Statement

Is our community rich in culture? Are we limited in our view of culture? Do we immerse ourselves in other cultures or are we accepting of other cultures to exist around us?

I chose to make my spinning top from maple wood. These are old trees, used in many cultures, that grow from our shared land. This is why I choose to make my top from a maple tree.

A top standing still does nothing. Movement does something. Creates interest. Movement creates balance and it spins, the colours (cultures) are present, noticeable and seen together. When the top is moving there is balance - what does that mean? Different cultures moving with balance. Being seen and part of the whole, greater community. There are two sides to the top. One side is seen most often. The other side is not seen as much.

The bottom shows all the colours that are visible in the rainbow but as it spins it al melts together and loses the unique colours. Blends in to one colour.

They say Canada is a cultural mosaic with many different cultures. Other than today, how many of us have been to a cultural event that is not about white culture?

I was at a movie with my partner a while back. The movie was about a Pakistani woman and her relationship with her mother and her daughter. The theatre was full of older white men and women and at the end of the movie, people were able to provide input. Most people did not enjoy the movie or maybe didn't understand the culture. My partner and I were laughing at the funny parts, but the rest of the audience did not. I did feel like we were all alone in a crowd.

We live in a city where culture is seen many different ways. Each culture has a lot to offer to the community as a whole.