'Important' Sudbury community arts group celebrates 20 years

A Sudbury, Ont. community arts organization has a lot to celebrate on Saturday.

The Myths and Mirrors group is throwing a party over the weekend in recognition of its 20th year in operation.

"I'm pleasantly surprised that it's lasted this long," artistic director Jesse Brady told CBC News.

"As any arts organization, or non-profit organization can tell you, finding funding is always the biggest battle."

• Dani Taillefer named Myths and Mirrors Artist in Residence

Myths and Mirrors was formed back in 1996 as a project in Sudbury's Donovan-Flour Mill area, with the goal of providing a forum for marginalized people to develop a voice. Its initial purpose was to save a popular green space from development.

"The quality of the work that we do, and the community that we're in, that's really shown our main funders just why this group is so important," Brady said.

The project was only supposed to last three years.

Community art

The group, which has won national recognition over its two decade-long run, has engaged more than 8,000 people in the creation of everything from quilts and murals to theatre and stilt-walking.

Brady said Myths and Mirrors likes to call itself a community arts organization.

"It's a broad term in a lot of ways," he said. "We've decided to have a very wide-open mandate and allow a lot of times the participants themselves to figure out what it is ... the best mode for them ... to express themselves."

"Sometimes it's murals, sometimes it's theatre, sometimes it's sculpture."

Myths and Mirrors will hold its celebration party this Saturday at Sudbury Secondary School.