Trout Lake's Artist in Community 2023

Trout Lake and John Hendry Park represent a unique social ecology connecting an urban wildlife habitat, a popular recreation space, and the multicultural community that uses it.

Artist-in-residence Nathaniel Marchand will offer a variety of public interactions and workshops to highlight and celebrate these connective eco-social threads. 

Open to all, Nathaniel’s explorations invite the community, in its full diversity and identity, to deepen its awareness of the area’s natural surroundings. Come join him for natural ink making, storytelling, mask-making, land stewardship, and see his installations to come!

Nathaniel will be at Trout Lake Community Centre events throughout the year, so look for him around the centre and be sure to say hello!

About Nathaniel Marchand

Nathaniel Marchand (Métis / Franco-Ontarian / Mixed Settler) is an interdisciplinary artist and educator who explores relationships to the land, ethnobotany and the use of natural materials in his artistic practice. He is an advocate for community and creativity and will be hosting some ink-making workshops during his time at the Centre.

Nathaniel also frequently facilitates intergenerational and cross-cultural collaborative programs and workshops ranging from eco-arts to new media. He holds a Certificate in Fine Arts from the Yukon School of Visual Arts and a B.A. in Communications and Video Production from Concordia University.

Born and raised along the shores of Georgian Bay in Ontario, Nathaniel currently resides on the unceded homelands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh and səlilwətaɬ Nations.

Nathaniel's upcoming workshops

(FULL) Ivy Basket Weaving

Tuesday, May 16, 2023 from 6 to 9 p.m.
Nathaniel and environmental educator Seth Bunev will teach workshop participants how to weave small baskets using the invasive climbing ivy plant. 

(FULL) Natural Ink Making

Sunday, May 28 and June 25, 2023 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Learn how to harness the colours of nature! Participants will learn how to make inks from natural colour sources. Afterwards, we will get creative, using our inks to paint and draw on watercolour paper. Everyone will receive a small bottle of ink to take home.

Medicine Wheel Garden Workshop
Tuesday, July 4 from 6 to 8:30 p.m.

Activity # 459029

Join us at the Medicine Wheel Garden for some garden tending and harvesting at 6 p.m., followed by tea and snacks. Nathaniel's workshop will begin at 7 p.m. He will lead us through making botanical dyes using plants that are growing in the garden and around the park. Please bring a tea cup for in-season tea made from plants in the garden. All supplies are included.

Cyanotype Workshop (19+)

Sunday, July 16, 2023 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Activity # 460182
Come and learn what a cyanotype is as well as the history of this photographic process before walking through every step to create cyanotype prints of our own. All materials are supplied but workshop participants are encouraged to bring in items to "print". These could be plants, keys, cutouts — anything with a distinctive shape!

Mask Making and Storytelling (19+)
Saturday and Sunday, August 5 & 6, 12:00 to 3:00 p.m.
Activity # 460183
Come explore identity and creative self-expression in this mask making and storytelling workshop. The first day of this two-day workshop will include a brief introduction to technique before we pair off to mold our very own plaster masks. The second day of the workshop will be for painting and decorating. All mask makers will be welcome to join us with their new masks for Trout Lake Community Centre's Lantern Procession around the lake the evening of August 23rd.

Himalayan Blackberry Ink Making (19+)
Sunday, August 20, 1 to 1:30 p.m.
Activity # 460184
Nathaniel will show how to make (beautiful!) use of the ubiquitous himalayan blackberry plant. Meeting at the community centre, we will take a short walk around Trout Lake and the surrounding neighbourhoods, harvesting blackberries as we go. Next, we will learn various techniques to make ink using the tasty fruits, and ways to modify the colours too. Participants will have the chance to paint or draw with their newly made inks and will each get a small bottle to take home with them. There will also be information shared on how to get involved with local stewardship efforts to remove and control this highly invasive species.