Alek Phan
phantruc.10am@gmail.com
Arts Education and Community Engagement
Centennial College
This research explores the evolution and impact of the Sustainable Thinking and Expression on Public Space (STEPS) organization, tracing its journey from a brief project in 2011 to achieving charitable status in 2016. The focus lies in understanding how STEPS, through collaborative efforts among artists, urban planners, and organizers, revitalized public spaces by integrating public art into cultural planning and urban street rejuvenation. Of particular interest is STEPS’ transition from a charity to a social enterprise, exploring how they maintained and broadened their enduring impact. Within this context, I endeavor to offer recommendations aimed at fortifying STEPS’ influence, fostering inclusivity, and ensuring sustainability. These suggestions are envisioned to make a positive contribution to both the artistic realm and the broader community landscape. Recommendations for STEPS include enhancing cultural competency and Indigenous engagement, incorporating Indigenous languages into public art, documenting best practices for arts equity, collaborating respectfully with Indigenous partners, addressing structural and cultural oppression in the arts, redefining criteria for professional artists, and publishing an accessible public art toolkit. 

STEPS Public Art’s significant role in promoting inclusive public art practices, supporting equity-deserving artists, and fostering community engagement is highlighted. With over 600 public art projects, 3,000 youth leadership opportunities, and 21,000 cultural participation opportunities, STEPS has excelled in providing artists from diverse backgrounds the freedom to express their creativity. Operating as a charitable cultural organization, STEPS actively engages with both artists and communities, transforming public spaces into vibrant, culturally enriched areas. The organization emphasizes the importance of following protocols responsive to communities’ knowledge and practices, preserving their identity and cultural heritage, and incorporating widely held cultural and ethical values. STEPS’ approach, as exemplified in the Making Place and Shaping Space themes, centers on creating welcoming, equitable, and accessible public spaces through Stakeholder Roundtables, Cultural Walks and so on, which are curated around identity-based or community-specific characteristics.

Collaboration with Indigenous partners and other stakeholders is a prominent feature, demonstrating their commitment to preserving and celebrating Indigenous interests in heritage conservation and the assessment of merit based on traditional values and cultural expressions. This involves understanding and respecting their timelines, building trust over time, adhering to their specific methods of communication, making traditional offerings, and being mindful of what information can be shared outside the community. Some teachings are meant to be kept within, and STEPS works to ensure that any sharing is done in a non-extractive manner with full consent. In addition to the effort of assessing merit based on their traditional values and cultural expressions, STEPS establishes an advisory committee with Indigenous partners that helps to make informed decisions, especially when projects involve challenging and emotional topics. STEPS has also taken proactive steps to establish alliances with Indigenous artists, as demonstrated by their call for Indigenous artists to participate in The 2023 Create Space Public Art Residency, and the New Landmark Public Artwork in the Town of Whitby. The Create Space Public Art Residency is a national program developed in collaboration with advisors from across the country. Its goal is to equip emerging Black, Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, and Métis), and racialized artists with the necessary skills, relationships, and practical experiences to advance community-engaged public art practices. The collaboration between the Town of Whitby and STEPS is a prime example of their commitment to fostering awareness of Indigenous cultures, peoples, and heritages. They are calling for Indigenous artists with connections to the local communities of the Great Mississauga Nations to create a Public Artwork for the Town of Whitby Sports Complex and to raise awareness of Indigenous heritage. This empowers the communities to take ownership of these initiatives, rather than merely responding to requirements imposed by Western assessment methodologies.

Equity is a core principle in their collaborations, Indigenous individuals are supported in various aspects of the project. This includes providing equitable payments, supporting Indigenous artists through mentorship programs, and ordering food from Indigenous caterers for events. Accessibility is a critical consideration in their work. Recognizing the diverse preferences of Indigenous individuals, STEPS respects their choice of using traditional names and acknowledges the complexity of using government names in certain contexts, such as grant applications. Overall, STEPS’ approach reflects a deep commitment to cultural sensitivity, adaptability, and an ongoing learning process in collaboration with Indigenous partners. They understand the significance of teachings and avoid referring to them as mere stories, acknowledging their role as blueprints for life and understanding that accessibility considerations may vary among different Indigenous communities. 

