art and homeless - october calgary...encourages homeless people to work with a variety of art forms,...

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Learning English with CBC

Calgary

Monthly feature story:

Art brings hope to the

homeless

October 2012 Lesson plans created by Justine Light

www.cbc.ca/edmonton/eal/

www.alberta.ca


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Feature Story Objectives

Art brings hope to the homeless

CLB competency outcomes Listening: Reading: Speaking: Writing:

L: Identify factual details and some implied meanings in extended narration R: Demonstrate comprehension of a two or three page moderately complex extended description, report, or narrative on a familiar topic S: (Global Descriptor) Pronunciation errors rarely impede communication. W: Write a summary of a longer text W: Take notes from pre‐recorded audio

Language skills Vocabulary: Use vocabulary words in context

Grammar: Understand word family groups

Pronunciation: Identify and use thought groups

Language Activities (in order of appearance in materials)

Answering discussion questions about a short background text on art for homeless people Completing pre‐listening activities to build vocabulary and prepare learners for audio Listening to the audio to identify facts and details Listening to audio to take notes using the Cornell method of note‐taking Identifying thought groups in audio transcript and develop pronunciation skill through practicing using thought groups Identifying word families Completing pre‐ reading vocabulary activity Skimming and scanning Identifying the main idea & details in a reading text Writing a summary


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Introduction

Before you listen to the audio, read the following text.

Background Reading:

The Possibilities Project run at the Calgary Drop‐In Centre provides an opportunity for

homeless people in the city to learn to express themselves through the arts. The project

began with a donation in 2006 and now has an art studio right inside the Drop‐in Centre and

encourages homeless people to work with a variety of art forms, including art, poetry, and

choir. The project connects professional artists with homeless people who work together to

develop creative expression.

Food for thought

Have you ever heard of art being used as a way to help people? What examples can you think of where art can be used in this way?

The Audio

In this audio, you will hear CBC journalist Karen Moxley talking with Calgary artist, Reg Knelson who found hope by learning to express himself through art.

Before you listen:

Background Question: Are you a creative person? How do you like to express yourself in a creative way? What is the best way to encourage creativity in children?

Now listen to the audio – the introduction is here to help you get started

TITLE: ART GIVES HOPE TO HOMELESS ARTIST Reg Knelson Right now I don’t want her centred but there’s an incredible reflection.

Yeah, my name is Reg Knelson. Part‐time at the Drop‐in Centre and resident artist, and I’ve been called a lot of other names.

Karen Moxley Vagrant, homeless, bum. Reg has heard it all. He’s sixty and he’s spent most of his life living on the streets of Calgary. But he isn’t homeless anymore. Today, Reg is an artist.


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Listening vocabulary

The words below are from the audio. The definitions are next to the words. Read the definitions then complete the sentences on the next page.

WORD DEFINITION

1. correlation (noun) A connection between two no more things, usually one thing

influences the other

2. nefarious (adjective) evil or immoral

3. interpret (verb) to explain or tell the meaning of something

4. disposable (adjective) something that is meant to be used only once and then thrown

away

5. perception (noun) the way you think about, see or understand something

6. fortunate (adjective) lucky

7. symbolize (verb) to represent something

8. mentor (noun) a person who teaches or advises a less experienced person

9. express [oneself] (verb) to show or explain a feeling, opinion or fact

10. cluttered (adjective) to be filled with many things

11. dedicated (adjective) designed to be used for one activity

12. conducive (adjective) making something easy or possible

13. miracle (noun) an unusual or wonderful event or situation

14. reconnect (verb) to have a relationship with someone after a long break in

communication


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Use the vocabulary words above to complete the following sentences.

1. When you talk to a homeless person it can change your ______________________

about people in this situation.

2. The white hat in Calgary ______________________ the friendliness of Western Canada.

3. I have been very ______________________ in my life because I have a happy healthy

family and a good job.

4. At my first job in Calgary I was lucky to have a ______________________ who helped

me to understand the job better and how the company works.

5. I enjoyed the reunion at my high school where I was able to ______________________

with my old friends.

6. It was a real ______________________ when my sister found her high school

sweetheart on the Internet after 20 years and they got married.

