In early September a South Etobicoke resident received two anonymous letters in response to a mural she had painted on her garage by local artist Natalie Very B. These letters were a racist, classist and hateful act. We applaud Sapna Shah for speaking out against bigotry and join the community in condemning the ignorance, racism and hate displayed by the letter writer. As an organization, we believe in the power of public art to bring people together and cultivate vibrant, diverse and healthy communities.
Instead of focusing on one individual’s hateful actions Natalie Very B has come together with artists Julii McMillan and Bareket Kezwer to form the Neighbourhood Love initiative, a street-level demonstration of community solidarity. They will be painting garages and front doors for free and volunteering their skills to visibly express the positive, diverse and inclusive spirit of the South Etobicoke community. You can get involved by applying to have a mural painted at your house, requesting a lawn sign or donating to cover the cost of supplies and help pay the artists for their time. Mural painting is planned for the weekend of October 3rd and 4th. Check their linktree for more information on how to support the initiative!