A STEPS PROJECT

PanAm People’s Cauldron

Commissioned by the PanAm / Parapan Am Games Organizing Committee, this steel ceremonial cauldron featured imagery representing thirty geographic and identity-based communities touched by the Games that were designed by artists Christiano De Araujo, Yshmael Cabana and Craig White.

ProJECT At A Glance

Location: Opening and Closing Ceremonies, Toronto

Artist(s): Craig White, Yshmael Cabana, Christiano De Araujo

Year: 2015

Services: Artist Capacity Building, Creative Placemaking,  Public Art Management

4m+

watched the opening and closing ceremonies

350+

community members engaged in the design process

30+

unique community-inspired designs cut into the cauldron

10

types of steel used to make the cauldron

3

Toronto artists who brought community insights to life

ProJECT Details

As part of the 2015 Pan American Games and Parapan American Games hosted in Toronto, the organizing committee wanted to recognize the many communities involved in hosting what was the largest multi-sport event hosted in Canada.

STEPS facilitated a community engagement process with hundreds of community members from across Southern Ontario who reflected the many geographic and identity-based communities involved in the Games. Through participatory arts activities, community members shared their own experiences of their communities – both orally as well as visually.

Artists Christiano De Araujo, Yshmael Cabana and Craig White developed thirty unique designs that reflected the values communicated by the many communities who participated in the consultations.

These community-inspired designs were laser-cut into its many steel petals of the People’s Cauldron, which was fabricated by ArcelorMittal Dofasco has since found a permanent home along Hamilton’s waterfront.