7. There seems to be a ______________________ between eating a healthy breakfast and

reading scores in elementary school.

8. The basement in our house is ______________________ to files for my home business.

9. We teach our children to ______________________ themselves with words not by

hitting and screaming.

10. I heard about a ______________________plan to steal people’s identities through fake

emails pretending to be from the bank.

11. The campus library is ______________________ to studying for exams.

12. We ______________________ the statistics to mean that the economy was declining in

a number of European countries.

13. The rise in the popularity of ______________________ diapers has increased waste

going to the landfill by 5%.

14. My desk is very ______________________ because I can never seem to find time to

organize all my papers and files.

(Answers can be found in the appendix.)


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Listening for meaning

Read and answer the following questions.

1. How old is Reg Knelson?

2. Describe Reg’s first experience in art class.

3. Where is Reg’s footprint picture displayed?

4. How is the Calgary Drop‐In Centre a unique place for homeless artists?

5. What does the art studio give Reg?

6. What does Linda Hawke say is the impact of being able to express yourself creatively?

7. What is unusual about the painting of “Three steaming cups of coffee?”

8. Who is Isla Whitaker?



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Listening strategies

The Cornell Method of note taking

This method was devised by a Cornell University professor, Walter Pauk1 to help all students improve their ability to take notes during an academic lecture. This method helps you to become an organized note taker.

How to take notes according to the Cornell method (adapted)

• Divide the paper in two • The right hand column is the note‐taking column and should be two thirds of the page. • The left had column is the questions/key word column. • Leave 5 cm at the bottom of each page

See the example on the following page

During the listening or lecture

In the note taking column:

Take notes on the main ideas and use symbols and abbreviations.

In the question/key word column:

During the listening or lecture, write down the questions and key words that you hear.

At the end of the lecture:

In the bottom section of each page

Summarize that page of notes. This will help you study for exams. Also when you are studying for exams, you can cover the note taking section and review the questions and key words to see if you remember the main ideas.

For more information on the Cornell Method see The Cornell Note‐taking system:

http://lsc.sas.cornell.edu/Sidebars/Study_Skills_Resources/cornellsystem.pdf

1 Pauk, Walter; Owens, Ross J. Q. (2010) [1962], How to Study in College (10 ed.), Cengage Learning,


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Listening/lecture title:

Question/key word column Note‐taking column


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Summary of each page goes here:

Adapted from How to Study in College 7/e by Walter Pauk, 2001 Houghton Mifflin Company

Use this method to take notes from the listening: Art brings hope to the homeless.

In the Answer key you will see an example of notes taken from the listening using this method.


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Building speaking skills ‐ Pronunciation: Thought groups

When speaking in English, some words get grouped together into thought groups. Listen

to the excerpt below and notice where the thought groups (//) are marked.

Isla Whittaker Its been wonderful because //underneath all the bad things that happened to him// I could see good// and I believed that there was still good there// and the thing that I could see //back in those days// when we were married //was that he had this incredible// creative ability //and he wasn't able to do it then.

4:23

Thought groups make speech easier to understand and nicer to listen to. If you pause in the

wrong place, or don’t pause at all, it can make your speech more difficult to understand.

Now listen to another excerpt and try to mark where the speaker uses thought groups.


Karen Moxley Now Isla’s visiting for the second time. Reg is planning to move to Ottawa with Isla in

the fall. He’ll see his son for the first time in sixteen years and he’ll meet the grandchildren he’s never met.

5:14

Now listen to both excerpts several times and practice saying them with thought groups.

You can speak at the same time as the speaker, or, if she is too fast, you can listen and then

practice.


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Grammar Activity

The Oxford Dictionary recently noted that the English language has more words than any other modern language.2 However, many of these words belong to related families of words, for example, quick, quickly, quicker, quickest, quickness.

Understanding how one word ‘meaning’ can be seen in many word forms from the same family can help you understand many words in the same word family.

The following words are taken from the audio. Do you know the other commonly used word part froms in the same family? Do you know the different word parts that are used to make different word forms?

Can you figure it out without using a dictionary?

The suffix –ly usually shows an adverb, the suffix –ness, ‐ance and –tion usually show a noun, ‐ful, and ‐ant usually show an adjective. Do you know any other word parts?

