artist spotlight

Welcome to our Artist Spotlight! This page is used as a rotating gallery to highlight some of the amazing artists Project: Humanity works with and elevate their story. Currently we are spotlighting our Black History Month artists because Black History should be celebrated all year long. Enjoy!

Laneigh ramirez

SPOTLIGHT ON Project: Humanity Mentor (PH 1:1), Laneigh Ramirez (they/them)

Communications Co-ordinator Sarah Illiatovitch-Goldman spoke with Laneigh about their work and their feelings on Black History Month. This is some of what they said.

Sarah: In your own words can you describe who you are and what you do?

Laneigh: I am a visual artist and I have been my whole life. I have practiced and learned on my own how to be an artist, but I’ve also gotten to where I am by asking other artists for advice and learning from them. My art stems from an imaginative view of life. I love to see beauty around me - in my friends, in everything really. I think it comes from a lot of gratitude for good moments. This is a contrast to the space that I grew up in, which is a space that lacked a lot of blackness and queerness. So now I’m just trying to embrace joy and authenticity.

I’m making art about the individuality of BLACK individuals. The stories are all really specific, but relatable among so many Black people. I do a lot about microaggressions. All kinds of black people across the diaspora experience microaggressions, so I create art that they can look at and feel heard, but also so that the people creating the microaggressions can realize how harmful those things can be to a black person’s story.

Sarah: What is a project you are currently working on that you want to highlight?

Laneigh: I’m currently working on a series of paintings that are being funded by the Toronto Arts Council. The series is about telling the story of my experience. The experience of feeling isolated as a child in a non-black space. And my identity being influenced by that. It also looks at how my gender and femininity were being pushed and pulled and what blackness is within that experience as well. And then there’s an element of the project that’s all about imagination - that highlights fantasy. Because you start to build these things in your head and you get disconnected from reality. You can follow the series on my instagram at @neighramirez. I’ll be posting the paintings but also the process of creating them as they get done.

Sarah: When you think of Black History or Black History Month and Toronto - is there anything you think is being done well?

Laneigh: Nothing comes to mind when I think of Toronto and Black History Month which is unfortunate. I do feel a lot of people my age are creating space to celebrate and elevate black artists and black history. For example, Imani Dominique has create The Gift Shop which elevates and supports Black Artists. 

Sarah: Is there anything that you want to shine a spotlight on for Black History Month that isn’t getting the attention it deserves?

Laneigh: I feel like today there is so much today on the concept of being a POC but I don’t feel like there’s enough emphasis on celebrating Blackness and saying this is a time to celebrate Black Arts and Blackness. I think we need that honesty and celebration for Black History Month, but also to push past just one month and have that celebration all the way around.

Follow Laneigh on Instagram @neighramirez or on tiktok at Laneigh Ramirez or on their website https://www.laneighramirez.ca to keep track of their work!

JOY

SPOTLIGHT ON Project: Humanity Mentee (PH 1:1), Joy (she/hers)

"My name is Joy, she/her. I am a youth artisan at Kind Karma Co. I am also a student at Seneca college and above all, I am a writer. My connection to Project Humanity came about when I was staying at a safe-house for women fleeing domestic violence and trafficking survivors. I was living there after I had escaped my family in Istanbul, Turkey in 2020. I was new to Canada, I didn't know what career path I wanted, and I didn't know what I wanted to go to school for, but what I did know is that I wanted to write. So, when my youth-worker at the safe house told me about Project: Humanity and the services they provide, I jumped at the opportunity to get a creative writing mentor, and I am forever grateful for everything that my mentor Mikaela Lily Davies and PH did for me since.

The project I want to highlight is very close to my heart, figuratively and literally beating against my chest. It is the Kojo Baiden Medallion Necklace.

The Kojo Baiden necklace makes me feel connected to my roots. Featuring two medallions and a beautiful pearl that reminds me that my history is not rooted in grief, but in abundance and celestial harmony.

This beautiful gold necklace is a Black History Month collaboration between Kind Karma (the jewelry company where I work) and the founder of the fashion house L'Uomo Strano, Mic Carter to celebrate African history and culture. I feel connected to this necklace because not only does it value African history, but it brings value to its present and future as well. This beautiful necklace embodies those three elements, the first is the Kojo Baiden charm from the ancient African symbols called Adinkra, which represents unity and intuition. The second element is a nod to the growing African Diaspora, specifically in The pearl of Africa also known as Uganda. The third element is a Saturn pendant that represents afro-futurism. You can learn more about how the necklace encompasses the complete passage of time: past, transition, and future at Kind Karma.

