From Weeds We Grow
From Weeds We Grow is an interdisciplinary public art community project that started in 2020 and explores Toronto’s Rexdale community’s relationship to the environment through the intersections of nature, art, and wellness. Since then, From Weeds We Grow has returned yearly, featuring diverse community-engaged activations from virtual walking tours, workshops, storytelling, and performances rooted in local parks (Rowntree Mills and Panorama Park).
Part of Arts in the Park, From Weeds We Grow is supported by the Toronto Arts Council through the Animating Toronto Parks program, which has led to the development of an interactive web app, free activity booklets, participatory art-making and storytelling workshops, and community events led by local community members, artists, and facilitators.
Project at a glance
Location: Rexdale, Toronto
Documentarians: Kyle Jarencio, Anushay Sheikh, Mila Bright, May Shi, Selina McCallum
Year: 2020-present
Services: Artist Capacity Building, Cultural Planning
Land Acknowledgement
From Weeds We Grow takes place in what is known as Adoobiigok (Etobicoke), the “Place of the Alders” in Michi Saagiig language, and STEPS acknowledges that Panorama Park is situated on the ancestral lands of the Huron-Wendat, the shared traditional lands of the Anishinaabe, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, Chippewa, along with the Seneca and other Haudenosaunee, and is now home to many First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples, among other Indigenous communities.
These Lands are a part of the Humber River system. From time immemorial the Humber served as a vital artery interconnecting many nations across Turtle Island. Home of the ancient carrying place trail, this trade route along with the rich floodplains of the river supported prosperous communities for millennia. The Mississaugas called the Humber River Cobechenonk, which means ‘leave the canoes and go back’ and also Niwa’ah Onega’gaih’ih, meaning ‘Little Thundering Waters’. We acknowledge the original guardians of this land and our responsibility as treaty people to protect the watershed so it may continue to provide for all.
The territory is the subject of the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, an agreement between the Haudenosaunee Confederacy and the Anishinaabe Three Fires Confederacy and allied nations to peaceably share and care for the resources around the Great Lakes, taking only what is needed and ensuring the Dish is never left empty for others. We also acknowledge that what is now known as Toronto is covered by Treaty 13 signed with the Mississaugas of the Credit, and the Williams Treaty signed with multiple Mississaugas and Chippewa Bands.
800+
community participants
25+
artists/ facilitators engaged
59+
unique individual artworks
20
community stories and poems
30
interactive experiences featured on the web app
5
community gatherings
26
workshops
Call for artist
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Events
Since the start of From Weeds We Grow, new programming and collaborations have brought more virtual and in-person workshops and community engagements for the public to deepen their connections to Rowntree Mills Park. Register for upcoming events and check back for recordings that will be made available shortly after virtual events have ended.
STEPS is committed to the community’s full participation in events. Please contact Ima Esin (Cultural Planner) at ima@stepspublicart.org if you have any questions or requests, and we will do our best to accommodate.
Past events
Check events/workshops for more events in your area!
2023 From Weeds We Grow Park Activation
From Weeds We Grow continued to strengthen the North Etobicoke community’s connections to the land with returning collaborators Lindsey Lickers, Mushkiki Nibi Kwe and Richa Baghel leading 2023’s main programming. In 2023, we partnered with Park People through InTO the Ravines across online and in-person programming events.
Marking the start of the 2023 program, Lindsey Lickers led Heart Berry: Strengthening Our Connections. This three-part community-engaged series culminated in a placemaking mural that animated the Rowntree Mills Ravine and Humber River Trail entrance. Starting with a virtual sharing circle on National Indigenous Peoples Day with fellow Oshkabewis (ceremonial helpers) Kelly Lavallee and Melissa Stevenson, the community was invited to hear the teachings of the strawberry and to reflect on the honest conversations shared by the Wayeshadewin collective.
The learnings of the heart berry were revisited in a free beading circle workshop as community members joined Lindsey Lickers and STEPS to create beaded strawberry pins to explore our relationship with ourselves, the land and creation.