If not, do you know how to use the dictionary to find the related word?

In a dictionary, the word is followed by the part of speech it represents:

• Quick/ adj./ ‐er/‐est • Quickly/adv/

Complete the following exercise – may be your English vocabulary is bigger than you think!!

1. artist (noun) adjective ________________ adverb______________

2. character (noun) verb ________________

3. interpret(‐ed) (verb) noun ________________

4. creatively (adverb) noun ________________ verb ________________

5. dedicated (adjective) verb ________________ noun ________________

6. reality (noun) adjective ________________

7. basic (adjective) noun ________________ adverb________________

8. employees (noun) verb ________________ noun ________________

9. believe (verb) adjective ________________ noun ________________

10. ability (noun) adjective ________________

11. occasion (noun) adjective ________________ adverb________________

12. happy (adjective) noun? ________________

Answers can be found in the appendix.

2 http://oxforddictionaries.com/page/englishmostwords


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Reading Activity

Pre‐reading vocabulary

The following vocabulary activity will help you to understand the reading below.

Match each word to its correct definition.

The first one is done for you. (Answers can be found in the appendix.)

1. plagued B A. the way something is explained or understood

2. estimate B. to cause problems for a long time

3. sprightly C. to make a serious mistake

4. infectious D. materials or methods used by an artist

5. screw up E. to make a guess based on some information

6. my cup runs over F. easily spread to other people

7. media G. full of life and energy

8. stylized H. to become very healthy or successful

9. interpretations I. advertised

10. thrive J. I have more than I need

11. billed as K. having or showing hope for the future

12. trauma L. being treated as if someone or something is not important

13. verbalize M. a way for people to express themselves

14. outlet N. a powerful or major influence

15. impact O. to express ideas, opinions or emotions

16. marginalized P. a bad experience that makes you feel very upset, shocked or afraid

17. optimistic Q. When an image shows a person or object in a way in a pattern or style rather than a realistic representation of that person or object


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Big Idea: Share the Gift of Art with Calgary's Homeless – Greg Beneteau

The Drop‐In Centre's Possibilities Project gives clients a voice through music, painting and other creative outlets.

At the age of 60, Reg Knelson is living proof that it’s never too late to turn over a new leaf. Born into a family plagued by poverty and alcoholism, Knelson was sexually abused by his stepfather from an early age. When he was 15 years old, he started living on the streets. Knelson estimates that he’s been homeless for half of his adult life, sleeping in shelters “from Victoria to Ottawa, and everywhere in between.” Yet the sprightly senior with bright blue eyes and an infectious smile is able to see the positive side of every situation, including his own. “I’m as human as the next

person,” he says. “Did I screw up? Yeah, a bunch of times. But I’ve also been blessed. In many ways, my cup runs over.” After moving to Calgary six years ago, Knelson began a new path as a painter with help from the Possibilities Project, a volunteer‐run program at the Calgary Drop‐In and Rehab Centre that connects homeless people with the arts. While he works in a variety of media, his favourite subjects are “Spirit Trees,” stylized interpretations of willows, maples and poplars that he paints on the flat sides of floorboards. Knelson says the trees, which are between four and six feet long, symbolize the human potential for growth and change. “People who are homeless might not have much in the way of material possessions, but the human spirit sings loud and bright and clear. That spirit can thrive in the right conditions, just like my trees,” he says.

The Birth of Possibilities

The Possibilities Project began in 2006 with a $2,000 donation from the Wild Rose United Church. In 2011, the Calgary Foundation provided funding for a part‐time coordinator, but the program still relies heavily on volunteers from the community. Today, the Wild Rose Studio is billed as North America’s only permanent art studio housed in a homeless shelter, with several dozen clients taking part in a drumming circle, choral group and painting and sculpture classes. Jordan Hamilton, manager of external relations for the Calgary Drop‐In Centre (DI), says the Possibilities Project is unique in that it helps homeless people, many of who have experienced trauma in their lives, to open up about their problems. “One of the reasons that people end up in shelter environments is because they didn’t know how to ask for help,” he explains. ”What we try to do is give our clients the opportunity

Reg Knelson, a former Drop-In Centre client, poses with some of the artwork he created through the Possibilities Project. Photo by Greg Beneteau


