We are incredibly proud of Muram Idris, a talented young filmmaker whose journey began in the MASC Awesome Arts program in Sandy Hill, in partnership with the Sandy Hill Community Health Centre. With funding from TELUS Friendly Future Foundation, United Way East Ontario and the City of Ottawa, Muram had the opportunity to explore the world of film through hands-on workshops, discovering the power of storytelling and self-expression.

Muram participated in numerous programs, but most notably was her involvement in Tina LeMoine’s Stop Motion workshop series in 2013 and the Cinepoem program with Jamaal Amir Akbari, Craig Conoley and Randy Kelly in 2015.

Now, her short film is set to screen at the Ottawa Black Film Festival on March 29th at 3 p.m. In this interview, Muram reflects on her experience in the Awesome Arts program and how it shaped her path to studying film. In her own words, Muram shared how her experiences through the Awesome Arts program help spark and feed the flame of her passion for filmmaking.

MURAM IDRIS

I really enjoyed my experience at awesome arts because it was something new I never thought I would have the chance to explore or even be a part of. During my time with Tina and my peers at the stop motion workshops, learning and being part of the process of creating a story, building sets and everything else involved in the production was an exciting feeling. Leaving this workshop I learned so much and knew at that moment it wouldn’t be the last time, I needed that feeling again. Working with Jamaal on my poem, and eventually turning that poem into a video with Craig and Randy, taught me that art can be so personal. The entire process opened my young eyes that making art in the form of film is a vital method of self-expression for me.

I find film brings people together. As idealistic as that might sound, when there is a vulnerability attached to a piece of art, no matter the degree, there are others who can relate. I find this type of connection makes art effective. Alongside that, I love the collaboration that goes into filmmaking. When working with others, I find I learn so much, and vice versa. These different perspectives I learn I find better me, my work, and others.

I honestly don’t think I would have gone off to study film if not for the program and my high school film teacher. Growing up where and how I did, working in the arts, let alone film, was never a possibility in my mind. It seemed so far away as a child, impossible. But after doing the awesome arts program I came to the realization of how doable simply creating is, no matter one’s resources, I found determination was the biggest skill to hone.In high school, I attended École secondaire De La Salle, and I was a part of the cinema program. I never intended at all to study film post-secondary. It wasn’t until my cinema teacher, Nicole Blundell, encouraged me to at least apply. I was doubtful, but to my surprise, I was accepted into Concordia’s film production program.

Programs such as Awesome Arts are vital to the youth. These programs bridge the gap, giving equal opportunities to all the youth. The opportunity to explore oneself as an artist is very important in my opinion. It may not be for everyone, but we never know until we try, and you might surprise yourself. There is a little artist in all of us, and it is reassuring to know there are programs that are ready to foster this no matter who you are.

MURAM’S AWESOME ARTS VIDEOS

St Kateri Mural’s opening with Grandmother Irene Compton (first nations Saulteaux from the Keeseekoose band in Saskatchewan) and Aurora Jade (Plains Cree from Peepeekisis First Nation)

On March 25 Grandmother Irene Compton conducted an opening ceremony for the mural on Indigenous Womanhood painted by MASC artist Aurora Jade in collaboration with 200 students from St. Matthew High School. The mural has been permanently installed at the St. Kateri Tekakwitha Catholic Elementary School.  

In Aurora’s words: “You are beautiful, you are strong, you are capable. You are not alone. I decided on those words to represent women standing together, strength, and unity. It is often you can feel alone especially as an indigenous woman“.   

Mural description as shared by Aurora: 

The image depicts mother nature, the strawberry plants and growth to honour the connection and stewardship of this land. The piece also depicts the red road. On the red road there are baby footprints that slowly turn into more mature adult moccasins with each step (these moccasins grow in size and have the corresponding beadwork and designs to represent the walk of life) .  

The woman in the middle of the red road has a small family and represents motherhood and strength, as well as the nurturing and caring nature of youth. She wears the same ribbon skirt as the woman at the end of the road because they are the same woman.  

At the end of the road, she has white hair and is being welcomed into the spirit world by the ancestors above her. I wanted the sky woman to wear a red dress to acknowledge our MMIWG and sisters in the spirit world.  

