Group members of Ars Communitas (left to right): Angelina, Sunnie, Amie, Leticia, and Avila (Youjia)
Finding Our Collective Voice in Regent Park
Every city has its creative pulse, and Regent Park is no different. As a team of U of T Students and local residents, we have found each other and come together to explore how art shapes this neighbourhood—not just as decoration, but as a tool for storytelling, community building, and civic engagement. Our group name, Ars Communitas, comes from Latin, meaning Art is Community—a reflection of our shared belief that creativity is at the heart of thriving, connected spaces.
We are students, artists, urbanists, and most importantly, community members. Our idea has started to come to life thanks to Professor Mehta’s amazing design of the community-engaged learning course, URB440: The Changing Culture of Regent Park. Read on to meet all of us!
Sunnie Hu // U of T Student
Sunnie is a fourth-year student majoring in Public Health and double minoring in Statistical Sciences and Visual Studies, as well as a community health student at Access Alliance. They are a mixed-media artist working primarily in painting, print work, and public art research. They are deeply interested in how public art has evolved in Regent Park, especially new initiatives post-redevelopment.
Angelina Zahajko // U of T Student
Angelina is a fourth-year student and an aspiring urban planner who has worked with organizations like the Kensington Market Community Land Trust, 8 80 Cities, and the City of Toronto. These experiences have shaped her work as a filmmaker and photographer focusing on how people move through and make their mark on urban landscapes in an era of hypercapitalism and real estate speculation. She’s eager to amplify the rich stories that Regent Park residents have to offer.
Avila (Youjia) Zhang // U of T Student
Avila is a third-year international student from China, majoring in human geography and urban studies with a minor in visual studies. Growing up in major cities, she has always been fascinated by how urban change impacts communities. Her past research projects have often connected art with urban spaces—from volunteering as a class facilitator at Art City Kids to studying how art fosters belonging in Toronto’s Waterfront Neighbourhood Centre. Now, she’s excited to explore Regent Park’s creative scene and its role in placemaking.
Amie Therrien // Regent Park Resident
Initially following the path outlined by others to get a “good job”, Amie worked as a civil engineer for many years before jumping into the music industry as an artist manager. The arts have always been a big part of her life, from playing flute in the school band to painstakingly making mixed tapes from the radio, she is looking forward to exploring the arts scene and its impact on the community in her new neighbourhood of Regent Park. Amie currently runs Music Managers Forum Canada, the national non-profit supporting artists and managers and continues to explore her creative side as a Métis beading artist under Balsam Pier Beading.
Leticia Ramirez-Arana // Regent Park Resident
Leticia is a Mexican Mestiza (Metis) and a former head nurse in Mexico. Since immigrating to Canada over three decades ago as a single mother, she has worked as a peer support leader for women’s groups in Regent Park, a peer facilitator with the CMHA, a community advocate, and a volunteer with a non-profit housing corporation. Currently pursuing entrepreneurial aspirations, she is excited to collaborate with U of T students and other diverse members of the Regent Park community to explore new ideas and learn together.
Our Focus: Art, Storytelling, and Civic Engagement
Art is often treated as a luxury and secondary to economic and spatial challenges. But we see it differently. It is an essential part of a city’s fabric. Art shapes identity, preserves history, and sparks conversations about the future.
Regent Park has long been a place of transformation, from its early days as Canada’s first public housing project to its ongoing revitalization. But beyond the new buildings and shifting demographics, there are stories—ones that remain, adapt, or risk being lost. Our project seeks to explore:
What does creative expression look like in Regent Park? How do public art forms like graffiti, murals, and more contribute to the neighbourhood’s creative scene?
How does art function as a tool for civic engagement in Regent Park? Who gets to create and participate?
What are some systemic and social barriers that make accessing and shaping creative spaces difficult?
How does the arts scene impact residents’ well-being and sense of belonging?
How does citywide culture planning intersect with grassroots creative expression?
Looking Ahead
We do not have all the answers for now. But we are here to listen, learn, and create together. Over the next few weeks, we plan to speak with artists, community members, and local organizations to better understand how Regent Park’s creative scene navigates challenges like space, accessibility, and economic realities. Alongside the required final long journalism and its complimentary podcast, we also seek to create an archive of public art and graffiti in the neighbourhood, as well as a zine to locate different public art hubs in the neighbourhood and various community art initiatives.
This is just the beginning.
Stay tuned.
The team members of Ars Comnunitas are Sunnie, Leticia, Amie, Angelina, and Avila (Youjia).