A West Hillhurst Community Art Project by Blank Page Studio
Community members and neighbours came together for two land explorations led by herbalist Tiffany Freeman (Harper) and artist daniel j kirk. We began by sharing stories and listening to the land as we walked the Bow River pathway and the Grasshopper hill/bluff of the neighbourhood of West Hillhurst. We sought to find native species of plants and explored opportunities for inquiry. Conversations were had regarding the land and the plants, informing about traditions, honour-based practices and exploring new contexts for viewing their community with an eye for native plant species, our neighbours (also known as our plant relatives).
From these explorations, visuals were created using a multimedia approach, printed on cedar, and have been placed within the neighbourhood of West Hillhurst for people to explore. The cedar visuals serve as an introduction to the ‘relatives’ (Plants) that share a home within our communities. Markers are used to identify plant species as our plant neighbours and not to identify (or commodify) plants at their exact location.
With help from the City of Calgary, we now have 36 public signs of flowers specific to the West Hillhurst area throughout the West Hillhurst community footprint. For more information about the project visit www.rootedincommunity.ca
Visuals are found within the public realm of West Hillhurst as well as with participating community members at private residences & local businesses.
Getting to know your neighbours: we invite you to explore and learn more about your plant neighbours by scanning the QR Code when you come upon the cedar visuals or by visiting the website and the PLANT pages. From there you can enjoy the various visuals and learn more about your neighbours, and the plants, through their names*, family connections, and stories.
*Latin names connect you to further research the plants and nēhinawēwin (Cree) names were included as this is how Tiffany knows them from her worldview as a ininiwak iskwew (swampy cree person).