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to express themselves through creative outlets — If you can’t verbalize it, you can draw it, or you can sing it, or you can write it.” Clients of the Possibilities Project use their talents to give a voice to the homeless, a typically marginalized and hidden community. Last week, performers with the Drop‐In Singers choir traveled to New York City to perform Requiem for a Lost Girl at the New York Musical Theatre Festival. The Orattorio, written by Calgary theatre performer Onalea Gilbertson, is based on original poems, songs and first‐hand stories collected from clients at the DI. It was first performed in 2010 at the High Performance Rodeo theatre festival as Two Bit Oper‐eh? Shun.

A New Lease on Life

In addition to providing a creative outlet, the Possibilities Project gives participants a source of income through the sale of artwork to galleries and private collectors. Artists keep 80% of the proceeds from the sale of their work, while the remaining 20% is re‐invested in the studio. But for Knelson, the impact of the program can’t be measured in dollars and cents. “It’s given me something that I love doing day after day,” he says. Three years ago, Knelson accepted an offer of housing at the Sundial building, an apartment complex run by the Drop‐In Centre. He also started working part‐time in the Drop‐In Centre’s laundry room. At the end of July, he moved back to Ottawa to reunite with his ex‐wife and to be closer to his son and grandchildren. He continues to paint, and has set his sights on getting his Spirit Trees into the National Gallery of Canada. He also remains as optimistic as ever about the future. “I guess you could say I’m setting down new roots,” he jokes.

This article first appeared in the Avenue Magazine, Big Idea blog, by Greg Beneteau, http://www.avenuecalgary.com/blogs/big‐idea‐share‐the‐gift‐of‐art‐with‐calgarys‐homeless

(Reproduced with permission)


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Reading Strategies

The goal of the reading strategies section of the monthly feature lesson is to help you to become a better

reader of all reading texts – not just this text. Give yourself a maximum of three minutes to read the Big

Idea: Share the Gift of Art with Calgary's Homeless article – you will have to skim over the words quickly

and move on even when you don't quite understand. Look for the main ideas, focus on topic sentences,

and skip the examples and concentrate on the content words.

Try to answer these true‐false questions from your speed‐reading of the article.

True False

Reg Knelson had a very difficult childhood.

Re Knelson has been homeless for

approximately 30 years.

Reg’s favourite subjects for painting are

homeless people.

There are many homeless shelters with art

studios in them.

The artists who participate in the

Possibilities Project can sell their art.

Reg is moving to be close to his family.

Reg’s goal is to get one of his paintings into

the National Gallery.


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Reading for meaning

Below you will see main ideas from the reading. For each main idea write ONE piece of

supporting information such as an example or statistic. Do not copy the exact words from the

text, try to use your own words. The first one is done for you.


1. Reg Knelson has had a difficult life

He was born into a poor family with members with alcohol problems.

2. Reg’s favourite subjects are “Spirit Trees”

3. The Possibilities Project helps people to express themselves.

4. Artists in the Possibilities Project can raise money by selling their work.

5. Reg Knelson has a new life now.


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Writing Activity

How to write a summary Writing a summary is an important writing skill. The process of writing a summary can help you to understand a text you are reading; the summary itself can show your teacher how well you understand and can express a text in your own words. It is important to remember that when you write a summary, you should use your own words but keep the ideas and organization of the original text. A summary should be shorter than the original text and you can do this by trying to cut out all of the details and examples, which are not needed. When you are planning and writing your summary, think about what the author is saying. Below are some steps that will help you to write a good summary.

1. Skim the text – check out the title, sub‐headings and think about the main ideas you can get from these.

2. Read the text from beginning to end. What is the author saying? 3. If you have a photocopy of the text (not the original book or magazine), circle the key

words, or highlight the main idea of each section. 4. Re‐read the main points you have highlighted. 5. Identify the title, author and original date of the text you are going to summarize. 6. Write one sentence that summarizes the main idea of the text. 7. Write the main points and important details in your own words. You will have to use the

same technical vocabulary and proper names for things in the original text. Do not waste words by using such expressions as, “The original text says,” or “The author states…” The whole summary tells us what the original text says!

