StART Health & Wellness Workshop Series: Physical Health and Wellbeing

Artwork by Yasaman Mehrsa (@YasamanMehrsa), Dundas Street West, Toronto

StreetARToronto (StART) Invites Artist to Join This Month’s Online Artist Health & Wellness Workshop: Physical Health and Wellbeing

About StreetARToronto:
For over 10 years, StreetARToronto (StART) has been supporting local artists through a suite of innovative programs designed specifically for streets and public spaces, reducing graffiti vandalism and replacing it with vibrant, colourful, community-engaged street art.

StART Health and Wellness Series:
Since 2020, StART has hosted a 5-week virtual Health and Wellness Workshop Series facilitated by a mental health educator, to help artists cope with the pandemic situation. This year, we have modified the program to be spread out across four months, partnering with local professionals and organizations along with StART artists, addressing mental and physical health and wellness geared towards helping artists. A new topic will be explored and discussed each month. The workshop series is curated by Tanzina Amin, visual artist, educator, curator, and Reiki Master.

Workshop #2: Physical Health and Wellbeing
The series successfully kickstarted last month with a virtual workshop on how to cope with winter blues. The second workshop on March 17th will have a focus on the importance of physical health and wellbeing, especially for mural artists. We are delighted to have Dr. Shelly-Anne Li from the Al & Malka Green Artists’ Health Centre as the Guest Presenter along with two local Toronto mural artists- Yasaman Mehrsa and Sadie.

StART Health and Wellness Workshop: Physical Health and Wellbeing
Friday March 17th, 2023
10:30 am – 12:00 noon (Virtual)
Register Here

Main Presenter:
Dr. Shelly-Anne Li, MSc, PhD, Manager, Research Program Development & Community Engagement
Al & Malka Green Artists’ Health Centre, University Health Network
www.artistshealthcentre.ca

Featured Artists:
Sadie (IG: @sadierock13)
Yasaman Mehrsa (IG: @YasamanMehrsa)

Bring your sketchbooks and simple art materials you have at home to the workshop! Workshops are free to attend, however, registration is required. Register Here

What to Expect:
Although the workshops primarily focus on the health and wellness of mural artists, the presentations and activities can easily be applicable for everyone. Our main presenter Dr. Li will share the exciting services and opportunities offered by the Artists’ Health Centre, and then demonstrate some physical conditioning routine stretches. Artists Sadie and Yasaman will then lead participants through some activities that they find useful for their physical and mental health.

Artwork by Sadie (@sadierock13), Cecil Street, Toronto

About the Hosts:

Tanzina Amin is Bangladeshi-Canadian visual artist and art educator with a bachelor’s degree in Architecture. A passionate and creative leader in the arts and culture sector, Tanzina co-founded Artusiasm, a trailblazer art gallery and curating business to promote local artists and foster networking through an inclusive and accessible platform. She is also a Reiki Master and volunteers her time as a wellness practitioner in energy healing, meditation and self compassion, working with people dealing with a life limiting illness or loss.

Dr. Shelly-Anne Li oversees the research, quality improvement, and community engagement portfolios at the Artists’ Health Centre. Dr. Li is also a sessional faculty at the School of Nursing at McMaster University, and Associate Editor for the Global Implementation and Research Applications peer-reviewed journal. Dr. Li received her PhD at the University of Toronto, and her MSc at McMaster University. Her goal is to partner with artists in the community to pursue impactful research and outreach projects that will ultimately benefit artists of all disciplines. She has recently resumed pursuing ballet, one of her beloved forms of self-expression since 3 years old.

Yasaman Mehrsa is a Toronto-based visual artist with a focus on public art. She has a Bachelor’s degree on Visual Communication in Iran and also a Bachelor with honours in Visual Arts from Brock University in Canada. Inspired by nature, Yasaman creates whimsical and vibrant art and expresses different emotions to inspire her audiences to discover their imagination, feeling, and interaction with the natural environment.

Sadie is a Toronto born multidisciplinary artist. Her work expresses her connection to herself, the world around her and celebrates nature as human beings greatest teacher. Through her graffiti works she captures, portrays and celebrates different aspects of city life, incorporating new subject matter, style and painting techniques as she learns. Sadie combines elements of realism with abstract form, expressionism and vivid transitions of colour to create her personal style.

For more information or general questions please contact streetart@toronto.ca or visit StART’s website at www.toronto.ca/streetart.

Facebook: @StreetARToronto
Instagram: @start_streetartoronto
Twitter: @StART_Toronto