THE OFFICE OF SOCIAL INNOVATION AT RYERSON UNIVERSITY OPENS APPLICATIONS FOR INDIGENOUS ARTIST RESIDENCY – MUSKRAT Magazine

TORONTO, ON — The Office of Social Innovation (OSI) at Ryerson University* invites applications from Indigenous artists or collectives for a five-month residency in Toronto’s Allan Gardens.

The paid residency, titled Indigenous Artist in the Park, was created for Indigenous artists to develop work that acknowledges, reflects upon, and responds to the continuous Indigenous presence in the Allan Gardens neighbourhood. Applications for the residency open on February 1 and close on March 27 at 11:59 pm (EST).

“With its iconic Conservatory, Allan Gardens is a vital green space in the heart of the city with a very rich history,” said Rina Fraticelli, Director of Strategic Initiatives for OSI. “This is an opportunity for an Indigenous artist to spend time exploring this centuries-old and continuously meaningful gathering place for Indigenous communities.”

The Indigenous Artist in the Park residency is part of Imagine the Park, a year-long series of cultural events and activities in and around the Allan Gardens neighbourhood presented by OSI. Imagine the Park aims to foster a more welcoming, creative, well-resourced green space for the wider Allan Gardens community.

“This project has been so skillfully designed. It is thoughtful, thought-provoking, educational, and respectful and captures this central community’s true essence and Indigenous history – so rich and vibrant. I am excited to see it come to fruition.” Said Joanne Okimawininew Dallaire, Elder (Ke Shay Hayo) and Senior Advisor, Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation, Ryerson University.

To learn more about the Indigenous Artist in the Park residency, visit ryerson.ca/social-innovation/iap.

About the Office of Social Innovation

The Office of Social Innovation (OSI) was founded on August 1st, 2016, under the auspices of the Provost and Vice-President Academic. In recognition of the need to develop solutions to systemic social challenges experienced by our students and the broader university community.

Imagine the Park springs from OSI’s commitment to contribute to the vitality of the neighbourhoods surrounding the university. This event series is informed by the geography, history, and social landscape of Allan Gardens Park.

*Renaming in Process

In August 2021, the university announced that it would begin a renaming process to address the legacy of Egerton Ryerson and build a more inclusive future. Let’s write the next chapter together.

Jocelyn Courneya
Office of Social Innovation, Ryerson University [email protected]