Session 1: Leatherwork with Ileah Ouimette (Snowy Seniors Social)

Throughout January and February 2025, we’re hosting a series of four (4) FREE craft workshops for local seniors and community members. Led by Ileah Ouimette (Lee), we’re creating personalized leather medicine pouches adorned with traditional beadwork.

All materials and light refreshments are provided with the opportunity to gift yours to another workshop participant! Registration is encouraged to ensure we have enough materials on hand.

Note: Please take note of the session you registered for. Each session is intended to build on the previous one. If you can’t attend all four sessions, that’s okay! We will create take-home material kits and video demonstrations so you can keep working on your leather medicine pouch at your own leisurely pace.

Session 1: Leatherwork with Ileah Ouimette

Each participant will select another participant for which they will create a wearable piece of artwork for. We’ll gather to create individual medicine pouches from prepared materials. You’ll select your beading pattern and receive the beading material kits and links to pre-recorded demo videos.

Learn more: https://stepspublicart.org/project/from-weeds-we-grow/

Artist Credit: Lindsey Lickers, Mushkiiki Nibi Kwe

Photo Credit: Alicia Reid

Banner image description: The image depicts a set of working hands crafting a heart berry beaded pin

Accessibility Notice

STEPS Public Art is committed to the community’s full participation in this event. Please indicate the support you require during registration or contact Ima Esin, STEPS’ Cultural Planner (ima@stepspublicart.org) to share accommodation requests.

Media Notice

Please be advised photographs and video may be taken during this event for archival and promotional purposes. If you would not like to be photographed, please inform a staff member on the day

Artist/Facilitators

Beading and Leatherwork Facilitator: Born and raised in Southern Ontario, Ileah Ouimette is a descendant of Adele’s Bear Band, Temagami, Loon Dodem of the Robinson Huron Treaty of 1850. The art of beading was introduced to Lee from a young age, starting with moccasins. Lee began to bead dangle earrings, bracelets and necklaces before moving on to flat-stitch beadwork. Lee was inspired to showcase her work and launch her business in 2019 while participating in the Pow Wow Circuit festivities with her family.

About From Weeds We Grow

From Weeds We Grow is an interdisciplinary public art community project that started in 2020 and explores Toronto’s Rexdale community’s relationship to the environment through the intersections of nature, art, and wellness. Since then, From Weeds We Grow has returned yearly, featuring diverse community-engaged activations from virtual walking tours, workshops, storytelling, and performances rooted in local parks, and winter programming at the local community hub.

Funders and Partners

From Weeds We Grow is funded in part by the Government of Canada’s New Horizons for Seniors Program, Arts in the Parks by the Toronto Arts Foundation and Toronto Arts Council funded by the City of Toronto, Park People, Scotiabank, and the Indigenous Arts and Culture Partnerships Fund from the City of Toronto. We’re grateful for our community partner Rexdale Community Hub, and acknowledge funding support from the Ontario Arts Council and the Government of Ontario.