Art for Social Change

Take Action 

Each small act of inclusion builds a safer, more accessible world for everyone. Here’s how you can take action to effect change. 

For more tools on how to take action, visit the resources section at wbpride.ca

Website: imaniedwards.squarespace.com 

Instagram: @imni.edwrds 

The Nicest Part of Everyday is You

人间至美在卿身

In this body of work, I invite participants into a space of pure presence—where observation is free from judgment, prediction, or the need for meaning. This practice encourages us to experience each moment as it unfolds, embracing uncertainty and change as essential elements of life and art.

Much like our relationship with a flower or a cat—where we do not impose expectations—we are asked to connect with one another beyond language, culture, or preconceived ideas. This openness fosters authentic relationships rooted in intuition, wisdom, and genuine self-awareness. 

Using the art of participatory performance, storytelling, video projection, painting, calligraphy and more, I pose a question: Can we truly see, hear, and understand ourselves and others without the filters of social conditioning? Can we cultivate love and connection from a place of truth, regardless of our backgrounds? 

This exhibition is a metaphor for life’s diverse and unpredictable scenes, offering a space to reflect, observe, and flow with presence. 

This series of performances are intended to examine two changes of realities within Canadian multicultural landscape: 

1. Using diverse reinvented language genres to tell and perform fairy tales without direct translation. To invite the audience to follow their inherent wisdom, intuition and sensation of seeing and listening beyond “meaning” and “thinking”.
2. Using the fairy tale writing as an experimental literature genre to reinvent the expression of each individual being without using gender pronouns.  

Cui’s project has been aligned with the Multicultural Association of Wood Buffalo, which offers services that foster cross-cultural awareness and understanding.  

Website: mcawb.org 

• At work: Create spaces where all communication styles are valued, from spoken words to visual, written, or sensory expression.

• At school: Encourage multilingual and creative storytelling that goes beyond linguistic boundaries.

• In your community: Engage with the Multicultural Association of Wood Buffalo to learn about cross-cultural understanding and shared storytelling.

• At home: When someone shares their experience, listen without planning your response. Presence itself is a bridge.

Website: cuijinzhe.com 

Walk A Mile in My Shoes 

Walk A Mile in My Shoes is a deeply personal and participatory installation that challenges viewers to confront the impact of language on identity, belonging, and self-worth. This work explores how seemingly small phrases, whether intended as insults, jokes, or even compliments, can echo through a person’s life, branding them with labels they didn’t choose. Drawing from my own lived experience with bullying and reflection on the power of words, I invite the public to engage with mirrored surfaces etched with phrases contributed by the community. Viewers see themselves reflected in these words – sometimes painfully, sometimes powerfully - and are encouraged to reflect and respond.  

This project embodies my belief that art can be a catalyst for introspection, empathy, and change. By visually and emotionally connecting participants with the experiences of others, the installation hopes to foster a moment of pause to inspire more mindful, compassionate communication in a world that often moves too fast to consider the weight of our words. 

Share in the experience online @WalkAMileInMyShoes2025  

Liana partnered with Girls Inc. of Northern Alberta and the general public to collect content for her project.   Girls Inc. of Northern Alberta provides mentorship, programming and services that inspire girls to be strong, smart and bold. 

Website: girlsincofnorthernalberta.org 

Take Action 

Each small act of inclusion builds a safer, more accessible world for everyone. Here’s how you can take action to effect change.  

• At work: Challenge ableist, racist, or gendered jokes. Build a culture of accountability and kindness. Learn here how to de-escalate: De-Escalator-Guide.pdf

• At school: If you are a parent of a kid who is being bullied, stand up for yourself, your kid or student, not stopping bullying on its tracks has terrible consequences, here are some resources for you. If you are hurting others, it is time to take responsibility, your future might depend on it, here are some steps you can take.    

• In your community: Volunteer or donate to organizations helping youth build confidence and resilience, such as Girls Inc. of Northern Alberta, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada; or join the Mayor Advisory Committee on Youth (MCAOY).  

