Indigneous art decorates Manitoulin Island basketball court
A basketball court on Manitoulin Island has had an incredible transformation and an Indigenous artist is seeing her work come to life on the unusual medium.
When you think of artwork or even murals, the base of an outdoor basketball court seems like an unlikely canvas.
Indigneous art decorates Manitoulin Island basketball court. (Supplied)
However, on Sheguindah First Nation, a colourful representation of culture has been brought to life in a design dreamt up by Emily Kewageshig.
"We went forward with the turtle design and then I incorporated the medicine wheel into the center of the turtle shell to represent the good medicine and all the teachings that I know, and that they know and that we’re all familiar with," said Kewageshig.
"And then around the turtle, there are circular shapes that are filled with shades of orange and red that go along with the Every Child Matters theme."
The project was funded through the Toronto Raptors and the MLSE Foundation to help refurbish an already existing court.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
Neil Wong and his team, who specialize in creating lasting works of art on various outdoor surfaces, made the project possible.
"We actually stencil the court, but then have to go on a computer and map it out and do the design, so that is the most intricate part," said Wong.
"And then making sure all of the basketball lines line up with the intended design of the artist."
Wong said the community will be able to enjoy the court for decades.
"It’s an outdoor acrylic material and then we add the sand in for grit, so that’s what keeps the traction, but it’s an outdoor UV-treated paint specific for this type of application," he said.
Kewageshig said it is a visual reminder to anyone visiting the court that culture is important, community is important and every child matters.
"I wanted to honour that. It’s their community, it's where they live and it's where they are going to be playing basketball and hanging out, making memories so I really valued everything they had to say and then we went forward with it," said Kewageshig.
"The community was great. I mean they even brought us lunch, they were waiting for it to happen, they were so excited, they kept people off the court while we were working, they were so prideful on that being built for the community," said Wong.
Work has now wrapped up and the paint has dried so the community can enjoy artwork and sport, as one.
Correction
This article has been updated to correct the spelling of Emily Kewageshig.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.