A gathering to show solidarity with immigrant families separated at the U.S. Border is being organized in downtown Guelph on Saturday by a grassroots group of youth who are mixing activism and art.
Artsy Activists is a loose-knit group of youth founded last year by GCVI students Sequoia Kim and Elise Kephart, who noticed discussions about activism often came up during their Grade 10 art classes.
The pair decided to break the discussions off into a group open to youth of all ages in Guelph to discuss issues affecting them and how they can use art to address them.
“We needed a space to come and support one another and be there for each other — as young people I think that is important,” said Kephart.
Kim said they wanted to make a group that was for young people that was actually created by young people.
“There are lots of places — I am not saying that they are bad — that are just created for young people by adults that are facilitating youth groups. We wanted to take it into our own hands.” Said Kim.
A huge part of the group, said Kephart, is just listening to the perspectives of other people and trying to build an understanding through art.
“I think that is something that art does, is build understanding between people — art is activism and activism is art,” said Kephart.
The group has a loose membership, weekly meetings have had as many as 30 people participating but sometimes just a handful of people show up.
Often the smaller meetings have the most to offer members, said Kim.
“In the beginning, I was disappointed when a lot of people didn’t come, but then I realized this is way more intimite and people can have deeper discussions within the group and create art together, all at the same space,” said Kim.
Kim and Kephart are currently finishing Grade 11. The meetings have welcomed students from Grade 8 to Grade 12, but the pair said they don’t really turn anyone away.
“It’s kind of good to have a nice range of people — we have Grade 8s and Grade 12s that talk to each other, which is awesome,” said Kim.
On Saturday at noon, the group is inviting everyone to meet in Market Square for an event called Keeping Families Together, which is being held in support with the immigrant families being separated at the U.S. border.
“Everyone knows about it, but no one is doing anything,” said Kim. “We wanted to make our voices heard.”
During Tuesday’s meeting, group members created signs which will be used during Saturday’s gathering.
Kim said a lot of the energy caused by anger is wasted when discourse is kept to social media online.
“Instead of just sitting around being mad and storming around my own house and posting angrily on Instagram, it’s good to transform that anger into something that is productive and useful,” said Kim.
Donations will be collected Saturday for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), an American non-profit organization which is working to defend the rights and liberties of people in that country.
The group will also encourage people to write letters in support of the families that are being separated, whether those letters are to the families themselves or to elected officials — American and Canadian.
“People who are already aware and frustrated about this issue, I think this is a great opportunity to come out and collectively do something,” said Kim.
