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My recent installation titled "Queens and Kings - ReConnected STC" displayed as part of this years Nuit Blanche art exhibition displayed at the Scarborough Town Centre (STC), has received so much positive feedback that discussions and consideration on potentially making this exhibit a permanent feature within STC, has been circulating.
This blog has been created to showcase the wonderful comments I have received thus far, as well as, allow those of you who have seen the exhibit, to share your overall experience at the Nuit Blanche event as well share your comments and thoughts on having my art exhibit a permanent fixture within STC.
All of the positive comments supporting this initiative will be provided to those capable of making this happen so please leave a comment and share this post with others who may have seen the exhibit and shared their experience with you.
Below are a few of the comments that have been received thus far:
Scarborough Town Centre was delighted to host Mark Stoddart’s ‘ReConnectedSTC’ installation as a contributor to the 2019 Nuit Blanche exhibit and beyond. The diversity, accomplishment and societal contribution that Mark presents in his work evokes a sense of pride and inclusivity and we were privileged to participate in shining a light on the multicultural mosaic that Scarborough represents. - Lisa Resnic Marketing Manager
Gorgeous representations of the people who make up Scarborough today, and told the town center they should become permanent. Freeman added he was “gobsmacked by Stoddart’s beautiful, well-researched vision that celebrates Scarborough heroes,” which also incorporates Scarborough Mirror articles into the artwork on the pedestrian bridge between the town center and the Scarborough Centre Rapid Transit station. - Barry Freeman, chair of the University of Toronto Scarborough’s department of arts, culture, and media.
There were stories and photos our reporters and photographers brought to light, focusing on the issues affecting our community and the people who call it home. I'll admit this brought tears to my eyes; tears of joy, and gratitude, that our work was acknowledged with such thoughtful and creative expression. - Georgia Balogiannis is Editor-in-Chief for Metroland Media Toronto.
Magical moments are what make special memories. Having seen this exhibit with my photo alongside so many great community contributors was an everlasting memory that my family and I proudly shared. I thank Mark for recognizing the efforts of so many individuals in Scarborough and praise him for his great artistic work !!!! Mark, you rock. - Sam Moncada (SBA Scarborough Basketball )
I am so honoured and grateful to @mstoddart68 for featuring me in this dope exhibit paying homage to Scarborough royalty- his artwork is a major and anticipated part of this years #Reconnected #nuitblanche. During my undergrad at UTSC (UofT Scarborough) I gave 5 years to the Scarborough community - mainly through using arts and political education to community build and create a radical activist culture before I co-founded a Black Liberation movement in Toronto. Seeing my face in the entrance of STC is not only surreal but a full circle from all of the work that has been done over the years! Allah bless, thank you to everyone who has showed love and continue to hold me up! More movements to come inshallah. Thank you Mark for seeing me, honouring my heart work and giving me the platform to tell my story amidst the weaponized attacks of white supremacy and misogynoir that attempted to silence and discredit my voice and our truth! Seeing my face honoured in public this way when it was used against me when I shut it down for Black ppl truly is a documentation I honour and hold high and close to me🙏🏾this archive of memory is so powerful thank you 🙏🏾 - Yusra Khogali
As a fellow creator it was a pleasure to view Marks instalment at this years Nuit Blanche. Mark has been dedicated to making art that truly matters for years and it was great that a larger audience was able to share in this experience. Congratulations on everything you have achieved thus far, and looking forward to seeing what comes next.
Raindrops on the window, white streetlights,and red light terminal traffic was my backdrop when I entered the installation. It gave each image a different life, and made the work beautiful. So glad I got the chance to see it after Nuit Blanche. Worth the trek from the west!
Congrats, Mark!!
I had the pleasure to see this exhibit in person and it was breathtaking. Mark, your continued efforts to use your art as a platform to teach and inspire others is astonishing. Your ability to capture the true essence of our beloved Scarborough through the faces of many talented individuals who all have left a mark on our city is a true testament of your talent, skills, and character. I wish this exhibit could be a permanent fixture at our Mecca (STC). I can’t wait to see what you do next. Congratulations!
Niá:wen Miigwetch to the entire Queens And Kings Of Scarborough Team and Mark Stoddart for featuring me in this monumental tribute installation STC ReConnected. I believe that our ancestors are watching and our descendants will remember how we femifested our legacy in the world. What an incredible honouring of present day legacies and the capacity that we all have to be a spark for change no matter the Neighbourhood we came up from. Scarborough is so many things. The indigenaity of this place dates back to the ice age. Indigenous people established settlements along the Scarborough Bluffs dating back 10,000 years. There was the Tabour Hill Wendat Ossuary; Haudenosaunee Villages at the Highland Creek Watershed near Brimely and Lawrence Avenue; as well as, the mouth of the Rouge River; Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee nations would canoe from the Rouge River to the Humber River out to Lake Simcoe and Georgian Bay. This installation affirms #wearestillhere. Scarborough is so many things. It is an unrelenting quest for dignity, reciprocity, and change I have become an award winning, nationally recognized Cultural Arts Leader, Community Engaged Arts Education Practitioner, Eco-Influencer, Slam Poet and Performance Artist; instead of a statistic. I have utilized my gifts as a contemporary story weaver to speak truth, co-create resiliency through intentional acts of solidarity; while reimagining what it means to be “In-Relation”, to the Land. Scarborough is so many things. It gave me wings and talons. It gave me the heart of a Warrior.
Mahlikah Awe:ri Canadian Poet Of Honour✊🏽
Congratulations Mark! Your exhibit is a beautiful and powerful representation of Scarborough success stories. I’m sure that those walking through that path at STC will be inspired to create their own journey to greatness. I am thankful that I had the privilege of taking my children to view such a work of art, and I hope STC will make this a permanent fixture for future generations to enjoy. Thank you for continuing to make Scarborough proud!