By Emma Silverthorne
Since late July, RE-create has started meeting outside twice weekly with our RE-create regulars.
We form a big-distanced-circle, roll out our blankets, and work away at our artistic projects. As we work, we talk about movies, the pandemic, how we are spending our time, and how delightful it is to see each other’s faces in person. After our first outdoor meeting many youth and volunteers remarked on how nice it was to see everyone in the flesh and to catch up on life.
RE-create also planned its first field trip in 4 months. A group went to view the latest show at the Art Gallery of Hamilton on Thursday, August 6th. We are grateful for such opportunities as our community finds safe, physically distanced ways to do the things we did so easily before.
The pandemic has reminded us all of how much we love to be together, and how much this community means to us. We have had a number of meet-ups in Gage Park, Hamilton, and one down by the waterfront which ended with some french fries from Hutches.
The youth have been working mainly on more mobile projects during the pandemic, like knitting socks, applying patches to a jean jacket, crocheting stuffed animals and doodling in their journals. We hope to introduce an outdoor collage workshop in the coming months, and have been visited by the Living Rock Youth Resources staff with freezies and water at one of our Gage Park meet-ups.
Judging by the way we meet with ease and enjoyment, it seems that our community can endure changes due to the strength of our relationships. From Zoom calls to safe breezy park visits, we fall into our conversations and old jokes just like we did at the Studio.
We are curious about what is to come for RE-create as we plan for a lesser-known future. However, our time adjusting to a pandemic shows us that it is not the space that makes RE-create, but the people in it—and we are thankful for that.
Emma Silverthorne is the Outreach & Community Development coordinator for RE-create Outreach Art Studio.