News

When folks come to us for shelter, we want them to feel welcome and that they belong. That was the idea behind commissioning artwork for our shelter— to make it feel more like a home and less like an institution.

To achieve this, we commissioned a piece by Downtown Eastside artist Rickie “Sugars” that now hangs over the reception desk. The painting, titled “This Place for Displaced” is made with acrylic paint, ink and spray paint.

Describing the intention behind the piece, Sugars shared: “SCRUB is what I call my style, it’s spontaneous, sporadic, loose gestured sketches. It’s scribbles and smear, and I create fast, crazy, colourful, almost channeled compositions. Rudimentary rhythm and reason, unorthodox unconscious unity that’s unique. I use basic balanced bright colors with bold black lines to begin with. It is influenced by music with inner city culture, skateboarding, the performing arts, cubism, surrealism, animation and mostly graffiti.

The idea that I wanted to express with the design was to show a place where people can come together and be safe. People who feel displaced, disregarded, disconnected. People who feel detached and are disconnected from family and friends and have been beaten, bullied, or abused. People who have been left in a ditch, driven over, and discarded like garbage.

People born at a disadvantage who, through poverty and substance use, mental health and disease, can come together and feel safe, secure, and cared about. I use multiple elements of how the city can be chaotic, over-stimulating and busy from all the commotion. I want people to leave that outside and bring everyone together in one place.”

The DTES has long been home to many artists, with its rich history of cultural and social expressions through various art mediums. For many DTES artists, art has been credited with having the power to save lives.

“Community art was a no brainer because we should support our community on all sorts of levels and that includes commissioned art,” said Stephanie Kallstrom, Case Planner at the shelter, who organized the process of commissioning the piece.

Stephanie was drawn to Sugars’ abstract and colourful style when she attended an art show at City Motor Motel. After sharing examples of his work with Keely Hale, Director of Community Services, they agreed to give him complete autonomy to create a large piece for the shelter.

“Everyone was ecstatic about it,” Stephanie shared. “This painting, you can look at it every single day and see something different. It’s uplifting, cheerful but also has elements of darkness, at least in my perception. I wholeheartedly believe that community art is unique, and we need to spend our money in community.”