art activity, light refreshments, hair styling demonstrations and surprise giveaways.
Join us for the Unveiling Celebration!
Sunday, October 9, 2022, 12:00 – 3:00 PM
Accessibility Notice
The Mane Event project team is committed to the community’s full participation in this event. Please indicate the supports you require during registration or contact ima@stepspublicart.org with any questions.
Past Workshops
Wash N Go with TK
July 17, 3-6 PM
Photo Credit: TK
Flat Twists with Anesia Loobie
August 7, 3:00, 4:00, 5:00 PM
Art-making & mural ideation with curtia Wright & Franceta Johnson
August 27, 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Art-making & Play Session with curtia Wright & Franceta Johnson
September 10, 1:00 – 5:00 PM
About the Workshop Series
The first set of four (4) workshops, led by stylists Aisha and Anesia Loobie of Crown n Glory, TK of Textured Hair Edu, will focus on the important role hair plays in black identity, self-care and community connection. Each session will include a hairstyle lesson, stylist-assisted hands-on practice with your own hair, and an opportunity to share insights to shape the final mural project.
Choose a 1-hour time slot for the hairstyle lesson and hands-on demonstration. Feel free to join us before and after your time slot for creative activities, conversations, and light refreshments!
This is a free, family-friendly event! Materials will be provided.
The final set of two (2) workshops will build upon learnings from the hair workshops, culminating in a community art exhibit and a permanent public mural to share The Mane Event story. Stay tuned for details!
Meet the MANE Event Team
D'Andra Montaque
Project Collaborator
D’Andra (Dee) Montaque works across multiple industries building community, trust and inclusivity. A creative, entrepreneur and advocate for black economic development and other issues essential to her communities growth, she refuses to be boxed into one category. Empress Mane, in particular, gives her the opportunity to create a brand new space in the beauty industry. The online prestige beauty retailer focuses on producing positive inclusive changes where people of colour are centred and not an afterthought. In an industry where black people own less than 1% of the market share, Dee takes her position seriously and is determined to create a safe space for education, confidence and inevitably, a new industry.
Aisha Loobie
Stylist
Aisha is a natural hair enthusiast, visionary, and owner of Crown N Glory Natural Hair Studio in Toronto. She is passionate about bringing creativity and hair care to the forefront and while she loves educating others, building community and creating human connections are what motivates her most. She is the founder of Crown N Glory Natural Hair Studio and is excited for any opportunity to share her knowledge with others.
TK
Stylist
TK is highly passionate about her craft and finds inspiration through shaping curls and afros, as well as creating lived-in blonde transformations. TK first taught herself about textured hair 13 years ago and has been a beauty professional for 6 years.
She made the decision to create Textured Hair EDU, based on her own frustrations around the lack of adequate textured hair education. After connecting with different stylists that she knew and met online, it was clear that many didn’t even know the basics, and something needed to be done.
TK has dreams of a future where everyone (yes everyone) can walk into a salon and get serviced, no matter the hair type.
Anesia Loobie
Stylist
Anesia is a kindhearted stylist with years of experience in the hair industry. She is passionate, skilled and dedicated to providing genuine care in the enhancement of your natural hair. Anesia is extremely talented and can be trusted to execute various styles on various hair types. Her expertise includes crochet braids, twist-outs, box braids and expressive feed in cornrow styles. She enjoys working with natural textures to achieve beautiful results, something you can enjoy in the comfort of her chair.
Curtia Wright
Artist
Curtia Wright is a Toronto-based multidisciplinary artist who received her BFA at OCAD University in Drawing and Painting. Her work focuses on the body and its relationship to its environment, incorporating elements of mythical and sci-fi imagery and subject matter.
Curtia works prominently in oil, marker and pencil crayon; these materials contrast in their uses and perceptions in art, especially in their relation to fine art. Curtia’s goal is to challenge these perceptions; she believes pieces made with ‘cheap’ materials should not determine their value and that value should be placed rather on the creative use of these materials. Her art practice revolves around the idea that the human body is in constant collaboration with its surroundings, often in ways that exceed the boundaries of physical reality. The images she creates exist on both analog and digital planes through their production and execution; Curtia believes these alternating layers of production reference the discourse between the human body and the environment.
Franceta Johnson
Artist
Artist, Designer and Creative, born & raised in the city of Toronto. Graduate of George Brown College with diplomas in both Fashion Tech & Design and Graphic Design. Her primary focus is showcasing black and fat bodies through art, design & illustration.
” I offer a unique & unfiltered viewpoint when it comes to diversity; As a tall, plus size, black woman, I’m dedicated to applying my background in art, design & content creation to push narratives forward in terms of inclusion and representation for all. “
Project Partners and Funders
We are grateful for our community collaborators, Empress Mane, Roman’s N’ Care, the Black Business and Professional Association, Oakwood Village BIA and Reset Community Centre.
The Mane Event is A City of Toronto Cultural Hotspot Signature Project.