8. Keep the same organization as the original author. 9. Do not add your own ideas or conclusion, unless your teacher specifically asks you to do

this. 10. Proofread your summary – ask yourself, “have I kept the authors original ideas but used

my own words?”

Re‐read the text above; Art gives hope to the homeless. Using the steps suggested above, write a summary of the text. Try to write the summary in one paragraph.

You can see an example summary of the text in the appendix.


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Links

Links to the community

For more information about the Calgary Drop‐in Centre:

http://www.thedi.ca/

To learn more about the Drop‐in Centre’s Possibilities Project:

http://www.thedi.ca/services/art‐works/

To read more articles from Greg Beneteau’s blog:

http://www.avenuecalgary.com/bloggers/Greg+Beneteau

To read Calgary’s Avenue Magazine:

http://www.avenuecalgary.com/

Links for language learning

This resource is an online dictionary with a translator feature. It also has interactive flashcards designed for specific tests such as TOEFL. It is good for students looking for extra test preparation practice: http://dictionary.reference.com/ This site contains a large number of listening activities that come with listening comprehension quizzes. These are designed for self‐study, as learners’ answers are scored online. This resource is free. Each listening also gives information about the length, topic, and level, so teachers and learners can choose appropriate listening activities to meet their needs: http://www.esl‐lab.com/


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Appendix ‐ Answer Keys

Listening vocabulary

1. When you talk to a homeless person it can change your perception about people in this

situation

2. The white hat in Calgary symbolizes the friendliness of Western Canada.

3. I have been very fortunate in my life because I have a happy healthy family and a good

job.

4. At my first job in Calgary I was lucky to have a mentor who helped me to understand the

job better and how the company works.

5. I enjoyed the reunion at my high school where I was able to reconnect with my old

friends.

6. It was a real miracle when my sister found her high school sweetheart on the Internet

after 20 years and they got married.

7. There seems to be a correlation between eating a healthy breakfast and reading scores

in elementary school.

8. The basement in our house is dedicated to files for my home business.

9. We teach our children to express themselves with words not by hitting and screaming.

10. I heard about a nefarious plan to steal people’s identities through fake emails

pretending to be from the bank.

11. The campus library is conducive to studying for exams.

12. We interpreted the statistics to mean that the economy was declining in a number of

European countries.

13. The rise in the popularity of disposable diapers has increased waste going to the landfill

by 5%.

14. My desk is very cluttered because I can never seem to find time to organize all my

papers and files.


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Listening for meaning

Read and answer the following questions.

1. How old is Reg Knelson?

Sixty years old

2. Describe Reg’s first experience in art class.

He used a disposable camera to take pictures that represent what Calgary means to him.

3. Where is Reg’s footprint picture displayed?

At the library

4. How is the Calgary Drop‐In Centre a unique place for homeless artists?

It has a dedicated art studio for artists from the homeless community.

5. What does the art studio give Reg?

Sanctuary – hope/faith/love

6. What does Linda Hawke say is the impact of not being able to express yourself

creatively?

She says that if you cannot express yourself creatively, then something in you dies.

7. What is unusual about painting of “Three steaming cups of coffee?”

Reg painted it using instant coffee.

8. Who is Isla Whitaker?

Reg’s ex‐wife with whom he has recently reconnected.


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Listening strategies The Cornell Method of note taking

Listening/lecture title:

Question/key word column Note‐taking column

Reg Knelson

Why is art important?

First art class

City Arts society

Dedicated art studio @ Drop-in

Centre

Reg today

- homeless

-P-T job @ drop in centre

-Artist

Link between art and hope

(Ignore creativity & something inside dies)

Disposable camera – Perceptions of the city

Footprint in a concrete jungle

Volunteers work as mentors to artists in the

homeless community

Unique in Canada

Gives Reg sanctuary – hope/joy/faith/ love

sells work

PT job in laundry @ DIC

Reconnected with ex-wife

Moving to Ottawa

Will see son and grandchildren


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Summary of each page goes here:

The audio tells the life changing impact of art on homeless man Reg

Knelson in Calgary. Reg had been homeless for many years and

when he took an art class at the Calgary Drop-in centre he changed his life. Reg is now off the street and reunited with his family.

Building speaking skills ‐ Pronunciation: Thought groups.

