Nathalie’s Bio

River Winter is one part of River, STO Union’s community arts project inspired by the Gatineau River / Tenagàdino Zìbi and by the changing seasons.

The project began in 2020–21 and invites artists and community members to respond creatively to the river through drawing, storytelling, video, workshops and other forms of participation.

For River Winter, artist Nathalie Coutou created Braiding River, a drawing that reflects on winter as a time of stillness, transformation and gathering strength. The work uses the image of a seed in frozen water to explore change, waiting and renewal.

The drawing invited community members to reflect on the question: What does this time in life feel like for you?

About River

During 2020–21, at the height of the pandemic and repeated lockdowns, STO Union transformed the advertising insert of the regional newspaper The Low Down to Hull and Back into a community art project.

Each season, the public received a drawing depicting the Gatineau River / Tenagàdino Zìbi at that time of year, along with prompts inviting people to colour, respond and tell stories connected to the river, the season and their own experience.

Since then, River has continued to evolve through exhibitions, workshops, public engagement and community partnerships.

THE WINTER RIVER VIDEO

drawing by Nathalie Coutou            colouring by Michele Woodard         video and music by Nadia Ross

More on the River project

Learn more about River.

Learn more about River Spring.
Learn more about River Summer.
Learn more about River Fall.

Selected presentation history

Use the same project history as the other River seasonal pages:

2020–21 — Biblio Wakefield Library, Wakefield, Quebec
2022 — Place des Artistes de Farrellton, Farrellton, Quebec
2023 — Fairbairn House Heritage Centre, Wakefield, Quebec
2023 — Ottawa Riverkeeper
2024 — Khewa, Wakefield, Quebec
2024 — Tenagàdino Zìbi Alliance presentation at COP29, Baku, Azerbaijan

Drawings from the project have also continued to circulate as public-engagement tools, including with Friends of the Gatineau River, local schools and community centres.

One drawing from the project, Spring Paddler, by local artist Stephanie Hill, was selected in 2023 for the City of Ottawa’s permanent art collection.

River project partners are:

F.O.G. (Friends of the Gatineau River) https://www.fog-arg.org/
Biblio Wakefield Library http://bibliowakefieldlibrary.ca/

STO Union gratefully acknowledges the Canada Council for the Arts for its ongoing support.