In terms of Indigenization, my suggestions would focus on enhancing STEPS’ ongoing engagement and learning opportunities for their staff and collaborators regarding Indigenous cultures, protocols, and practices. This can include regular training sessions, workshops, and immersive experiences to deepen understanding and foster cultural sensitivity regarding Indigenous cultures, protocols, and practices. STEPS could have more artists from Indigenous Nations involved in the projects that are incorporating Indigenous visual arts such as the “Safe Flight Home Animation” in an early stage of planning to ensure that Indigenous histories and cultures are accurately and sensitively represented. On another note, I would suggest exploring further different ways to incorporate Indigenous languages into land acknowledgement, public art projects, creating space for linguistic diversity and promoting the preservation of Indigenous languages. This could involve collaborating with language experts, storytellers, and community members. It should be emphasized that as people are in the process of learning and building trust, there are always rooms for improvement. This mindset encourages continuous improvement and learning from experiences.

In line with their dedication to fostering inclusivity in the Canadian public arts sector, STEPS Public Art leads research initiatives that promote critical reflection and innovation across diverse cross-sectoral communities. To drive systemic change, engaging in anti-oppression work requires a thorough examination of STEPS’ core values and their application in identifying and addressing existing gaps. These gaps must be addressed by reevaluating how STEPS allocates time, resources, and authority among full-time staff, the board, artists, communities, and participants. Anti-oppression work mandates that these gaps are filled through staffing, curatorial, and artistic choices that emphasize inclusivity and representation, with a specific focus on addressing racial injustices and underserved communities. Looking at STEPS’ three themes in Shaping Space: “Collaboration and Representation” ; “Designing Public Space – Activations”; and “Designing Public Space – Physical Elements”​, it is undeniable that their anti-oppression work centers around building trust with historically marginalized communities, involving fostering relationships through mentorships and knowledge sharing that go beyond transactional interactions, emphasizing the importance of meaningful collaborations.

In recent projects, STEPS hired a local artist and extended the originally planned community engagement time to establish meaningful connections. This approach ensures that the community feels valued and adequately represented. STEPS’ involvement in the Main Street program was initiated when they were contacted by PIA. They sought assistance in addressing a challenge related to a deteriorating public art piece—a mural that had become outdated both historically and culturally. The mural, initially intended as a temporary installation, had been left to decay without community awareness. Recognizing the need for transformation, STEPS facilitated open communication with the community. Despite initial resistance due to strong sentimental attachments to the mural, STEPS organized various events, including oral history collection sessions. These sessions allowed local members to share their memories associated with the artwork, fostering a deeper connection. Workshops were conducted to invite community members to express their preferences for the new artwork. Throughout the process, STEPS ensure transparency and collaboration, addressing the community’s concerns. When the new artwork was installed, STEPS created a sign featuring images from the old mural along with links to audio stories, preserving the history and sentiments attached to the previous installation. These instances underscore the importance of empowering communities to have a significant say in public art projects. By navigating such situations with transparency and inclusive engagement, STEPS truly ensure that public art reflects the diverse narratives and values of the communities it serves. To further enhance these efforts, I recommend that the organization incorporate a more diverse range of art forms such as music, performance, storytelling, virtual and augmented reality experiences and more during the planning and curation phases.

Anti-oppression work also highlights the importance of allowing cultural expression and identity to flourish in public spaces, which can lead to a more inclusive and representative environment. STEPS has been successful in giving artists from different cultures, gender identity and backgrounds the freedom for expression in creativity. “You Were Here” by artist Meghan Cheng for the project of Riverside BIA in Toronto, Ontario clearly spoke her story through motion-sensored 3D-printed butterflies that glow and interact with passersby. It is advised to persist in extending community-engaged art workshops organized with the artists involved in the project, ensuring they embrace themes aligned with both strategic goals and individual interests. This approach will not only fortify STEPS’ commitment to inclusivity but also contribute to a more comprehensive reflection of diverse narratives and values within the communities it serves.

STEPS’ research includes the Inspired Art Impact pilot study on the impact of public art on main streets, communities and economic recovery, which places the focus on placekeeping instead of placemaking: Prioritizing placekeeping over placemaking aligns with anti-oppression work by valuing and preserving the existing cultural and community identity in a space, rather than imposing new, potentially exclusionary, designs. They are committed to avoiding the imposition of projects on communities, in order word, “parachuting projects” and instead focus on co-creating initiatives with local stakeholders. The degree to which STEPS achieves this collaborative approach varies across different projects. In cultural planning initiatives and community-engaged walks, particularly those centered around public artworks, their priority is to involve the community from the project’s inception. While the agency team consistently underscores the importance of commencing projects with community engagement, STEPS acknowledges that this may not always be feasible due to budget constraints and timeline considerations. In such instances, their team engages in transparent discussions with clients to assess potential impacts and make informed decisions.

