Date Range: Winter 2018 - Spring 2020
Role: Artist-in-Residence, General Manager
Objectives Achieved: Celebrate the Creative Community, Create Meaningful Keepsakes for Event Goers, Transition "The Diner" into an event space, Transition "The Nook" to a Takeaway Burger Bistro, Expand Event Offerings, Create Safe Space for Marginalized Folks
Skills Used: Illustration, Graphic Design, Interior Design, Team Leadership, Creating Safe Spaces for Intersectional Community Building, Storytelling to Destigmatize
A Better Life Foundation (ABLF) holds a very sacred place in my heart. My relationship with this not-for-profit has evolved drastically over the years. In the beginning, I supported ABLF by showing up to their Greasy Spoon Supper series with a portrait-in-hand to thank the volunteer chefs for their efforts to create food security in the Downtown Eastside through these charity events. It was a very special artist residency. It wasn't long before we began providing biographical illustration cards at each table for guests to learn about the featured chef of the night. When A Better Life Foundation and Save On Meats required a new General Manager in 2019, I excitedly threw my hat in the ring and got the job. Transitioning the diner to an event space while repurposing "The Nook" (the butcher shop) as a new bistro-style food service space was one of the most influential experiences of my life. Between the Greasy Spoon Supper Series, Plenty of Plates, and Late Night Snack - Save On Meat's bi-weekly drag show, I found my community and sense of self in the Downtown Eastside.
These days, multiple publications are in development focused on the events that happened in Save On Meats, which tell the history and personal stories of the ABLF community from 2017 to 2020. It is the first Drawing Thanks multi-media endeavour, which will involve interviews, comics, music and video (QR coded), and most importantly, a multitude of voices to fully paint the picture of this vibrant and caring community.
