In Mount Dennis, a group is teaching youth to become a budding artist in West End.
While Toronto has a rich art scene, the western end of the city has fewer opportunities.
Toronto Arts Council Map Compared to only two art programs in a neighborhood such as Mount Dennis, shows over 600 art programs and organizations, which are funded in the downtown core.
Therefore, Weston-Mount Dennis Locals decided to start 4 West EndA community -led art organization that is a partner to build West & Youth with West End Artists.
4 The West End 25 -year -old Executive Director Midayan Samson says, “We are redefining the story of our neighborhood and we meet it to document it and tell it through an art lens,” Samson says.
“When we hear about the waste end or you look at things in the West End, it is not necessary that there are positive things, so it gives us the opportunity to tell the story of our community through our voices.”
In November 2023, 4 West End was launched.
Non-profit provides a variety of art programming for youth between the ages of 16 and 24, with local artists teach skills such as photography, dejing and poetry.
In summer, the youth met every Saturday for 15 weeks to improve their crafts, leading to a final exhibition on 31 July to demonstrate their art.
“We don’t have many such programs, so we are searching for it for ourselves, and it can sometimes be hard or harmful, you think you can’t find your crew or your people or your people or your community,” Salma Elvish or DJ Swish, says a 24-year-old program participant.
“When you find your community and your friends who practice the same love for art, as you do, it becomes easier to pursue it.”
As Ontario Arts Council Report93 percent of Ontarian found art to enrich the quality of life, and 88 percent believe that the art creates the spirit of the community.
Kelly Langgard, director and CEO of the Toronto Arts Council, says that within a low -income neighborhood, art can be a social work like access to libraries and community centers, which gives people a place to gather and have a feeling of hope and possibility.
“Art contributes to more citizen engagement, and they contribute to healthy and safe communities. And we also know that generally, art and culture in a community creates a more welcome place for everyone, who live there, especially for new people, especially for new people. [and] Youth.”
4 West End and Beinner Arts will continue to run the programming’s cohorts, expand its reach in various neighborhoods and organize their annual showcase of West Ended Artists in November.