• At home: Teach empathy through storytelling, ask children how words make them feel, and why compassion matters. Be mindful of the words you use at home that might reinforce harmful stereotypes.  

If you wish to talk to someone after experiencing this exhibit, here is a list of resources for immediate support:  Get Help Now - PREVNet 

Liana Wheeldon 

Liana Wheeldon is a multidisciplinary artist based in Fort McMurray, Alberta. A graduate of Emily Carr College of Art & Design with a specialization in printmaking, Liana’s artistic practice has evolved to include painting, drawing, built-surface installation, and digital work. Her art is often rooted in the interplay between natural landscapes, pop culture, and personal narrative, infused with both reflection and whimsy.  

Liana’s work has been exhibited across Canada and internationally, and can be found in private collections around the world. Recent projects include public art installations for igNIGHT Art Illuminated, a portrait series reflecting on the labels and language used to frame iconic women in popular culture, and her ongoing comic line, Ravenous Comics, featuring her original character Joe Raven. Through both her personal and collaborative work, Liana uses art as a tool for storytelling, engagement, and social change. 

Website: lianawheeldon.com   

Instagram: @LMW_Art  

Exhibit Instagram: @WalkAMileInMyShoes2025

Five Stories 

Take Action 

Inclusion and accessibility is not about uniformity, it’s about listening to each unique rhythm and pace of being. Here’s how you can take action to effect change. 

• At work: Organizations that embrace inclusion build stronger cultures, boost engagement, and outperform competitors through innovation and empathy. Yet many skilled and educated people with disabilities remain unemployed or underemployed. Gain your competitive advantage, learn how to hire inclusively:  Frequently asked questions – ready, willing, and able 

• At school: Embrace neurodiversity through neuro-affirming practices. Instead of trying to make neurodiverse students “fit” neurotypical expectations, celebrate cognitive diversity. Shift from “How do I fix this student’s challenges?” to “How do I design a classroom that values different ways of learning?”  Build on strengths, offer multiple ways to participate, honour sensory needs, and recognize behaviour as communication, not defiance.

• In your community: Support The Autism Society of the RMWB, which advocates for inclusion and provides vital community programming to support caregivers and neurodiverse people, including those with ADHD and other forms of neurodiversity.

• At home: When you have a disability or are a caregiver of a person with a disability, you will navigate complicated systems, from education, employment to health. To learn how to best advocate for yourself or your loved ones, visit: Self-Advocacy Toolkit | March of Dimes Canada 

For more resources on how to support yourself as a neurodivergent person, your dependents, or students visit: Neurodiversity Hub - Resources for Students, Employers & More 

Roberto Santaguida  

Vimeo:  https://vimeo.com/184715429 (Santaguida, Roberto. "Goran." Vimeo, uploaded by Roberto Santaguida, Sep 28, 2016)

Untitled 

Robyn Rennie’s accessible art installation consists of six 30 X 30 highly textured, mixed media paintings depicting the landscape in Alberta, and more specifically, the Wood Buffalo Region. Each painting is accompanied by a life-size tactile replica for touch. With the intent of inclusivity, Large Print and Braille titles and information will identify the paintings, and audio descriptions of each piece can be accessed by user-friendly audio devices.

Robyn’s work is about experiencing visual art from the point of view of low vision. As an artist with a visual impairment, her work conveys in part how she experiences the world but also challenges popular assumptions about what sight means. Metallic, iridescent, and interference paints provide glimpses into how she experiences the world as even the slightest shift in position creates a new visual experience.

While the intent of this installation is to allow patrons who are blind, or have low vision, to experience her work in the most accessible way possible, being able to explore art through touch adds a deeper dimension for all people to experience. 