Underneath the sky woman is a sky dome design which is the spirit world above us. The night sky above includes the moon which has 13 dots inside to represent 13 moons to show our connection to grandmother moon as well as our moon time and the passing of seasons and time. The sky has a gradient of night to day, sun to moon. 

The Elder and Artist in Residency Program is an arts education program that pairs an Indigenous Elder with an Indigenous artist and offers students an in-depth and enriched artistic experience, providing an alternative lens to understand Indigenous ways of Knowing, Thinking, Feeling, and Being. The project introduces students to Indigenous culture through the arts. The Elder introduces students to Indigenous teachings through storytelling and songs, exploring concepts like land-based knowledge, the sacredness of water, holism, interrelatedness, reciprocity, Turtle Island, and the Medicine Wheel, among other teachings. Each project results in a mural installed permanently in the school.

This project was produced in partnership with the OCSB Indigenous Education team and the OCSB Arts consultants. We are grateful for the financial support of the Ottawa Community Foundation through the MASC Reconciliation Legacy Program.

MASC Arts Awards’ Honorary Patron, Jacqui Du Toit, was invited by CTV News Ottawa to talk about the MASC Arts Awards. This is an incredible opportunity for a student to receive a year-long scholarship at an arts school or a mentorship with an author. Nominate your student today!

Thank you to everyone who donated to or shared our Giving Tuesday campaign! We are still accepting contributions, and we can provide you with a charitable receipt for 2023 if you donate before the end of the year. Make a difference in a creative child’s life!

IllustrAuteurs kicks off today, and we can’t wait to spend the weekend surrounded by inspiring literary and visual artists and students.

Registrations are now open for the MASC Young Authors and Illustrators Festival, MASC Arts Awards, and the Jan Andrews Literary Award.

Happy December!

We are deeply saddened by the recent passing of Lola Ryan. As a MASC artist for almost three decades, Lola brought dance, movement and joy into classrooms and seniors’ venues, impacting thousands of people.  

Lola joined MASC in 1997, offering various dance workshops in schools, often working with everyday rubber balls.  It was extraordinary to see what she was able to achieve in a short time with students.  To background music, Lola encouraged the students to play with the balls, to engage with each other, to exaggerate their movements and then asked them to put the balls down.  Students then continued these movements without the balls, imagining the balls, and it was incredible to watch what unfolded: beautiful, spontaneous creative dance, filling the school gym.

https://youtu.be/SslIbH7fOoI?feature=shared

Lola offered many school programs over the years, often collaborating with other MASC artists; for example, combining dance with drumming, offering cross-disciplinary experiences to students.  Lola’s programs were unique and creative and encouraged dance and movement from even the most reluctant participant.

“We don’t stop playing because we get old; we get old because we stop playing.”

Lola Ryan

In 2017, Lola started offering workshops to older adults. Lola brought a sense of play to her workshops. Lola approached her workshops with a lens of inclusivity and a gentleness that created a space for everyone. Senior participants loved their sessions with Lola.

At MASC, we try to build a community of artists, administrators and supporters that is like a family. Lola never missed one of our 5 à 7 events and she was always an eager participant at our professional development days. She was always open to connecting with other artists and keen on finding ways to collaborate.

Lola was a uniquely creative and generous professional artist who always brought a sense of joie de vivre to her work. Our extended MASC family will miss her in so many ways.

---

There will be a Celebration of Life for Lola Ryan at the Arts Court, 2 Daly Avenue in Ottawa, on Sunday May 19th in the afternoon. Details to follow.

November always seems to comes sooner than anticipated, yet it’s perpetually filled with the same exhilaration as it holds a wealth of opportunities for creative minds. 

This month we are quite excited to be launching our Giving Tuesday campaign. 

Teachers, the opportunity to win a FREE workshop is still up for grabs. All you have to do is take a few minutes to fill out our 2023 MASC Teachers’ Survey which is open until November 15. 

As the back-to-school buzz settles, seize the moment to plan exciting opportunities for the year ahead with the MASC Brochure 2023-2024. 

Whether you’re in search of artists for workshops, performances, residencies, or eager to discover new talents and touring artists, our brochure is your one-stop guide for quick and easy access to this information. Explore it here.

