Awenda Inspired (2025)
On September 21, 2024, over 100 students from OCAD University visited the Awenda Provincial Park on Anishinabek territory to draw, take photographs, and paint. The day opened with a site specific Land Acknowledgment and a lesson on the habitat and history of the park to the visiting students.
Following this, students were invited to explore the park and do observational work on-site throughout the day. The volunteer organization, Friends of Awenda Park, provided the students with a delicious midday lunch and snacks throughout their visit.
Student artists and designers from across the university responded enthusiastically to this call to attend this annual trip and create work inspired by the landscape. After the trip, they were encouraged to develop the work they made on-site over the past several months for a future exhibition at OCAD U.
This show invited those participants to display observations, experimentation, and inspiration from the Awenda trip. The resulting work highlights Awenda Park’s art heritage in various mediums, including watercolour, acrylic, digital collage, and photography.