Karen Moxley Now// Isla’s visiting for the second time.// Reg is planning to move to Ottawa with Isla in the fall.// He’ll see his son// for the first time in sixteen years// and he’ll meet the grandchildren// he’s never met.

5:14

Grammar Activity

1. artist (noun) adjective: artistic adverb: artistically

2. character (noun) verb: characterize

3. interpret(‐ed) (verb) noun: interpretation

4. creatively (adverb) noun: creation verb: create

5. dedicated (adjective) verb: dedicate noun: dedication

6. Reality (noun) adjective: realistic

7. basic (adjective) noun: basis adverb: basically

8. employees (noun) verb: employ noun: employment

9. believe (verb) adjective: believable noun: belief

10. ability (noun) adjective: able

11. occasion (noun) adjective: occasional adverb: occasionally

Reading Activity

Pre‐reading vocabulary

1. plague B A. the way something is explained or understood


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2. estimate E B. to cause problems for a long time

3. sprightly G C. to make a serious mistake

4. infectious F D. materials or methods used by an artist

5. screw up C E. to make a guess based on some information

6. my cup runs over J F. easily spread to other people

7. media D G. full of life and energy

8. stylized Q H. to become very healthy or successful

9. interpretations A I. advertised

10. thrive H J. I have more than I need

11. billed as I K. having or showing hope for the future

12. trauma P L. being treated as if someone or something is not important

13. verbalize O M. a way for people to express themselves

14. outlet M N. a powerful or major influence

15. impact N O. to express ideas, opinions or emotions

16. marginalized L P. a bad experience that makes you feel very upset, shocked or afraid

17. optimistic K Q. When an image shows a person or object in a way in a pattern or style rather than a realistic representation of that person or object

Reading Strategies

True False

Reg Knelson had a very difficult childhood.

Re Knelson has been homeless for

approximately 30 years.


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Reg’s favourite subjects for painting are

homeless people.

There are many homeless shelters with art

studios in them.

The artists who participate in the

Possibilities Project can sell their art.

Reg is moving to be close to his family.

Reg’s goal is to get one of his paintings into

the National Gallery.

Reading for meaning

Answers may vary.

1. Reg Knelson has had a difficult life

He was born into a poor family with alcohol problems.

2. Reg’s favourite subjects are “Spirit Trees”

He likes to paint willows, maples, and poplars.

3. The Possibilities project helps people to express themselves.

People can draw, sing or write about their problems.

4. Artists in the Possibilities program can raise money form selling their work.

Artisits can get 80% of money from selling their work.


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5. Reg Knelson has a new life now.

He is no longer homeless.

Writing activity – summary writing

Sample – Answers may vary

Big Idea: Share the Gift of Art with Calgary's Homeless – Greg Beneteau

The Possibilities Project at the Calgary Drop‐in Centre aims to help homeless people through

exploring the arts. One of the homeless people helped by this project is sixty‐year‐old Reg

Knelson. After a difficult childhood, Reg ended up living on the streets. Having spent thirty

years on the streets, Reg has now become an artist, specializing in painting “spirit trees.”

The Possibilities Project relies on the work of volunteers and is based out of an art studio in

Calgary. One of the great benefits of the project is that it gives homeless people a creative

way to express their thoughts and feelings. Any revenue from selling artwork is shared, with

the majority going to the artist. Reg Knelson is an example of a person who has greatly

benefited from the project. He now has a job, a place to live and is reunited with his family.


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Appendix – Transcript

TITLE: ART GIVES HOPE TO HOMELESS ARTIST Reg Knelson Right now, I don’t want her centred but there’s an incredible reflection.

Yeah my name is Reg Knelson. Part‐time at the Drop‐in Centre and resident artist, and I’ve been called a lot of other names.

0:04

Karen Moxley Vagrant, homeless, bum. Reg has heard it all. He’s sixty and he’s spent most of his life living on the streets of Calgary. But he isn’t homeless anymore. Today, Reg is an artist.

0:25

Reg Knelson The correlation is this; if I was not allowed to be an artist, I would now be a nefarious character under the bridge. Period. Like if I take this here…

0:39

Karen Moxley Reg got his first taste of photography through an art program run at the Drop‐in Centre. Armed with a $10 disposable camera, Reg hit the streets.

