A part of the City of St. Catharines' Civic Art Collection, the Bogart Park Public Art Project is an artistic display on the Port Weller Community Centre funded in part by the Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario, and the City of St. Catharines through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP), which aims to support community, cultural, and recreation infrastructure projects in the Niagara Region.
The City of St. Catharines worked collaboratively with the Niagara Regional Native Centre throughout the design and implementation phases of the project. The selected public art piece is titled 'Ohné:ka' by visual artist, Cheyenne Ricard.
Through ICIP, the playground and multi-use court in Bogart Street Park have been renewed, and the Port Weller Community Centre has been enhanced with the installation of Ohné:ka and the exhibition, 'Ohné:ka: The Mohawk word for Water' installed inside the building.
Ohné:ka
Ricard’s piece 'Ohné:ka' highlights the importance of water not only to the indigenous culture but to everyone, as a whole. Water is something that needs to be protected and cherished as it’s what gives us life.
Ohné:ka: The Mohawk word for Water
Ohné:ka (Oh-nay-ga) – the Mohawk word for water – is an exhibition in partnership with the Niagara Regional Native Centre (NRNC). The artwork in this exhibition was created during a workshop held by the NRNC for its youth.
The workshop was led by artist, Cheyenne Ricard. The class started by reminding the youth of the significance of water in our everyday lives. Ricard used her featured artwork, Ohné:ka, to highlight the importance of water, as it is what gives us all life. Water should be protected and cherished by everyone.
Ricard asked the youth to draw their favourite ocean animal to reflect a connection to water that is beyond the human existence.
Water is sacred, water is life.