The necklace feels like the passing of the torch from my ancestors to my personal black heroes and now onto me.

I have been in Canada for only 3 years. I have spent my early life moving around with my family mostly around Arab and afro-Arabian countries. There was no such thing as black history month.

I wished it was. I only saw it in some movies, but I didn't think people celebrated it. To my surprise, Toronto really shines the spotlight on black people. It makes me feel happy to be alive in a time where people like me are not only liberated but celebrated. I have learned more here about black history than I ever did when I lived in African countries. But one thing that I want to point out is how the focus is more on just the history, instead of the present day and future of Black and African people. I hear and read more about the same historical figures every year but there is so little about emerging Black people that are creating history in the present day and the future prediction of Black Excellent. 

That's why I love that Project: Humanity and Kind Karma are bringing together the beautiful work of Mic Carter into the spotlight. It makes me feel that my history is just as important as everything happening in the community now and my place in it all.

A project that I am working on is a self-help book called This Circumstantial Life, made for my generation (Gen Z) that have gone through hardship and that are feeling lost and alone. Specifically, at risk and homeless youth. I have gone through so much and even though I got help every step of the way, I had to do many things by myself to get to where I am today. I have read so many self-help books that have evidently helped many people, but for someone from my perspective and my circumstances, they simply weren't enough. So, with the help of Project: Humanity, I am working on making this book accessible to any youth that needs validation, guidance, and reassurance.``

Robert ball

SPOTLIGHT ON Project: Humanity Mentor (PH 1:1), Robert Ball (he/his)

For our third Spotlight we want to introduce Robert Ball. Robert is not only an incredible artist in our PH 1:1 program, but Project: Humanity is working with him to bring his incredible project into TDSB Highschools. If you want to bring this project to your school, please reach out to info@projecthumanity.ca 

The Man: Robert Ball “a voice that’s smooth as silk” - BroadwayWorld.com. Robert has shared the stage with and opened for; Mary Mary, Nikki Yanofsky, Keshia Chante, Mya, Kim Burrell, Big Freeda among others. He has toured Pride circuits (Toronto, Jamaica, Brooklyn, DC, London ON). Most recently seen in Drayton Entertainments production of ‘Evita’. Robert appeared as principal character ‘Arthur’ in the movie ‘Christmas On 5th Ave’, in ‘Chicago’ the musical at the Stratford Festival and ‘Treemonisha’ part of the Luminato Festival. He was featured in Stratford Festivals Streaming series “Canadian Mix-Tape” paying tribute to K.D. Lang, Rufus Wainright and Susan Aglukark. Robert is not only a multidisciplinary artist but also an artist that believes as Nina Simone said “It is an artist's duty to reflect the times…” with that he is an artist who gives back not only in his authentic artist practices but also in his mentoring and advocacy. Follow Robert on all social media outlets at: @RobertBallMusic

The Project: A Cabaret Presentation The Legacy of The Ball Family Jubilee Singer is an acoustic cabaret featuring songs of freedom performed by the historical group in addition to music connected to and inspired by their legacy. The songs are woven together by brief quotes, anecdotes, essays, and excerpts from Rev. Richard Ball, Mary Ball, Owen Ball, and Robert Ball (who is also the primary performer). As the Ball family sang songs of the slave and freedom accompanied by illustrations of Uncle Tom's Cabin, Robert intends to tell their story accompanied by illustrations of the Ball family and the black experience of the time. 

Black History Month: “We celebrate black history and folks are leaning towards black futures because we keep regurgitating the same information and the same cherry picked bullet points, folks are still gatekeeping. The breadth of Black History, impact, ingenuity, influence is still and yet to be discovered. So it is us all, mainly allies truly doing that work. For example; what is impacting Black Youth, a community I support Black LGBTQ2S+ youth are still far more disenfranchised - history omission and stories not being told - the Harlem Renaissance (one of the most impactful on modern culture at large) was wildly Queer. I imagine who would still be alive and where we all would be had we known our history and impact goes even beyond the Ball Room scene that is now getting its due. I have to shout out BGMN (Black Gay Men's Network of Ontario) for the last 5 yrs BGMN has been supporting and serving the Black Queer/LGBTQ+ community with a focus on male identifying folks. Year round this is an organization and community to support.”

Learn more about Robert (and hear him SING!) by checking out this video! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFFltfyach4