What does 'shelter' mean to you? (8 photos)

During this year’s annual Culture Days celebration, Rihkee Strapp and a group of volunteers launched their SHELTER project, exploring the idea of what makes one feel safe.

Strapp is one of five diverse Canadian youths selected across the province to represent the Youth Arts Ambassador Program (YAAP), a new initiative designed to support next generation young artists.

The SHELTER project had humble beginnings – a conversation about the over-representation of Indigenous children dependent on social services lead to Strapp and another young artist friend collecting found objects and cardboard in order to create an experimental temporary home in a west end alleyway.

As they toiled away constructing their shelter, community members stopped, talked, and engaged, sharing what they felt it meant to feel safe.

One person got legal advice, another spent time there to remove themselves from a stressful situation, others pitched in to assist in building the structure, Strapp told SooToday.

“While the shelter that was made out of cardboard and thistle bushes in a literal way couldn’t provide much shelter, especially because it rained the next day, it became a temporary social shelter,” Strapp said.

Friday afternoon at the Art Gallery of Algoma, Strapp had plenty of cardboard and creativity available to construct and debut the SHELTER initiative.

Passersby were invited to contribute, a cardboard home was created, and the notion of ‘safety’ was explored.

“While I don’t think that my community art project in any way will seriously move the needle and address the number of children in CAS, I think it is a great opportunity to use the project as a point for dialogue,” Strapp said. “It’s so much easier to engage people with community arts because it’s cross cultural. When you make things with people, you don’t necessarily need to look in their face – there’s some kind of social pressure taken out of that.”

“It’s about learning from more people and different people where they feel safe and what makes them feel safe, and what they think really needs to be addressed,” Strapp continued. “I’m really excited about the relevance of this project with all of the controversy that’s arisen with the Soldiers of Odin. A lot of people are very positive, but others feel it agitates racial tension. This project is a really great opportunity to talk about that, but less from a particular side.”

The SHELTER  project continues Sunday, Oct. 2 from 1 p.m. until 9 p.m. at the Gore Street Cafe where Strapp will have “lots and lots of cardboard” for friends, supporters, and interested participants to construct pop up shops.

Always wanted to run a lemonade stand? They’ll help you build it.

Got some collectables you’d like to sell? A sales stand is what you need.

Want to have your own yoga studio? They’ll make that happen.

“This is a great opportunity for people to get really creative and highlight the things they wish they had, and give them a temporary opportunity to share that with the community,” Strapp said.

Other Culture Days events taking place Sunday include Painting on Rocks, a studio open house hosted by Taimi Poldmaa at Berkana Art Studio located at The TECH from noon to 4 p.m.; and the Apple Festival at the Mill Market from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.