Robyn's project is aligned with the invaluable services offered by the St. Aidan’s Society & the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB)  

Websites: 

St. Aidan’s Society - staidanssociety.ca  

Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) - https://www.cnib.ca/en

Robyn Rennie is a Canadian painter and writer. She achieved a BA in Cultural Studies, with an emphasis in Image and Sound, from Trent University in 2005. 
Immediately following graduation, a life-changing vision loss forced Robyn to develop new methods of artistic expression. She employs acrylic grounds and mediums in her work which can potentially evoke an empathic response from observers. Even the slightest shift in position in front of a work creates a new visual experience, embodying how new information can change a person’s point of view. 
Robyn’s public art installations are accessible and include Braille. In 2018, the Dunlap Institute used her art in a nation-wide planetarium show for people with visual impairments. 
A documentary about Robyn’s work, as well as a workshop with blind children at CNIB’s Lake Joseph Camp that she facilitated in 2024, was created by AMI TV and aired nationally on May 16, 2024. 

Website: robynrennie.art  

Facebook: @RobynRennieArtist 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKdRO_ZEnqw (Rennie, Robyn. "Tactile Art | Our Community (Season 8, Episode 6)." YouTube, uploaded by AMI: Accessible Media Inc., May 17, 2024) 

Unmasking 

Sonia’s project is aligned with E2R Foundation - Global Recovery Community 

Website: GRC | Empower 2 Recover 

Take Action 

Each small act of inclusion builds a safer, more accessible world for everyone. Here’s how you can take action to effect change. 

• At work: Create a workplace where well-being matters as much as performance. You can foster sensory friendly spaces; support balance through evolving approaches to scheduling; workload and work formats; address harassment and microaggressions promptly, using a restorative approach when possible; and lead with trust, compassion and open communication. Learn more about how to create change as an employer: Brandmark of Opening Minds - Mental Health Commission of Canada 

• At school: Encourage open dialogue about emotions to make seeking help a sign of strength, not stigma. Advocate and work for clear guidelines on how to address bullying, harassment and hate incidents in the school environment. Make support easy to find; this looks like clear info, train and supported staff, and visible pathways to get help. For learning more about how to support mental health at school visit: working_together_to_support_mental_health.pdf 

• In your community: Volunteer, advocate, or connect with local organizations such as the Empower2Recover Foundation to ensure veterans and others facing barriers have access to timely, inclusive and culturally sensitive mental health services.   

• At home: Increase your understanding on how to ask for a rightful diagnosis, navigate systems, and push for timely diagnosis and appropriate support. For learning more about how to advocate for yourself and your loved ones visit: Making Mental Health Matter in Alberta: Advocacy Toolkit - Healthy Campus Alberta 

Sonia Burke-Smith 

Facebook: @Sister.Sonia

This first iteration of The Barriers Project represents the beginning of an ongoing, collaborative art intervention that will engage artist communities in Canada and beyond. The image of the A-Frame street barrier is one that usually denotes control, access (or lack thereof) and permission and I have chosen these barriers as a symbol to focus on in my work because they represent so much through form, function, and colour, all of which can be manipulated to flip their function and meaning.  

Take Action 

Transformation begins when we choose to create spaces that invite rather than divide. Here’s how you can take action to effect change. 

• At work: Check your physical and digital environments and events for accessibility gaps: ramps, captions, quiet zones, and inclusive signage. Here you can find simple checklist and other resources to help you increase accessibility: Accessibility around the RMWB | Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo 

• At school: rethink obstacles -physical, social, and emotional- as opportunities for inclusion and connection. Working together, educators, administrators, parents, students, and community leaders help design classrooms that support self-regulation, foster collaboration and peer support, address bullying and discrimination. Create learning spaces where every student feels safe, valued, and empowered to thrive. 

• In your community: Get involved with RACIDE, the Regional Advisory Committee on Inclusion, Diversity & Equity, the Public Art Committee, or the Advisory Committee on Aging and contribute to projects promoting equity and accessibility. 

• At home: Notice where your beliefs or actions might unintentionally create barriers for others- by action or inaction-and reimagine them as opportunities for connection and growth. Ask yourself: Have I ever misjudged or overlooked someone for being different? I feel the least comfortable around people who.... - and why? 

Website: stevedebruyn.ca 

Facebook: @SteveDeBruyn