Arts Awards Waterloo Region, 2024

Megha had an honorable mention as a close contendor for the Emerging Artist for the 'Arts Awards Waterloo Region, 2024' for immense contributions towards the community for creating platforms for people to connect with Art and Indian Culture.

Her cultural promotion initiative 'Sushila Goyal Group' was one of the nominees for the same awards the previous year, for contribution towards promoting Indian culture within and outside Indian community and people of all ages.

Website: https://www.artsawardswaterlooregion.ca/ 

Contact: artsawardswr@gmail.com 

Details of the nomination

• Website: https://www.omeghaspark.ca/home

• Socials: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/omeghaspark/

About the Nominees Work: 

She was beginning a transition professionally, leaving a very stable career in the tech sector as a Software Engineer for what she knew would be a very rewarding but unpredictable life in the arts sector. As you will see below, she has certainly been on fire with this pursuit in so many different capacities as an artist. She continues to develop herself as a full-time visual artist, dancer and community server, she started generating creative, collaborative, inclusive and cultural sparks in the Waterloo Region and beyond.

In 2024, Megha started the trend of live Indian Paintings at the Indian Cultural Events like Carassauga, Canada's largest Multicultural Festival; Royal City Durga Puja Holi event; Indian Food Carnival 2024 and several other small occasions and events where people could watch her create beautiful Indian paintings live.

When Megha displayed her art at exhibitions and events, she felt the desire in the community members to be able to be a part of something similar. Megha thought of a more inclusive and motivational approach by starting 'Community Art' where people attending an event contributed to a big and beautiful piece of art under her guidance which was then displayed at public places. Example: Cultural Canvas in collab with City of Woodstock, 57th KW Multicultural event etc. Megha has been teaching ethno-cultural art and dance workshops at Women's Prison, Camino Well Being + Mental Health, 3 sisters cultural center, Button Factory Arts and Corporates as her attempt to heal people and spread the beauty of culture and art. City of Kitchener has hired Megha for Art and Dance related classes and workshops which are seniors and rehabilitation group focused.

KPL has been collaborating with Megha for several multicultural events like Diwali, Holi etc bringing to Waterloo Region a non-ticketed, very inclusive platform to not just enhance creativity and showcase talent but also attend it freely as a non-Indian without feeling out of place. Downtown Kitchener BIA and the Kitchener Market are collaborating with Megha to start Indian events as part of DTK programming, again as a joint effort towards making Waterloo Region more inclusive. Megha has been the President of Kitchener Waterloo Society of Artists, did immense work towards successful shows, meaningful meetings, new collaborations and overall improving the technologies, processes, website and culture of the Society towards growth and productivity.

Megha encourages creativity in the Waterloo Region by volunteering her time to Cultural Associations like Tamil Cultural Association, Gujarati Cultural Association, India Canada Association, Bengali Community and Gujarati School and helping them judge, mentor and sometimes collaborate for art contests, rangoli making, puja thali decoration events etc. Megha has collaborated with the City of Waterloo, Belmont Village Bestival, Royal City Durga Puja, Grand River Cultural Association, GCA,TCA, Sakhi Group etc to organize and conduct art contests as a platform to ignite creativity in the community.

About the Nominees Merit: 

Megha formed a non profit group 'Sushila Goyal Group' that is the first one to promote Indian Rajasthani Culture in Waterloo Region and beyond via dances; it provides a platform to kids, teens and everyone to showcase their artistic talent by organizing events and giving them a chance to perform via SGG. It encourages creative women especially homemakers to step up and do something out of the routine chores like choreograph dances, participate and volunteer in community events. Megha has been the first one in Ontario to create an Indian Seniors Performing Dance Group with 85 yrs old members. They have performed at Kitchener Public Library, Seniors Health and Friendship Club events, at Waterloo Public Square at the Food Carnival of India event etc

COMMUNITY EVENTS:

• Upcoming! Organizer, Diwali @ Kitchener Market, 2024

• Upcoming! Organizer, Diwali @ Kitchener Public Library, 2024

• Organizer, Holi@Kitchener Public Library , April 2024

• Judge and mentor, Holi event by RCDP, Guelph, March 2024

• Judge, Rangoli Contest, Gujarati Cultural Association, Nov 2023

• Judge, Thali decoration Contest, Gujarati School, Oct 2023

• Organizer, Diwali@Kitchener Public Library , Nov 2023

• Collaborator, Bestival Community Art Contest, Sept 2023

• Judge and Mentor, Tamil Culture Art Contest Laurelwood Community Art Contest, Holi

CULTURAL PERFORMANCES:

• Mela 2024, India Canada Association, Sept 2024

• Carabram, Brampton, July 2024

• 57th KWMulticultural, Kitchener, June 2024

• Food Carnival of India, Waterloo June 2024

• Indian Food Carnival, Waterloo June 2024

• Colors of India, Ken Seiling Waterloo Region Museum, May 2024

• Carassauga, Mississauga May 2024

• Seniors Rajasthani Folk, Holi@KPL, Kitchener, April 2024

• Rajasthani Ghoomar, Holi@KPL, Kitchener, April 2024

• Health Club Holi Event, April 2024

• India Canada Association, Republic Day Event, Feb 2024

• Panorama India Folk Dance Competition - FINALS - Jan 2024

• Panorama India Folk Dance Competition - Semi Finals - Jan 2024

• Kitchener Diwali Event - Nov 2023

• Indian Dance Workshop at 3SCC, Oct 2023

• Indian Dance Workshop at 3SCC, Sept 2023

• Indian Dance Workshops for City of Kitchener, Fall 2023 onwards

• India Canada Association Mela, Sept 2023

VISUAL ARTS:

• Live Art at Indian Food Carnival at Waterloo Public Square, June 2024

• Live Art at Carassauga Multicultural Event, May 2024

• Live Art at Holi event by Royal City Durga Puja, April 2024

• Community Art at Cultural Canvas, June 2024

• Community Art at KW Multicultural event, June 2024

• Art Workshop, Camino WellBeing+Mental Health Tea and Talk group, May 2024

• Art Workshop, Camino WellBeing+Mental Health Youth Group, April 2024

• Art workshop @Grand Valley Institution for Women, Ethno Cultural Group, March 2024

• Art workshop @Grand Valley Institution for Women, MSU Unit, Dec 2023

• Peacock With Gems Cultural Workshop, 3 Sisters Cultural Centre, Sept 2023