On Wednesday, June 11th, everyone is welcome to join neighbours and students at the Alberta Avenue Community Centre (9210 118 Ave). From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. we will offer free silkscreening and refreshments in a celebration of our inner city neighbourhoods.   

This celebration is hosted by the students and instructors of the University of Alberta course in Community-Service Learning. The course, CSL 370/550, is called What If We Choose Welcome? The course has been facilitated by organizers and artists who have lived and worked in this area for more than 15 years. 

Community-Service Learning classes often involve a placement in which students are helping community groups or individuals through a placement at a service agency, for example. Students bring their knowledge and energy to help the community. In this class, instructors Lisa Prins and Allison Sivak have asked students to consider how the community teaches us.  

For six weeks, we (Allison and Lisa) have been learning about the diverse stories and peoples who live together in the Boyle Street-McCauley-Alberta Avenue neighbourhoods. We have read different writers from amiskwaciwâskahikan (Edmonton) to help us think about the layered histories of this place. We have talked about the ways that people can get to know and appreciate each other across our differences, and how people can work together to make good change that welcomes everyone. 

We are excited to share our artwork with you!  At the party, you can screenprint a poster from student designs that you can take home! You can also bring a blank, clean t-shirt, a teatowel, or a pillowcase to print on.  

If you'd like to come celebrate with us, please email Lisa Prins at lprins@ualberta.ca so we know how many people we can expect. 

Our thanks to the Society of Northern Alberta Printmakers (SNAP) and Dr. Christina Battle, for helping us to experiment with art-making and to create our final projects.