All aboard: Mtis artist transforms school bus into mobile music and art venue

You can now visitone of Manitoba's newest music and art venues or wait for it to come to you.

Mtis artistRobyn Adams says she has transformed a decommissioned school bus into a mobile music and art venue in order to help bring underrepresented women, Indigenous artists and artists of colour to centre stage.

"One thing I'm really intentional about is creating a safe space, safe environment and community for ... the public to access art," said Adams.

"The community is really taking to it because it brings accessibility everywhere."

The short school bus is decorated with Mtis art andholds a modest sound system concert goers canenjoyif you are fortunate enough to find where it's parked next.

The seats have all been taken out from the bus's interior, which serves as an art venue and a recording studio.

For concerts, the bus acts as a background for bands who play to crowds outside the mobile venue.

See Winnipeg band JayWoodrecord in the bus:

Mtis artist transforms school bus into mobile music and art venue

5 years ago

Duration 1:09

Robyn Adams has transformed her decommissioned bus into a mobile music and art venue in order to help bring underrepresented women, Indigenous and artists of colour to centre stage.

The project, formally called Field Trip Sessions, has picked up traction and will be featured at this year's Festival du Voyageur, where Adams is now the Indigenous initiatives co-ordinator.

The bus will be open to attendees at the winter festival during the dayand will feature art focused on reclaiming Indigenous languages, including art based on Adams's own traditional language of Michif.

"I think reconciliation can happen through art, and that's what I'm trying to do," she said.

Adams says that it's important to create opportunities toreclaim Indigenous voices, especially given the historic attempts ofresidential schools to eradicate Indigenous languages.

After completing her bachelorof fine arts degree, Adams wanted to move beyond art that is confined within the white walls of galleries.

Drawing inspiration from local galleries like Urban Shaman, and NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts which see musicians perform intimate concerts in the office of one of the public radio service's hostsshe decided to claim her own space.

The school bus made its debut as a venue last fall in Winnipeg's North End as part ofNuit Blanche, an evening focused on contemporary public art,in order to bring a venue and voice to inner-city artists.

To Adams's surprise, her mobile venue attracted around 400 people throughout the all-night event. Nuit Blanche attendees were treated to a display of Indigenous art, music, drummingand traditional hoop dancing.

In the coming months, Adams plans to use the bus to give more emerging artists an opportunity to be seen and heard in their ownneighbourhoods.

After Festival du Voyageur, it will headback to the North End in March, when the mobile venue will bring performances to the Meet Me at the Bell Tower eventa grassroots community gathering held every Friday at the Selkirk bell tower to address violence and inner-city community issues.

"It's really exciting that I got to start this project," said Adams, and "even more exciting seeing the community attached to it join in on this initiative."

School bus transforms into a mobile music studio

5 years ago

Duration 3:10

A local Mtis artist has transformed her decommissioned school bus into a mobile music and art venue in order to help bring underrepresented women, Indigenous and artists of colour to centre stage.