Returning collaborator and program participant Richa Baghel was welcomed back to From Weeds We Grow to share her healing workshops to create meditative and reflective spaces for the North Etobicoke community. Richa’s I’m In Nature workshops provided a space for participants to create a collective mandela, visual art and poetry based on their direct experience of being in nature.
From Weeds We Grow was made possible by the generous support of Park People through InTO the Ravines, City of Toronto, Ontario Arts Council, and the New Horizons for Seniors Program, and Canadian Heritage funded by the Government of Canada.
From Weeds We Grow est réalisé en partenariat avec Park People dans le cadre du programme InTO the Ravines. Ce projet est rendu possible grâce au généreux soutien de la ville de Toronto, le Conseil des arts de l’Ontario et le programme Nouveaux Horizons pour les aînés et Patrimoine Canadien, financé par le gouvernement du Canada.
2022 From Weeds We Grow Park Activation
This year’s programming enriched community conversations on their connections to Panorama Park through public art ideation, in-park activation, and a beading circle. Adjacent to the Rexdale Community Hub, the park provided a space for local artists, storytellers, and community leaders to gather for a series of meaningful approaches to public space. Alongside free monthly in-park events summer long, the program also included events at Toronto Public Library branches to increase community involvement.
A core project to the 2022 programming was the creation of the VIBRANT RX Infinity Tree led by Quentin VerCetty and AstroSankofa Arts Initiatives. Focused on exploring the creative use of public space, modular design and hand-crafted elements, the community-co-created art hub served as a gathering point that shares the visual journey of 2022 Panorama Park explorations.
From Weeds We Grow was part of this year’s Arts in the Parks Program. It was made possible through generous support from the Toronto Arts Foundation, Toronto Arts Council funded by the City of Toronto, Rexdale Community Hub, Toronto Public Library, Government of Ontario, and the Government of Canada.
Weaving Our Roots
In 2022, STEPS offered Weaving Our Roots as winter programming for the North Etobicoke locals and seniors to deepen their connection to the land. Two reflection and illustration workshops led by land-based artist and avid gardener Joaquin Varela were hosted where participants designed unique artworks for a Community Flag Garden at the Rexdale Community Hub. To celebrate the colour and creativity that was added to the winter landscape, the community reunited with Joaquin, Adassa B. and STEPS on February 25, 2023 for the flag garden unveiling.
We’re grateful for the community’s active participation in Weaving Our Roots with additional support by Canada Council for the Arts, Rexdale Community Hub, and the Government of Canada.
Weaving Our Roots was made possible through generous support from the Government of Canada, Canada Council for the Arts, and Rexdale Community Hub.
2021 From Weeds We Grow Park Activation
Originally a response to COVID-19 as a way to foster community connections during challenging times, the success of From Weeds We Grow led to continued programming for the local community. In 2021, STEPS welcomed new and past project collaborators to Rowntree Mills Park for another summer of artistic programming with community members.
From Weeds We Grow started with the Poetry of Rowntree Mills Park workshop series led by spoken word artist Zara Rahman. In July, community members gathered in the comfort of their homes to write poems that contributed to the From Weeds We Grow web app and a community showcase highlighting the poetry crafted with local spoken word artist Faduma Mohamed.
Throughout a weekend in late September, community participants came together for a variety of art-making and movement activities in Rowntree Mills Park, including:
- Co-creating a ground mural with Indigenous artist Lindsey Lickers, Mushkiiki Nibi Kwe
- Land-based cyanotype print art-making with Marjan Verstappen
- Movement activities with Marina Fathalla and Prempz
- Community park walk led by Adassa B. and Jim Graham
This year’s programming was part of the Arts in the Parks Program. It was made possible through generous support from Toronto Arts Foundation, Toronto Arts Council funded by the City of Toronto, Canada Council for the Arts, and the Government of Ontario.
We extend our thanks to the Toronto Public Library and Ontario Culture Days for their partnership as part of their 2021 programming.
“The park means a lot to me and my family. Its open space is a great way to get some exercise of the mind and body. I appreciate nature so much more and enjoy a stroll through Rowntree Mills Park.”
