Outside 1

On 7 September 2024, a group of artists and authors met at the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts (MIWSFPA) in downtown St. Catharines for a creative walk (ca. 2.5 km) in the immediate neighbourhood. Rather than heading to busy St. Paul Street or the residential Glenridge area, they went down to Gale Crescent and Division Street across Geneva Street. Back on Geneva Street, they then walked to the field across the MIWSFPA on the other side of the highway and, going under the Glenridge bridge, to the bottom of the Twelve River trail. The group returned to the MIWSFPA on the pedestrian bridge to McGuire Street.

During the walk, participants were tasked to document apparently insignificant details they noticed on their way in any creative form they felt comfortable with (drawing, creative writing, sound recording, photography). Their selected contributions not only have creative value, they also form identifiable mementos of specific locations. Viewers/readers familiar with the area will recognize some of the details that captured the attention of the group.

Curator: Catherine Parayre

Anyone walking in downtown St. Catharines will notice extreme poverty and homelessness: tents in which families live because their jobs do not pay for rent; people with addictions and various medical conditions who cannot afford treatment. Students, faculty members, staff, and visitors of the MIWSFPA are daily witnesses of significant social inequalities in the downtown area. While tents and loitering are not allowed on campus property, the security team nevertheless helps where it can. Rick Tollar, Special Constable and Supervisor, MIWSFPA, writes: “Instead of just asking them to leave the property, we listen to their stories and experiences without judgement. It’s important to realize that most homeless people are not drug addicts or criminals. Compassion and showing respect for their dignity is the approach we take at MWS. We provide information on local shelters/churches that provide a hot meal and a warm bed. Pre-Covid we held warm clothing and food drives for the homeless. We will be starting this up again with our partners, Community Share and Out of the Cold Program.”

Out of respect, the art and writing documenting the Creative Walk on 7 September 2024 does not represent individuals ignored by society. Yet, the group acknowledges that their presence is an integral part of the human landscape in St. Catharines.

Beginning in 2011, the academic programs of the Marilyn I. Walker School have celebrated the legacy of Marilyn, her gift and her vision by programming the Walker Cultural Leaders (WCL) Series. The ongoing development and refinement of the WCL program facilitates invitations to recognized cultural leaders, top researchers, visiting artists, scholars, professionals, theatre companies, producing and presenting organizations, associations, and others to contribute to the intellectual and creative life of the School and the Niagara region.

In September 2024, artist Marc-Alexandre Dumoulin (Montreal, QB) was invited by the Centre for Studies in Arts and Culture to participate as a Walker Cultural Leader to this project.

Photographs: Alexandra Wanderer