Urban Canvas Project in high demand
- EFN Staff | December 13, 2015
Keesha Johnstone is a shy and burgeoning artist who is inspired by Louis Riel.
“I always looked up to him. He was a good leader for the Métis people and all my classes in history I would always go back to Louis Riel,” said Johnstone. She was speaking at the grand opening of an art show where she and her fellow Saskatoon Community Youth Arts Programming Urban Canvas XI participants were showing their art for the first time.
SCYAP has run eleven Urban Canvas programs since the inception of the grass root arts training program over fifteen years ago. The Canvas project allows at-risk youth who face multiple barriers to employment an opportunity to parley their natural talent and interests into an intense employment related art skill and personal development program. Darrell Lechman is the Director and Founder of SCYAP and he has become a go to source for government ministries trying to understand how to provide services and training to youth.
“We believe there is a time in people’s lives when change or a redirection can happen. It is at this time when we can provide youth with a positive and influential environment and we build that around something they love and in this case it is in art,” said Lechman. “Art is the tool that engages them and allows for building blocks of trust, belief, confidence and ultimately high self esteem and self worth.”
The program is in high demand as over 150 youth applied for one of the twelve spots. The participants do receive a training allowance and are exposed to training in several different life skills and art forms.
Christopher Scott is one of the oldest participants this year but not too old to learn new things.
“I can’t believe how much I have learned about different techniques so far. Stuff I didn’t know, and when I use it...it is like wow, this makes me a better artist,” said Scott who is a member of Ahtahkakoop First Nation who was always drawing in his journals in school as an outlet for himself. “I also learned I’m a kid at heart. Around my urban canvas team mates I’m one of the oldest but one of the youngest in behaviour. I have made people come out of their shells. I get a lot of funny looks from them though.”
Lechman admits that during the 39 weeks of the program, a lot is shared. “We all learn from each other. We all kind of have certain issues or difficulties that we deal with each year and we have different youth with different difficulties,” said Lechman. “But yet they are really all the same in the big picture and the youth face lots of social anxiety.”
For more photos, check out our Urban Canvas Project Photo Gallery.
Next up in the course the Urban Canvas youth are going to learn about painting. And that is good news to Keesha Johnstone. “I am looking forward to learning painting next. I always liked that medium,” said Johnstone who is from Mistawasis First Nation. “I am here because I always loved drawing since I was seven years old. The program, has taught me lots about art, but also about myself. It has gotten me out of my comfort zone so far. I suffer from anxiety and this helps me get out of it more. The program is pretty positive for everyone here.”