2020 From Weeds We Grow Park Activation
Our relationships to nature, accessible public space, and community became more important than ever during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In response to the pandemic, From Weeds We Grow was a program cultivated through conversations during Under/Current, another interdisciplinary program in 2019 by STEPS that transformed Toronto’s Rexdale community through co-created public art and storytelling. From Weeds We Grow encouraged exploration and conversation around public space through interdisciplinary public art projects that connected community members to each other, to the arts, and to the parks along the Humber River.
The 2020 program focused largely on independent community experiences, presentation of stories and spoken word performances, virtual and immersive walking tours, and the first edition of the co-created activity booklet.
Throughout the program’s production, the project’s outcomes culminated in a From Weeds We Grow web app in partnership with Toasterlab. With community well-being and safety in mind, the app explored public space with interactive 360° panorama features, video content, community stories, interactive quests, and more.
Self-guided Activities
Park Activity Booklets
As an additional engagement component to the program, From Weeds We Grow activity booklets were developed in collaboration with the Melting Pot Collective and contributing artists Debbie Woo, Marina Fathalla, Marjan Verstappen, and Jesseca Buizon from 2020-2022. The booklets were filled with beautiful nature-inspired illustrations that explored new ways to connect with Rowntree Mills and Panorama Park. The free booklets were made available in digital and printed formats at each in-park activity, local Toronto Public Library branches, and on the STEPS Public Art website.
“Leading the artwork on this third installment of activity books for From Weeds We Grow with Debbie was a refreshing experience. As someone who has lived in Toronto all her life, it’s amazing to discover scenic breaks outside of the usual sights I’m used to.”
Explore the three activity booklets by clicking on the links below:
Participating artists
James Carpenter
James Carpenter is a recognized Traditional Healer. He has mixed Ojibwa and Cree and Chippewa ancestry from James Bay, Chippewa of the Thames, and Alderville, Ontario. Since 2003, James has worked as an Oshkabewis (helper) at Anishnawbe Health Toronto under the tutelage of various Traditional Healers in the Traditional Healing Services Program.
Lindsey Lickers, Mushkiiki Nibi Kwe (Medicine Water Woman)
Lindsey Lickers, Mushkiiki Nibi (Medicine Water), is Turtle Clan originally from Six Nations of the Grand River, with matriarchal ties to the Mississauga’s of Credit First Nation. She has been a practicing artist specializing in painting, beading and community arts facilitation going on fifteen years.
Zara Rahman
Zara is is a local resident and spoken word artist with numerous awards and publications in local competitions and virtual settings. She is also the founder of a local nonprofit organization called Youth Professionals, dedicated to BIPOC and LGBTQ+ youth and their future careers.
Quentin VerCetty
Quentin VerCetty is a multi-award-winning multidisciplinary storyteller, educator, and Afrofuturist. With a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts from OCAD University and Master’s in Art Education from Concordia University, his work speculates inclusive public spaces and has exhibited his work around the world.
Marina Fathalla
Marina is a multidisciplinary artist, educator and collaborator whose work examines intersections of poetics and politics.
Marjan Verstappen
Marjan is is a multidisciplinary artist and facilitator whose art practice encompasses installation, drawing, photography and performance.
Adassa B.
Adassa is a community leader and collaborator for the From Weeds We Grow project. Adassa leads community walks through Rexdale and Humber Summit, supporting her friends and neighbors in exploring North Etobicoke’s natural green spaces.
Ms. Ellie
Ms. Ellie of FOURONESIXLOVE INC. is driven on supporting the development of the community through curating special events in the Humber Summit area and beyond.
Kanisha Dabreo
Kanisha is a Caribbean-Canadian multidisciplinary artist and digital designer based in the GTA. Artistic Perception is a creative company that provides fine art, prints, and custom pieces/designs. She has a passion for the arts in a variety of mediums including murals and exhibits that focus on storytelling from an Afrocentric lens.
Kareen Weir
Kareen is a multidisciplinary artist dedicated to exploring and preserving Jamaican Patwah through her art practice. Her work looks at themes of memory, retention, representation and identity through the Black experience and deliberate use of Patwah language as the primary means of expression.
