THUNDER BAY — Jordan Simpson and Aubrey Hamilton say art has allowed them to not only express themselves, but also reflect on who they are.
“It means more to me, like a lot of self-reflection and see who I really am and expressing myself through writing and artwork,” Jordan said. “This gave me a chance to really express myself.”
“For myself, it was more about self-confidence,” Aubrey added. “To do this project gave me a lot of self-confidence. To show who you are.”
The two Grade 10 students at Westgate Collegiate and Vocational Institute were two of 33 students who participated in the Dear Self Art Project, which is now on display at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery.
The Dear Self Project was an initiative launched by the Thunder Bay Police Service as a way of preventing youth from becoming involved in gangs and drugs.
It included the launch of a video series last year, as well as a tour of city schools by police resources officers, spoken word poet and Wali Shah, and local advocate Kyle Arnold who overcame struggles with addiction.
Insp. Derek West with the Thunder Bay Police Service said the video featuring Shah and Arnold provided a very unique way of connecting with youth and encouraging them to think about themselves introspectively.
“The Dear Self Art Project came as a result of that,” West said. “We thought what a better way to get the youth involved in thinking about that and looking at their experiences through their eyes.”
Students were invited to create pieces of art in various mediums expressing the themes of the Dear Self Project and enter a city-wide contest.
On Wednesday, an exhibition at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery featuring the works by the students was opened and awards were handed out.
“It’s really cool, because when we first started this, we weren’t really sure what to expect,” Shah said. “When I came here and I was looking at the different pieces the students made, I was very impressed with their connection to what we did.”
Jordan and Aubrey said they were both encouraged to enter the contest by their art teacher and they said it was fun to participate in and it gave them extra encouragement.
“I like the way everyone has a different way of expressing themselves,” Aubrey said. “It’s very interesting to see how people present themselves in art.”
“I think it’s really amazing that the nine of us came from Westgate to do it and it’s really nice to walk around here and see everyone’s art,” Jordan added.
Shah said the Dear Self Project is a way to open doors for students to take that creative step, which can lead to positive experiences and choices going forward.
“If you think about art, just from a very base perspective, it’s a creative way to outlet your emotions. If students can rely on and use this as a way to channel what they are going through, that is 150 times better than any other negative outlet that they might be leaning on as a crutch when they might be going through some struggles,” he said.
“When you have something positive and creative to use as an outlet, this is what happens and it gets you through a lot of things without having the bad from some of those other issues that arise like addictions. That’s why we are here.”
The Dear Self Project will be an ongoing initiative, including reaching out to remote communities throughout the region to help prepare students coming to the city for school.
“It really helps us see that the youth can be their own leaders within themselves at a young age to be leaders within their own communities and making sure they are safe and gang and drugs don’t get involved with them,” West said.
The Dear Self Art Project will be on display at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery until Oct. 1.
