A local artist is excited about a new initiative that will be bringing a much needed musical facelift to Winnipeg's downtown area.

Jessica Canard is loving life making art.

"I do it all day, every day," shared Canard, who works for Graffiti Art Programming as a contracted artist, painting murals and facilitating workshops. The artist holds a BBA (bachelor of business administration) but says she's known she wanted to work as an artist since the age of 16.

Canard's love of art has developed over time, she says. What once began as an outlet for passing time and staying out of trouble became Canard's way of connecting with others and making friends, something her most recent project will also aim to do.

"I love giving back," said Canard. The project will feature pianos featuring artwork done by local artists are going to be placed in downtown Winnipeg for public enjoyment.

"The public can interact with it... by making their own music," explained Canard.

The artist is planning on incorporating her own Ojibwe ancestry into the art piece, 

"I didn't start getting into my culture until I was 16," she explained. "It was something I didn't know I was missing until I crossed paths and [found] it... I've been in the community, trying to learn as much as possible, as well as trying to live what I learn, so now I want to incorporate that into the artwork that I make."

Large, public pieces, such as the murals she creates, are where Canard especially wants to put her heritage on display. For the artist, it's about learning and passing along knowledge from stage to stage.

"I just want to create images that have healing and connection to the land, community, and bringing people together."

Canard says the piano will be themed around healing according to Ojibwe culture, incorporating strawberries to represent medicine and togetherness. As well, because she is currently learning the Ojibwe language, lettering on the piano will translate to the phrase "good life," something Canard says everybody is seeking.

"It's downtown... that connection, all of us are looking, wanting that good life," the artist shared. "I wanted to connect those things."

The project is being brought to life thanks to a collaboration between Graffiti Art Programming and the Downtown Biz. The location for Canard's piano has yet to be announced.