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ArtHeart Celebrates 32 Years of Service to the Regent Park Community
By Gabriel Meissner
Grabiel is a community journalist with Focus Media Arts Centre
Regent Park, Toronto, June 1st, 2023 - In the heart of Regent Park, a transformative force has been at work for the past 32 years. Art Heart, an organization founded by Seanna Connell in 1991, has become a symbol of hope and creativity for a community that has undergone significant change. From humble beginnings in a basement at 40 Oaks, Art Heart has flourished into a vibrant hub of artistic expression, empowering people of all ages with free art lessons and supplies to tell their stories.
Today Art Heart celebrates 32 extraordinary years of service. Kristyn Wong-Tam, a member of the Provincial Parliament of Ontario, appeared at the celebration and expressed the importance of championing Art Heart's mission. Wong emphasized the significance of art's non-verbal nature, stating, "A lot of our work is visual, non-verbal, and a lot of people from different cultures who don't even speak the same language can meet over visual art." Art Heart's ability to bridge linguistic and cultural barriers has offered a lot to the mixed income neighbourhood of Regent Park.
"I've seen now what happens when you provide the materials and some simple guidance" said Wong-Tam, " then you just say to the young people, to the youth, to the adults 'go ahead, tell your story, make it.' That's the best gift you can give any child. It's truly the best gift you can give anybody who has something to say."
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FOCUS Media Arts Centre (FOCUS) is a not-for-profit organization that was established in 1990 to counter negative media stereotypes of low income communities and provide relevant information to residents living in the Regent Park area and surrounding communities.
We seek to empower marginalized individuals and under represented communities to have a voice, through the use of professional training, mentorships and participatory based media practices that enable the sharing of stories, experiences and perspectives on relevant matters and issues. In brief our mandate is to empower marginalized individuals and under-serviced communities to have a voice and tell their own stories.
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