Enjoy “Your Monthly Dose of MASC,” featuring important dates, upcoming events, highlights from the previous month, and the exciting new “Did You Know?” section. Dive deeper into MASC with intriguing information and fun facts. Happy reading! 

Welcome back! We’re excited to be kicking off the new school year with some new faces and a few key changes to the MASC staff.

If you’re a teacher, keep an eye out for our 2023 MASC Teachers’ Survey, including your chance to win a FREE workshop!

Curious about what we’ve been up to this summer? Scroll down to read all about our Indigenous Awareness training in June and our first-ever Kitigan-Zibi Art & Culture Camp in July.

Canadian Multiculturalism Day presents an opportunity to mark Canada’s unique and diverse cultural makeup, particularly through the arts and acknowledging of communities that are new to us.

MASC is an organization working in Ottawa to bring that diverse suite of arts opportunities directly to students and other members of the communiuty.

Patricia Boal is joined by longtime MASC member and multidisciplinary artist Claudia Salguero and classical Indian dancer and new MASC member Stuti Mukherjee to talk about their art, how working with MASC helps bring it to others, the importance of having that forum around days like Canadian Multiculturalism Day, and more.

“Jigging is tough. It’s all footwork. It’s a lot of quick foot movements. We like to be to be quick; we like to be high energy, and then there’s this hopping element that was added in from that First Nations powwow step that comes from the beating of the drum, the heartbeat of the earth.”

MASC artist Brad Lafortune was invited to share his knowledge of Métis jigging in advance of this past weekend’s workshop with the Ottawa Public Library. He also speaks about working in arts education for the past ten years and MASC’s Indigenous programming.

Watch the full interview on CBC Ottawa starting at 51:35 (near the end of the program).

Article originally published by the Lowertown Echo

Lowertown resident and Grade 8 student Daijah Celestin made her community proud at the 22nd annual MASC Arts Awards on Friday, May 12 at the National Arts Centre. She was honoured with the Molly Ellens Award, named after a beloved volunteer. The award provides a generous supply of visual arts materials to a young artist. This is an exceptional opportunity for Daijah to pursue her dreams and develop her skills.

Molly Ellens loved kids and the highlight of her year was volunteering at the MASC Young Authors and Illustrators Festival. As a young girl, her parents could not afford art supplies so she had to decline an art school scholarship. When she died in 2006, the Ellens family asked friends to donate to MASC in Molly’s memory for young visual artists to be recognized for their passion for the arts. 

Nominated by her teacher Mia Kakebeeke at York Street Public School, Daijah was one of 24 students in grades 6 to 8 whose creativity was celebrated at the awards gala.

Here’s what Mia wrote about her student.

Daijah is a talented and creative artist with the hope of becoming an interior designer in the future. She has had the opportunity to express her talent, creating multiple pieces of art for school and community events such as the York Street Public School 100th anniversary open house and the OCDSB Black Excellence Celebration. She is a girl of few words who speaks and connects with others through her art, and who is developing the confidence to shine by making York Street Public School and Lowertown a more beautiful place to learn and grow.

The evening was memorable, with over 200 people–family, friends, teachers and members of the arts community–coming together to share this joyful moment with the winners and nominees. The other five winners received year-long scholarships to pursue studies in their respective art disciplines with Allegro Music Schools, The Ottawa Children’s Theatre, The Ottawa School of Art, The School of Dance, and mentorship from local author Laurie Gough.

This year’s awards presentation was hosted by CTV news anchor Stefan Keyes and featured a special performance by Honorary Patron and MASC artist Claudia Salguero. Claudia Salguero, a MASC artist originally from Colombia and known for her colourful murals, took to the stage to share her incredible voice and make us feel the rhythms of Colombian music.

MASC extends its gratitude to its partners, without whom this event would not have been possible, as well as the organizations who offer life-changing opportunities for the winners to pursue their passion.

MASC is PROUD to celebrate our artists during Pride Month!

MASC was originally founded over 30 years ago by two women artists who were life partners and believed deeply in the value of arts education. Today, MASC continues its commitment to supporting artists across the 2SLGBTQ+ spectrum. We are proud to work with queer and transgender artists who bring their passion and creativity to schools and communities.