0:55

Reg Knelson You know it was instamatic, throwaway ones. And we went out and interpreted our perceptions of the city. And, we came back and they developed them and we got to see them on display.

1:04

Karen Moxley Alright, so here we are at the library… 1:22 Reg Knelson The library, alright. 1:25 Karen Moxley Which one’s yours? 1:28 Reg Knelson I have more than one here, I’m a fortunate guy. One is just a picture of my foot on

the pavement. What I was trying to symbolize is how do you leave your footprint in a concrete jungle, like most cities are.

1:30

Karen Moxley Reg’s work is part of a festival going on in Calgary right now, featuring art from the margins. Linda Hawke is curating the festival. She’s the president of “This is my city” arts society.

1:42

Linda Hawke Well this is my city is a group of volunteers. We’re professional artists and we act as artist mentors for people who are in the homeless community, and we create opportunities for people who don't often have the chance to express themselves creatively.

1:54

Reg Knelson Now all we need is some colour happening here. 2:12 Linda Hawke Well you’ve got a good pencil sketch going on there 2:15 Karen Moxley Back at the Drop in Centre Linda and Reg are at the DI’s colourful and cluttered art

studio. This is the only homeless shelter in Canada with a dedicated art studio. 2:17

Reg Knelson It’s a place of sanctuary. Solitude, hope, faith, love. If my reality was not conducive at that moment, well I create then. The magic.

2:29

Linda Hawke I think that there is a basic need to express oneself creatively. And when you ignore that creative part of yourself, something in you dies.

2:45


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Karen Moxley Reg tours me around the studio, sharing his work. One painting features three steaming cups of coffee.

3:03

Reg Knelson Aah the cups. I was in a Starbucks so I bought their Via instant coffee, Italian Roast. And I had my water colour paper with me, and my brushes and I went and asked for a cup of water, hot water, a little bit right, and then I went back to the table. And I proceeded to start doing designs using Via Instant Italian Roast coffee. And, but what I had the most fun with was watching the employees, because every once in a while just to be a real jerk I would take a drink of it and then go back paint.

3:11

Karen Moxley So you were using the coffee as your paint? 3:44

Reg Knelson Yeah, no you can vary the hues… 3:46

Karen Moxley Today Reg sells some of his art and works part‐time here in the laundry room at the Drop‐in Centre. So tell me about your life now.

3:48

Reg Knelson Oh my God. Where am I? I don't know a miracle I guess. I’m here, and for those that choose to believe that.

3:55

Karen Moxley Part of that miracle for Reg has been reconnecting with his ex‐wife. 4:04

Isla Whittaker My name is Isla Whittaker, and I have known Reg for 35 years and I was married to him.

4:09

Karen Moxley What is it like for you to see Reg and to reconnect with him all these years later? 4:18

Isla Whittaker It’s been wonderful because underneath all the bad things that happened to him I could see good and I believed that there was still good there and the thing that I could see back in those days when we were married was that he had this incredible creative ability and he wasn't able to do it then.

4:23

Karen Moxley About a year ago Isla went online and she saw some of Reg’s artwork. 4:45

Isla Whittaker Go on the internet and then I started seeing all this and I was just crying because it you know it had happened. I could see that he was changed. This art…

4:51

Karen Moxley Reg and Isla started emailing each other and plans were made for her to come and visit .

5:01

Reg Knelson I made sure I emailed back. I still smoke, I still cuss on occasion, and I still eat red meat.

5:06

Karen Moxley Now Isla’s visiting for the second time. Reg is planning to move to Ottawa with Isla in the fall. He’ll see his son for the first time in sixteen years and he’ll meet the grandchildren he’s never met.

5:14

Reg Knelson I am happy as any man can be. I am so fortunate that I am getting a chance, if you think of my life, colourful! I am going to get to be a partner. I am going to get to be a grandfather and I am going to get to be a father. Yeah and that’s awesome. So we got to give people time and their own way. Art was my way.

5:28

Karen Moxley For the Eyeopener. I’m Karen Moxley. 5:53

art and homeless - october calgary...encourages homeless people to work with a variety of art forms,...

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