Caity Ferrar
Caity Ferrar was born and raised in Brantford, Ontario and started taking art classes at a young age with her father. Encouraged by her family, she attended Sheridan College and Ontario College of Art and Design University. Calling Toronto to me for 7 years, she created and exhibited work, and facilitated artist workshops, murals and other large pieces as a contract artist.
Matthew Fountain
Matthew is an Ojibwe born and raised in Toronto. His character was shaped by the teachings shared by his mother and father. With an emphasis on kindness, diligence, and gentleness, his parents raised him to be a person to value sharing and helping others. It was these simple lessons which led him to become an Oshkabewis.
Tracey Kayy
Tracey Kayy is a multidisciplinary musician based in Toronto. She is a singer, song-writer, producer, rapper and spoken-word artist. Her creative creations mostly shed light on the difficulties and traumas within our society.
Kanate-hson, Elder Renee Thomas-Hill
Kanate’hson, Elder Renee Thomas-Hill was born into the Haudenosaunee Confederacy of the Grand River Territory. She honours her lineage, Mother – Cayuga Bear and that of her Father – Mohawk Turtle. As a Haudenosaunee woman, her role in life is a Carrier of our Heritage.
Debbie Woo
Debbie Woo is a South Korean – Canadian multidisciplinary illustrator based in Mississauga. Often mixing traditional and digital methods, she uses distinct shape language to build dynamic compositions. Her utilization of texture, line and pattern characterizes her visual style and aids in her love of storytelling.
Jesseca Buizon
Jesseca Buizon (she/her) is a freelance illustrator and designer who goes by the internet alias of JAYYMADETHIS. She works in traditional and digital mediums to create works that investigate the mundane, emotions, and human interactions but plants and pets are common muses.
Jode Ketch
Jody Kechego is an Indigenous medicine man from the Chippewa and Oneida Nations in southwest Ontario. Kechego was raised on the Chippewa Reservation in the 1970s, and he received certificates as a Community Addictions Counsellor, Native Inmate Liaison and Native Court Worker in the 1990s.
Martin Marticorena
A performer, using a spoken word-esque approach to captivate and resonate. Using personal experience, philosophy, and authenticity to tap into what we all feel and know. An amateur Mixed Martial Artist looking to continue to fight. At 25 years old, of Peruvian descent, all I want is to see where Toronto is in 4-7 years. We can all win and I’m excited.
Melting Pot Collective
Melting Pot Collective represents the scene that Hip-hop created in Toronto. They are focused on capturing originality and creativity at the highest quality. Their core values as artists and designers include self-discipline, attention to detail, performing under pressure and letting their minds create with no limitations
Prempz
Born in Kumasi, Ghana and raised in Toronto, CanaJode Kda, Martin “Prempz” Prempeh is Toronto’s most notable dancer and choreographer. Dancing is something he lives, breathes and loves to do. With the ability to move his waist in different directions and his non-stop flips, he never fails to grasp an audience’s attention.
Faduma Mohamed
Faduma Mohamed is a playwright, autism advocate and emerging actor. In 2016, she produced her one-woman play “OUGHTISM” in d’bi young’s Watah Theatre.
Caerina Abrenica
Caerina Abrenica is an illustrator and motion designer based in Toronto, Canada.She specializes in digital illustration for brands and local businesses.
Denise Harris
From her work as a lobbyist and community evangelist in preserving our local heritage buildings to her ongoing dedication to developing and presenting tours, programs, and educational lectures focused on our rich local heritage, Denise has enriched the lives of many people with her passion for Etobicoke history.
Billy Parrell
More Motif is a small studio run by artist Billy Parrell. She is an interdisciplinary, self-taught maker with a passion for working with her hands. Beginning with a sketch or a poem, whether it be a work of ceramic, textile, or visual art, her work is brought to you with love and good medicine from dedicated teachings of her mixed Cree, Métis, and Irish ancestry.
Jiya Patel
Jiya Patel is a youth artist based in Rexdale who has a passion for art and expression. To her, public art should be created by the diverse people within a community; together we should build a safe space to share everyone’s stories.
Supporters
From Weeds We Grow is part of the Arts in the Parks program. It has been made possible through generous support from:
