Tecky Brains returns to Mary JL Black Library on March 28 with an augmented reality workshop inspired by Oji-Cree artist Jessica Mamakeesick

Thunder Bay, ON – Living – Thunder Bay Public Library and Tecky Brains Canada are back with their next monthly technology workshop for kids. On Saturday, March 28, participants at Mary JL Black Library will animate a 3D digital version of Mother Loon, a painting by Oji-Cree artist Jessica Mamakeesick, using beginner block-based programming. The workshop runs from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm, is free, and is open to kids of all ages.

The choice to build the workshop around Mamakeesick’s work was deliberate. Tecky Brains founder Dely Goicochea designed the session to show kids that art is not just something to observe, it is a starting point for digital creativity, and that the artistic traditions of this region are part of that story.

In the workshop, kids will work with a 3D version of the image, assembling and then animating it using block-based code. No prior experience is needed. The goal, as with every Tecky Brains session, is to start with imagination and let technology follow.

“We chose to work with Jessica Mamakeesick’s art because we want to celebrate the diversity of cultures that make up this community,” Dely said. “Technology is a bridge, and so is art. When kids from all over the world sit together and bring an Anishinaabe painting to life with code, they’re building something together — and that matters as much as anything they learn.”

Tecky Brains has been running monthly workshops at Library branches since September 2025, with each session introducing kids to a different aspect of technology. Previous topics have included teaching an AI to recognize hand-drawn doodles and creating digital art with Python. Upcoming sessions include building a browser game with AI, a Scratch balloon-popping game, and a Python turtle race.

3D AR Art Cube: Create Interactive Art in Augmented Reality
Saturday, March 28, 2026 – 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Mary JL Black Library, Community Program Room
Free. Register at tbpl.ca.