Decolonizing Street Art: Anti-Colonial Street Artists Convergence (August 22 to September 3)

Decolonizing Street Art: Anti-Colonial Street Artists Convergence
August 22 to September 3, 2014, Montreal

Participating Artists: Bandit (Los Angeles) * Camille (Montreal) * lmnopi (Brooklyn, BC) * Nigit’stil Norbert (Yellowknife, NWT)  * Chris Bose (Kamloops, BC)* Jessica Sabogal (San Francisco) * Erin Marie Konsmo (Edmonton) * Mitra Fakhrashrafi (Toronto) * Swarm (Toronto & Montreal) * Zola (Montreal) * and more!

The first-ever Montreal Decolonizing Street Art: Anti-colonial Street Artists Convergence is taking place, starting on August 22 and running until September 3. 

Please read below for more information about: i) What’s Happening; ii) Upcoming Events; iii) How You Can Help Support the Convergence (Make a financial contribution!; Donate materials; Share your ideas & volunteer); iv) Participating Artists

Check out the promotional VIDEO for the Convergence here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tv9wv2A9Xok

For more information:
– facebook: www.facebook.com/decolonizingstreetart
– web: www.solidarityacrossborders.org/decolonizing-street-art-convergence
– e-mail: decolonizingstreetart@gmail.com
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i) What’s Happening?

The Decolonizing Street Art: Anti-colonial Street Artists Convergence fosters the idea of bringing together street artists of Indigenous and settler origins and build an artistic community of shared anti-colonial values. The convergence will promote a type of street art that advocates the decolonization of Turtle Island and will remind Montrealers of the city’s colonial past and present. The artists, living across the Canadian and American states, already focus part of their work on issues related to Indigenous resistance such as environmental struggles against pipelines and mining and justice for missing and murdered native women.

The Decolonizing Street Art: Anti-colonial Street Artists Convergence will organize its activities around two different axes. The first artistic axe will bring together the street artists to create art pieces on the streets of Montreal. The works will differ in medium, subject and relationship to the public sphere. The second community axe will foster the idea of creating spaces to discuss political issues related to colonialism between the participants and organisms devoted to the urban native community of Montreal. There should also be activities specifically designed to involve the Indigenous youth.

ii) Upcoming Events

Throughout the Anti-Colonial Street Artists Convergence, visiting and local artists will be creating art pieces on the streets of Montreal between August 22 until September 3. Some of these collaborations will be open to the public: visit the facebook and website of the Convergence frequently for updates.

There will also be several events open to the public. Confirmed events include:

* Meet & Greet with the artists of the Anti-Colonial Street Artists Convergence
MONDAY, AUGUST 25, 6pm-8pm
at QPIRG Concordia, 1500 de Maisonneuve West, #204 (métro Guy-Concordia; wheelchair accessible)

An opportunity to meet many of the artists participating in the Convergence. Event to include projections.

* Re-appropriating Indigenous Identity (with Clifton Nicholas)
THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2-4pm
at QPIRG Concordia, 1500 de Maisonneuve West, #204 (métro Guy-Concordia; wheelchair accessible)
This presentation looks critically at the uses and misuses of Indigenous imagery, from contact to today. Using a slideshow combined with an oral presentation, topics include negative stereotyping of native people, government and media propaganda against natives, the anti-Indigenous lobby, land rights, and the commodification of Indigenous identity. This workshop debunks past and present cultural appropriation of Indigenous culture and people. Presented by Clifton Nicholas, a member of the Kanehsatake Mohawk Community.
* Working Group on Cultural Appropriations in Tiohtià:ke (Montreal)
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 1st, 2-4pm
at QPIRG Concordia, 1500 de Maisonneuve West, #204 (métro Guy-Concordia; wheelchair accessible)
This workshop is intended to be a follow-up to the August 28th session. During this event, participants will share ideas on how to take action against appropriative imagery found in Montreal street art & more general hipster visual culture. The will be some art materials available on site for direct action.
More events to be confirmed shortly. Please check our website and facebook frequently for updates.
iii) How You Can Help Support the Convergence: a) Make a financial contribution; b) Donate materials; c) Share your ideas & volunteer
a) Make a financial contribution

The Decolonizing Street Art: Anti-colonial Street Artists Convergence is a completely grassroots effort, with absolutely no state or corporate funding. We rely on donations to meet our expenses, which is predominantly travel and art materials.

We encourage your donations, whether $5, $50 or $500. You can donate by cheque, cash or online via paypal. You can also visit our online shop and contribute by buying our artwork.

-> To donate by cheque, write your cheque to “Camille Larivée” and write “Decolonizing Street Art” in the memo line. Send your cheques to the following address:
Decolonizing Street Art c/o QPIRG Concordia
1500 de Maisonneuve West, #204
Montreal H2G 1N1

-> To donate by cash, please visit QPIRG Concordia during its office hours (Monday-Thursday, 12-6pm) at 1500 de Maisonneuve West, #204 (métro Guy-Concordia).

-> To donate by paypal, visit www.solidarityacrossborders.org/en/donate (make sure to indicate your donation is for the Decolonizing Street Art Convergence).

-> Finally, visit our online shop and consider buying some anti-colonial artwork: www.etsy.com/ca/shop/DStreetArt

b) Donate Materials

Please consider making in-kind donations. Some of our needs include: paint, spraypaint, brushes and scaffolding. To make a donation, e-mail us atdecolonizingstreetart@gmail.com to make arrangements.

c) Share your ideas & volunteer

A small, modest, grassroots collective is pulling together the Convergence, but we need your ideas and support. Please share any ideas you might have about the participating of artists during the Convergence (eg: street art locations in Montreal). Also, please consider helping as a volunteer. Volunteer efforts range from helping with logistics to helping us wheatpaste the streets of Montreal with the anti-colonial creations of the Convergence. Finally, this is a first-time effort, but we’re hoping to learn from this experience and organize another Convergence some time in the future, perhaps with your active support. Get in touch to share ideas, volunteer and offer support viadecolonizingstreetart@gmail.com

iv) Participating Artists

Artists attending the convergence in-person:

– Bandit (Los Angeles)
banditgraff.com

– Camille (Montreal)
http://angoramontreal.tumblr.com/

– lmnopi (Brooklyn, BC)
http://lmnopi.blogspot.ca/

– Nigit’stil Norbert (Yellowknife, NWT)
www.nigitstil.com/

– Chris Bose (Kamloops, BC)
www.facebook.com/pages/Chris-Bose-Artist/310390402317400?sk=info

– Jessica Sabogal (San Francisco)
http://jessicasabogal.wordpress.com/

– Erin Marie Konsmo (Edmonton)
http://erinkonsmo.blogspot.ca/

– Mitra Fakhrashrafi (Toronto)
http://decolonizehistory.tumblr.com/

– Swarm (Toronto & Montreal)
www.facebook.com/swarmstreetart

– Zola (Montreal)
http://zolamtl.tumblr.com/

Artists sending their artworks:

– Jetsonorama (Arizona)
http://jetsonorama.net/

– Decolonizing Media (Turtle Island)
http://decolonizingmedia.tumblr.com/

– Pyramid Oracle (Brooklyn, NY)
www.facebook.com/OracleStreetArt
– Jessie Purcell (Toronto)
www.justseeds.org/artists/jesse_purcell/
More participating artists to be confirmed.
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