Skye Louis
Artists create change by changing perceptions and mindsets. Artists often challenge what we consider normal. Art opens up new possibilities for our society. Artists take us out of a space of business as usual, and bring us into a space of transformation. Art is all about change; I think that all artists are changemakers on some level.
At the moment, I work in three major areas: artmaking with community, teaching classes and workshops, and creating visuals that support access and equity.
You will often find me creating art with groups and in community settings. I have been using screenprinting to foster empowerment, cultural pride and visibility, and community expression. My work with community usually takes the form of hand-printed posters and wearables. During the residency, we created resilience kits for International Women’s day. Each kit was packaged in a hand-printed bag designed to illuminate the fundamental role that migrant women play in all aspects of our society.
The classes and workshops I lead are designed to break complex processes down into simple ideas to help make the arts accessible to everyone. These sessions combine artistic and technical fundamentals with creative reuse. We repurpose everyday items and make things from scratch wherever possible. This approach empowers participants to start where they are and use what they have in their own creative practice. Through the AAC residency, I’ve been working with the amazing Calgary Vietnamese Women’s Association to create hand-printed fabric for DIY mask-making kits.
I have a focus on using visual tools to support access and equity. A picture really is worth a thousand words; I believe that visuals can support us as we work with and communicate complex ideas. Visuals can help us to see ideas in a new light, and can also bring attention to stories and realities that would otherwise remain hidden. During the AAC residency, I have been focused on revealing the hidden workings of our labour systems, which have led to so many essential workers being disproportionately impacted by Covid-19.
Artists have an important role to play in addressing complex social and environmental problems. I love that AAC has created a program that is by and for artists, and is also about collaboration with non-artists. It creates a space where everyone can play to their strengths. And partnering with Action Dignity is a privilege. I feel very lucky to be working with an organization that is doing so much to support dignity and equity in our city.
I’m inspired by how innovative humans can be, and the incredibly creative things we create with minimal resources. Recently, I’ve been coming back to this Arthur Ashe quote again and again: