Social Arts

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'The Brescia Centennial Portraiture,' 2019-2020. Acrylics on crezone boards.16 ft. x 24 ft. St. James Building, Brescia University, London, Ontario.
The Brescia Centennial Portraiture, also referred to as the Brescia Centennial Story mural, is a community initiative and participatory arts process, designed to create an embodied representation of the past 100 years of Brescia's history through artistic expression. The mural celebrates women in community, education and leadership, through documenting and weaving together the individual and collective stories of members of the Brescia and London communities.
The participatory arts process is just as important as the final product. The process inspires social innovation and radical collaboration.
Bringing together students, faculty, staff, board members, alumnae and neighbours, creates a collective sense of belonging and community through collaboration, where everyone’s story and contribution to the final piece matters.
A virtual home for this mural is currently in construction. Coming Soon!
Facilitators: Nina Trask, Hannah Kern-Cheng, Joelle Francis, Pamela Hough, Savannah Hayes
Lead Facilitator: Melanie Schambach

Students translating stories into paint

Engaged guests in a structure workshop inviting students, alumnae, and staff to connect.

A student felt touched to paint this story about feeding the birds.

During the week of exams, everyone was welcomed to paint their story.

This is a student inspired to paint one of the Ursulines stories about spirituality.

An special event was created to invite members of The Circle.

Students studying portraiture research were invited to paint as well.

Sisters painting their stories about Brescia

Sisters of Chatham sharing their stories

An Ursuline Sister painting her story

An interactive structure that show a 100year timeline.

Painting wizards putting the first layer of paint.

Tracing the overall drawing on the panels.

Following paint by numbers.

Faces beginning to emerge