About

Learn about the campaign and the team behind it

Engaging the Lawrence Heights community through public art

A new Community Recreation Centre and Child Care Centre is coming to the Lawrence Heights neighbourhood as part of the Toronto Community Housing Lawrence Heights Revitalization project. There is an opportunity to install permanent public art inside and outside the new centre. The new public artwork(s) will be commissioned and selected through a competition process.

We at Oddside Arts want to know what kind of public art the Lawrence Heights community would like to appear in the new Lawrence Heights Community Recreation & Child Care Centre.

Oddside Arts is a grassroots cultural arts not-for-profit and creative technology artist collective, merging art, technology and wellness through Black speculative design.

We believe that public art should be pursued with an approach that is informed by community, and works for community.

Lawrence Heights has a storied history experiencing numerous shifts. As Black-identifying artists, the research we are conducting aims to to capture a variety of voices from all walks of life. We are especially dedicated to amplifying the perspectives and knowledges of Black, Afro-diasporic, Indigenous, and other POC.

Allison Rolle

Allison (they/she) is a devoted activist, artist, and researcher. As a researcher, Allison engages with Black and Queer theoretical frameworks to ensure public policy is composed by and for the community. Allison’s previous research endeavours have focused on a range of issues including, but not limited to, the experiences of equity-denied groups in post-secondary, the experiences of gender non-conforming individuals in healthcare, education, and the arts, and resource accessibility in Black communities facing rising anti-Blackness. Recently the recipient of Brock University’s Susan Sydor Award in Social Justice and Equity Studies, Allison continues to conduct research and engage with projects that bolster community perspectives and voices.

Nico Taylor

Nico (she/her) is a performance and digital artist, curator, and scholar whose work dissects social constructions surrounding race and representation and highlights Black bodies using cosplay, storytelling, and graphic design. As a trained performer in Afro-Caribbean folk dance with over 20 years of experience, Nico has participated in many events showcasing the beauty and vibrancy of Caribbean culture. As a scholar, her interest in pop culture and designation as a proud blerd spurred the pursuit of a Master of Arts at Concordia University on decolonial practices, feminism, cosplay subculture, and Afrofuturism. Nico is a founding co-lead and collaborative member of Oddside Arts.

Queen Kukoyi

Queen (they/them) is a gender-queer, neurodivergent, Mad multidisciplinary artist, whose practice encompasses Queer theory in a meta-analytical Afrofuturistic convergence of art and technology, mindfulness, sound, and Noetic sciences through spoken word poetry, digital collage animations, AR, immersive experiences and installation work that touch on concepts surrounding the Afrofuturistic meditative space. Queen Kukoyi has been serving the community for 20+ years, combating structural violence against Black and Indigenous youth through youth service resources, arts education programs in schools, community centres and justice advocacy. Queen is also the founding co-lead and collaborative member of Oddside Arts.

Painting workshop

Organic seitan quinoa tumblr, brooklyn hammock tofu tattooed pork belly glossier lo-fi fam selvage. Succulents post-ironic distillery four loko. Biodiesel sriracha typewrit food truck shabby chic succulents put a bird on it. Veniam occaecat tilde nulla.