To garner a thorough understanding of the local landscape, STEPS conducts environmental scans, delving into desk research on neighborhood organizations, and conducting on-the-ground walks, especially in areas with limited online presence. Their outreach efforts encompass community events where residents contribute to large-scale drawings or participate in voting stations organized by artists. This methodology enables the organization to engage a diverse range of community members and collect insights on the significance of local cultural and community organizations. Expanding on the collaborative and community-centric approach, I recommend placing additional emphasis on acknowledging the crucial role that effective promotion, interpretation, and maintenance of public art assets play in maximizing benefits for the community, local businesses, and tourism. By integrating these aspects into their initiatives, STEPS could not only co-create meaningful projects but also ensure their enduring impact and positive contributions to the broader cultural and economic landscape.

Finally, STEPS emphasizes providing comfortable spaces by integrating greenery and vegetation into public areas, promoting inclusivity and aligning with anti-oppression principles. However, the success of this approach largely depends on the area’s infrastructure and public transit system, ensuring that underserved communities can access these spaces with ease. Additionally, the themes underscore the significance of maintaining public spaces to keep them inclusive and welcoming, a critical aspect of anti-oppression work. Commitment to anti-oppression work involves an enduring dedication to equity, diversity, and inclusion, representing a continuous journey of active learning, in which artists, leaders and decision-makers commit to change and leave behind a blueprint for those who join them in this journey.

In this paper, I would like to respectfully argue that the requirement for academic degrees in the arts can be seen as a form of structural and cultural oppression, compounded by instances where people with Eurocentric academic degrees could more likely to enjoy career advancement. STEPS addresses these systemic challenges by reducing barriers to entry into the workforce. In 2022, the organization provided paid opportunities to 361 Canadian artists and designers, with over three-quarters of them belonging to equity-deserving communities and more than one-third being emerging creative professionals. Furthermore, in 2023, placement opportunities are extended to newcomers to Canada seeking volunteer positions and to visitors in Canada seeking similar opportunities. Once again, STEPS demonstrates its commitment to challenging the connection between the demand for academic degrees in the arts and structural and cultural oppression. In their job postings, a professional artist is defined as someone who “has specialized artistic training, not necessarily in academic institutions; is critically recognized as a professional by their peers; has a history of public exhibitions; and/or has produced an independent body of work.” By eliminating degree requirements, STEPS empowers a broader range of artists, encouraging them to self-organize and challenging preconceived notions about what constitutes true art at an institutional level. In light of these principles, I recommend a more detailed clarification of procedures for artist selection, commissioning, and the funding process. This refinement ensures transparency and equity in these essential aspects of artistic engagement, further solidifying STEPS’ commitment to dismantling barriers and fostering an inclusive artistic community.

Given STEPS’ dedication to community engagement and a localized approach to cultural planning, it is fascinating to witness STEPS’ journey as they continue nurturing inclusive, accessible, and welcoming public spaces. This is accomplished through the organization of conversations and roundtable discussions that revolve around identity-specific or community-specific attributes (Western Canada; Prairies; Central Canada; Atlantic Canada; Northern communities; Racialized communities; French-speaking communities; Deaf and Disabled communities; LGBTQQIP2AA+ communities; First Nations and Indigenous communities). These gatherings serve as platforms for consulting with community members and groups to create a culturally accurate and effective plan that truly reflects the essence of a place. Community mapping is another valuable tool that community members can use to identify and address issues and challenges, leverage existing assets within their community, and work collectively to solve problems and envision a brighter future. Asset-based community building involves mobilizing individuals, associations, and institutions to harness their strengths and relationships for the purpose of problem-solving and generating innovative solutions. Equity is at the core of this approach, ensuring that the voices, perspectives, and needs of all community members are not only considered but also represented in the decision-making and planning processes. 

It is clear that STEPS considers the long-term impact of community engagement and programming, with a focus on sustainable improvements in the well-being and quality of life. In conclusion, STEPS is commended for its expertise in establishing effective collaborations to challenge systemic inequities​ and utilize the power of arts and culture for a more inclusive arts community and equitable designed cities.