Paint the Rails Human Library Videos

We hosted the Paint the Rails Human Library back in September 27 and 28, 2022. The human library provided students, teachers and the community a glimpse into the stories behind five beautiful public murals painted throughout Edmonton LRT and transit stations and the Paint the Rails legacy book. It was also a way to engage students in learning around diversity, inclusion, acceptance and anti-racism and highlight the importance of the stories within the book. To learn more about the Paint the Rails project, click here.

If you missed any of the sessions, don’t worry, we recorded them. Please watch the videos below or feel free to go to our YouTube channel.

Shawn 謝兆龍 (he/him) is a father, artist, and community organizer. He is a member of aiya哎呀! Which is a collective that offers spaces to remember the emotional and geographic loss of ᐊᒥᐢᑿᒌᐚᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ amiskwacîwâskahikan, colonially known as Edmonton's chinatown. They seek to form openings for liberation and belonging and have contributed to the Paint the Rails murals and books.

Carla Rae Taylor is a multifaceted Artist who has a passion for telling stories though her paintings, murals and illustrations. She grew up in Yellowknife close to the land and her works are often inspired by nature and dreams. Now living on Treaty 6 she has been painting the stories of Edmonton’s diverse cultural communities into large scale murals. Her love of connecting with diverse people and cultures also extends those facing extreme social barriers. Carving out space for marginalized voices to tell their stories though art has been an important part of her work. She strongly believes in the healing power of art and enjoys bringing colourful images of hope and inspiration to forgotten places in need of revitalization.

Deborah Dobbins, a cultural and special education consultant, is a 3rd generation African American Albertan whose grandparents immigrated to Alberta in the early 1900s from Oklahoma, Illinois, Missouri, and Texas. She is the CEO of Shiloh Centre for Multicultural Roots (SCMR) a not-for-profit society that is grounded in a mosaic of rich, inclusive African American Canadian heritage dating as far back as pre-1910 whose mandate is to honour, educate, and celebrate their community with the communities at large.

Deborah holds a B.Ed. from the U of A, an M.R.A. from the U.S. and has recently retired from a 34 + year teaching and administration career in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Borys Tarasenko is a multidisciplinary artist based in Edmonton. A BFA Art & Design graduate from University of Alberta with a focus in Painting, Borys especially likes creating artwork and graphics for musicians, theatre artists, and non-profit organizations. He was involved with the Paint the Rails outreach discussion with Edmonton’s Ukrainian community, and currently works as Program Assistant for the Alberta Council for the Ukrainian Arts (ACUA).

Salwa Kadri has been the official Program and Office Manager of Al Rashid Mosque for the past 15 years. Alongside this work she has been collecting and archiving thousands of pictures and biographies from Muslim communities across Alberta to create a community library for future generations. She is an avid community volunteer, working to feature Muslim artists and sits on several steering committees to address domestic issues in Edmonton. Most recently she has been working with seniors to finalize a traditional cookbook for cultural events.

Salwa is the first Muslim woman in Alberta to achieve a Funeral Directors License in Canada. She is now working to finish a multi-faith funeral guide book for grieving families that she has been documenting for over two decades.

Mila Bonco-Philipzig is originally from the Philippines and has lived and worked in many countries all over the world. Her discernment and appreciation of the customs and cultures in various countries, as well as experiences of marginalization, started and bolstered her advocacy for inclusion, diversity, and equity in all aspects of life. She has written many poems, personal essays, and articles on these themes, including five bi-lingual children’s books (English-Filipino). Mila is a member of the Inclusion and Diversity Council at her workplace, and member of community organizations promoting human rights.

Mila contributed her immigration journey story for Paint the Rails, as well as read two of her poems during the launch.

Cynthia Palmaria moved to Canada from the Philippines 30 years ago through the sponsorship of her parents who came to Montreal in the 1980’s as caregivers under the Foreign Domestic Movement.

She moved to Edmonton, Alberta in 2013 with her husband and daughter. In the same year, Cynthia was one of the co-founders of Migrante-Alberta, a Filipino organization that advocates for the rights and welfare of Filipino workers. She is currently working as a faculty at the University of Alberta in the Radiation Therapy department.