October 2020 – roz macLean

I am so excited to begin the process of working on this art project, in which I am inviting British Columbians with disabilities to share their experiences living on Disability Assistance or trying to access it. I will create digitally painted portraits of 20 participants and in the end an e- zine / e-book will be produced that can be used to share these stories and advocate for higher Disability Assistance Rates. Right now I am in the stage of calling for participants.

The website for this project is www.InsufficientArtProject.ca

I wanted to undertake this project because for far too long people with disabilities have been expected to live on assistance rates that place them below the poverty line, and navigate a system that is often inaccessible and adversarial. Inspired by the campaign 300 To Live, which asks for rates to be raised to the $2000 / month income that has been deemed a minimum income for other Canadians with the Canada Response and Recovery Benefits, the goal of this project is to highlight why change is necessary for people with disabilities can have their basic needs met and escape poverty.

I have created some images to share on social media posts calling for participants. If you would like to share this post or the images, feel free.

Image text:
1. Call for participants in BC. Do you want to share your experience living on the disability benefit or trying to access it? I invite you to contribute to an art project that will highlight why current disability rates need to be raised.

2. Hi, I’m Roz MacLean, an artist, illustrator, educator and settler living on Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil Waututh currently called Vancouver.

3. I am creating an art book to share experiences of people with disabilities called “Insufficient: Disability Assistance is not Enough.” There are 20 spots. Each contributor will have a portrait of them created and receive a $100 honorarium. To express interest head to InsufficientArtProject.ca before November 7th.

4. When it is completed the project will:
– exist as an electronic file / e-book.
– be available for every to read and share.
– be accessible at InsufficientArtProject.ca and possibly hosted on a CBC radio website.
– be used for advocacy.

5.

Thank you! I acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.

I’m not doing any full on creative challenges this October, and am instead doing a bit of a mashup of prompts that match up with my theme of “big extinct animals.” I think extinct mega fauna are fascinating and this is the perfect excuse for some research. I’m also choosing a smattering of days from #inktober, #mintober (created by artist @mcmintea) and #spookyoctober, (created by Taylor Krulicki and Marina Dubuc) instead of doing every day of the month. I’m hoping to have some fun playing with illustrations and ideas for children’s illustration.