Across Newsletter July 2022

JULY 2022 ISSUE

Across U-hub LET'S GET TOGETHER

CONTENTS

Message from Executive Director - 01 What is the mural about? - 03

Message from Executive Director Twenty years ago, I asked my mentor for advice. My question was: “What are the required facilities for a youth center? Ping pong table? Basketball court?

Coffee shop? Computer room? Gaming room?“ My mentor gently answered me, "You just need blank walls." This sentence burned in my mind for many years, and every time we moved locations, I insisted on keeping some walls clean and undecorated, waiting for young people to paint and tell their stories.

This July is very special for Across U-hub. At the beginning of the month, we started the " Wall" mural project, a project where young people use art and painting to describe and capture their feelings and experiences. Now that the mural is nearing completion, my interpretation of my mentor’s advice is that a youth center needs is a place where young people can feel they belong; and a space for us to hear their stories.

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Across U-hub strives to be that place. We not only attract young people for informal activities but also create opportunities for them to try new things in a constructive way. The " Wall" is a great example of that. Painting a mural is an easy and fun approach to engaging young people, creates a strong sense of ownership, and allows them to really visualize the effects of their contributions to a large-scale project.

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Nicole Wong

Message from Executive Director

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When the " Wall" mural project started, it was full of unknowns, and the process of bringing this project to life has been full of surprises. With the end of the project in sight, all I can say is: "Awesome!"

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The " Wall" project will run for two years, and I sincerely invite you to visit the " Wall" where you will hear and experience young people telling their stories.

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What is the mural about?

Samson Wong

When the staff team came up with the idea of doing a mural, several artists signed on to help with designing the image. With one artist living in Vancouver, and the others busy teaching art classes and summer camps, all the meetings were held online.

There were two basic areas we had to decide: How it will look, and what it is about. The two areas are very much connected because they need to complement each other to create the biggest impact.

How should it look?

There were many ideas flowing around. Here are some examples for readers who have had less experience talking about drawings: Should we use mostly primary colours? Primary colours are usually those that come with beginner crayons or watercolour set. They give an immediate sense of familiarity to the viewer but often hold less attention because they look too familiar.

What is the mural about?

Should it look like the graffiti we often see in downtown Toronto? The group shared mural images of many different styles, including graffiti. The size, shape, colouring and use of word as graphic has a unique history in North American culture. Although graffiti is exciting to see, we decided it was not representative of our cultural heritage

What is the mural about?

What should it be about?

We began our discussion by going through the findings of an academic research about the volunteers of Across (to be released this Fall), looking for stories and descriptions to give image to the ideas.

Next, we discussed the larger context: journey of Chinese immigrants, and the cultural and psychological impacts to generations of youth.

Convergence of image and content As the design slowly took shape, the style became multi-scenic and multi-narrative. This style enables the mural to incorporate more elements from youths’ stories, juxtaposing them in interesting ways that inspires viewers to interpret objects and colours as realistic or symbolic.

What is the mural about?

What is the mural about?

A general description of the mural is that it is about the journey of several generations of youths that has left their footprints at Across. There are nuances and details that are open to the readers’ interpretation.

Come and take a look, you might describe it in another way. As you and I stand to view the mural, we may even have conflicting interpretations. That is ok; in fact, that is the uniqueness of art. These conflicting views may be pointing at a deeper or more complicated understanding. What is most important, is that we as a community can come together, inspired by the energy of youths, to share stories and opinions, hopes and aspirations for the future.