{"id":16089,"date":"2024-02-14T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-02-14T18:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/innovationhub\/?p=16089"},"modified":"2024-06-21T10:14:10","modified_gmt":"2024-06-21T14:14:10","slug":"black-flourishing-installation-using-art-to-inspire-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/innovationhub\/black-flourishing-installation-using-art-to-inspire-change\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cBlack Flourishing\u201d Installation: Using Art to Inspire Change\u00a0\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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After visiting the art installation \u201cBlack Flourishing\u201d at the Daniels Building, Ava reflects on art installations that highlight Black student voices and that inspire new questions, solutions, and ideas for change through art thinking and art activism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ava Hawkins, Blog Editor & Digital Content Writer, Honours Bachelor of Science, Cognitive Science & Psychology<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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The \u201cBlack Flourishing\u201d Installation <\/h2>\n\n\n
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At the Innovation Hub, equity-centered design drives our work forward by highlighting the many diverse stories and perspectives of the community. Our work is guided by students\u2019 stories, voices, and commitment towards making U of T a better place. Student voices create a sense of unified activism which can look different depending on the place and space \u2013 through dialogues, petitions, policies, poems, or art installations.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019d like to reflect on and learn from engagements with Black art during Black History Month, highlighting how art acts as a catalyst for learning and change. During Black History Month, learning from Black art and artists is one step to understanding different experiences and learning about the importance of amplifying Black student voices. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back in December, I visited the \u201cBlack Flourishing\u201d installation at the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design. The installation showcases six student artworks that reflect upon what Black flourishing means and looks like to each artist.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flourishing can look different for everyone: when I think of the word, I am reminded of personal growth and taking steps to achieve goals. Upon walking up the Daniels staircase, what immediately caught my attention was the diversity of expression and use of various mediums that convey the stories within artwork. In the artworks and artist statements, I saw a celebration of Black culture through values, identity, and representation, with each artist highlighting their own story. Some of the insights I took away from the installation include:  <\/p>\n\n\n\n