Katrina Ketchum: A Travel Enthusiast Breaking the Cycle of Poverty

 Photo credit: Katrina Ketchum

Katrina Laura Ketchum is the Director of Communications for Canadian Artists for the Poor. This inspirational non-profit in our very own city brings together the perfect mix of the arts and social causes. The organization specifically works by hosting art auctions and events to raise funds for people living in extreme poverty around the world. 

If you are an artist who has been looking for a socially responsible venue to work with to help get your work out: Canadian Artists for the Poor is your match. Or, if you are an art enthusiast, interested in purchasing some new pieces of art for your collection, this is an organization not to miss out on! Be sure to check out the Canadian Artists for the Poor website at www.artistsforthepoor.ca or join their facebook group at  www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=h#!/group.php?gid=14946627073&ref=ts to keep up to date with the most recent art events and auctions in Calgary. 

Katrina is devoting her time and her energy towards giving back to disadvantaged people around the world and she’s doing it by volunteering with what she loves: art and culture. Spend some time talking with Katrina and you will soon learn that much of her generosity and social consciousness developed through the time she spent traveling around the world.

1. What first inspired you to go traveling? 

I've been fascinated with stories of far off places; tales of those who have gone out into the world. Travel narratives and photos have always captivated me; vibrant cultures, exotic foods, languages that are not my own.  But I knew that no matter how much I read or spent looking at pictures, I needed to go and experience the world for myself.  It's like someone can do their best to explain chocolate to you, but unless you taste that rich cocoa on your own lips, you will never know what it is really like.  And like chocolate, there are times when traveling isn't so sweet.  It takes faith that something can be done about the impoverished state of the world, to reach for hope instead of letting the bitter-taste of injustice remain.  This kind of desire for travel has always stayed with me.  

2. How many countries have you traveled to? 

I've gone to 16, I think.  But I would have to say that for me, it’s more about quality than it is about quantity. I've seen many countries in one trip while in Europe because they are all relatively close together.  But a few months in one place has meant more to me than a couple of nights in one country and a few nights in another.  Wherever I am, I enjoy getting to know the people and the culture.  And this act of staying in one spot means I can be neither a tourist nor a local: I can get post mail because I have an address, even if it's not a permanent one.  And even though it is not my country, it becomes my home.

Photo credit: Katrina Ketchum

3. You mentioned that you have spent some time living in Barbados. Can you tell us a little bit about this experience? 

The entire experience still feels like a dream. I had just finished my undergraduate degree and by the end of it I knew that I had to get on a plane and apply what I had learnt. So I applied to work with Youth with a Mission and was accepted to work for the last three months of 2007. I still remember being in the sky, staring out down onto the night-lit island. It was beyond surreal to me; the fact that I had no clue what the experience was going to be like. The plane touched down and over the course of my time there I met friends from all over the globe. I spent time working in hospitality, visiting patients at a geriatric hospital, and tutoring students at an orphanage.  

Photo credits: Katrina Ketchum

4. Do you have any advice for other travelers who plan to visit Barbados? 

Jump into Bajan culture! Learn the dialect, drink Mauby and eat as much Chefette chicken as you possibly can. Cram a bunch of friends into a small hired van and groove to Calypso. On a Friday night at Oistins, hit up the Fish Fry and eat some fresher than fresh flying fish and macaroni pie. Meet someone that actually went to school with the famous Robyn Rihanna Fenty. Be in Bridgetown for a celebration of a lifetime on Independence Day.  Sit down and have many conversations with those who live there day by day.  Do all of these things and you will only have a tiny glimpse of what life is like in Barbados, but you will also never want to leave.

Photo credits: Katrina Ketchum

5. What has traveling brought to your life? 

Traveling has opened the door for the most incredible friendships. I am more patient, flexible, trusting and open- and each journey I’ve traveled has enriched my life more and more. I could never say, “I’ve traveled, that’s enough.” I truly don’t think it will ever be enough. There are so many people to visit on this planet; so much good that still needs to be done. If anything, travel has made me want more travel. 

6. How did your traveling experience evolve into a passion for social causes? 

When I look around at where I live, I sometimes feel that our first-world reality is like living in the Matrix; that is, we only see a small slice of how the world lives. Once you’ve seen those surviving without life’s basic necessities in India and Tijuana, you can’t just go on living like those places don’t exist. Traveling instils a conscious awakening of the mind and heart and it forever leaves you restless and wanting to do more. 

7. Can you tell me a little bit about Canadian Artists for the Poor (www.artistsforthepoor.ca) and your role? 

Canadian Artists for the Poor is a non-profit organization with one main purpose, and that is, to use art as a way to Break the Cycle of Poverty. Many different types of artists- actors, dancers, musicians, painters, sculptors, playwrights and photographers- have joined together to take a stand against global poverty. Traveling has opened my eyes to the fact that a lack of basic human needs- food, water, shelter, clothing and education- exists because of the inability to afford them. We exist to help change that.  My role is to network, connect, and act as a liaison between Canadian artists and the poor. 

8. Do you have any upcoming events we can tell Calgarians about? 

Yes! We are hosting the 2nd annual Calgary Art Walk on August 19th. On this Thursday, we are inviting local artists to set up their art on Stephen Avenue for the public to view and purchase. Artists are invited to create, showcase and sell their art. All proceeds from the sale of each $100 booth will go to further our mission in helping those living in hopeless conditions, as we partner with charities working at ground level. 

9. How can Calgarians find out more about Canadian Artists for the Poor? 

You can find out more by heading to our website, www.artistsforthepoor.ca or come check out the 2010 Calgary Art Walk! 

10. What do you do when you are not traveling? 

I enjoy spending as much time as I can outside with family and friends, both in Calgary and in the mountains. I am also passionate about volunteering my time with the performing arts community. As a city, I feel that we are definitely on our way to becoming Canada’s next art capital.