Project Inkwell
On April 5, 2014, Project Inkwell connected youth and emerging artists with established artists in the community for a day of fun, growth, and learning. Emerging artists strengthened their communication skills through exposure to a broad range of art forms, including creative writing, visual arts, and modern music.
Presenters & Performers
Emilia Nowicki
Emilia, Miss Teenage Peel 2014, gave a keynote speech about how she uses art to overcome obstacles. Emilia also performed an inspiring dance routine and some of her poetry.
Shawn Micallef
Title of talk: Writing Your City
- Author of Stroll: Psychogeographic Walking Tours of Toronto
- Senior editor and co-owner of the Jane Jacobs Prize-winning magazine Spacing
- Columnist at the Toronto Star
- Speaker at TEDxToronto 2013
WALI SHAH
- 19 year old Canadian rapper/poet, named one of Canada's Top 20 Under 20
- Album Rhythm & Poetry tackled social issues such as positive life choices
- Performed at Celebration Square and Dundas Square during UNITY Kickoff
- Has helped raise over $1 million for the United Way of Peel Region through speaking engagements
ANNA YIN
Title of Talk: Poetry Alive: I decide this is my voice
- Author of 5 in-print poetry books and director of Poetry Alive education program
- Poem Still Life featured in 700 buses across Canada as part of Poetry in Transit
- 2010 Mississauga Arts Council MARTY Award for Emerging Literary Arts
- Current Ontario representative to the League of Canadian Poets
Jessie Trott
Title of Talk: Glass Art
- Mixed media artist – glass, photography, paintings
- Community Course teacher at the Living Arts Centre (bead flame-working)
- Former Resident Artist (blowing glass) at the Living Arts Centre
- Has exhibited and sold work around the Greater Toronto Area
Amy Leask
Title of Talk: Kid's Nonfiction
- Author of ThinkAboutIt: Philosophy for Kids book and app series
- Vice-President of Enable Education, a curriculum design company
- Blogger for The Huffington Post Canada
- Speaker at TEDxMilton 2012
Evan Munday
Title of Talk: Kid's Stuff: Writing and illustrating for younger readers
- Publicist for Coach House Books
- Author of Silver Birch-nominated young adult books, The Dead Kid Detective Agency
- Cartoonist behind the comic book Quarter-Life Crisis
- Illustrator of the novel Stripmalling
Emilia Jajus
Title of Talk: Discover an Artist within YOU
- Toronto muralist, pet portrait artist, and art teacher
- Murals have been featured by CP24, CBC, CityNews, and Toronto Star
- Exhibited at Visual Arts Mississauga
Cynthia Feng
Vocal and acoustic performance. Cynthia is currently the President of Ink Movement Mississauga and a Grade 12 student at The Woodlands S.S.
TIMEANDDESIRE (DENISE ST. MARIE & TIMOTHY WALKER)
Title of Talk: New Signs of Communication: from street installations to socially engaged practices and beyond…
- Media: interdisciplinary installation and socially engaged intervention
- Featured in Toronto Urban Film Festival, Art of the Danforth, and Scotiabank Nuit Blanche Toronto, etc.
- Artists-in-Residence with the Art Gallery of Mississauga
Matthew Jones "Testament"
- Performer at UNITY Festival – an urban /hip-hop festival celebrating love, peace, and unity
- Released three albums based on lyricism and rhyme construction
- Performed and taught from coast to coast
- 12 years of public speaking experience with workshops, talks, and seminars
Workshops
Pages on Fire
Title of workshop: Exploring Racism: Free writing, poetry, and personal narrative
- Pages on Fire is an anti-oppression writer's collective from across the GTA
Christopher Doda
Title of workshop: Found Poetry: The art of stealing words from your surroundings
- Toronto-based poet, editor, and critic
- Author of two poetry collections: Among Ruins and Aesthetics Lesson
- Series Editor for annual Best Canadian Essays from Tightrope Books
Kate Marczynski & Laura Kaminker
Title of workshop: Keeping it real - research to write
Betty Zhang
Title of workshop: N/A
Toronto-based artist and designer
Aims to enhance the cause and effect between nature and human experiences
Portfolio available from http://www.bettyzhangart.com/
Ida Campana
Title of workshop: Creating your own visual techniques for reading music
Owner of The Conservatory of Music
Author of Piano Exam Prep ebooks
David Leask
Title of workshop: What's in a song?
Produced 3 critically-acclaimed CDs
2x winner of the International Songwriting Competition
Mississauga Established Performing Artist of the Year in 2004
Kathy Bailey
Title of workshop: The Big Reveal: Magic colour secrets from Rembrandt
Professional fine artist and art educator
Award winning painter with 30+ years of experience
Instructor with Visual Arts Mississauga for traditional glazed oils
Dermot McKeown
Title of workshop: Painting at the speed of sound
Experienced painter - oils, watercolor, acrylics
Instructor with Visual Arts Mississauga for 10+ years
Past President of the Mississauga Art Society
Steven Botelho
Title of workshop: Pastel eye/Window to the soul
Children's instructor with Visual Arts Mississauga
Experience with coloring books, paintings, illustrators, and puppets