ORANGE MAJESTIC & MONSTER FRUIT are prototypes for kid-designed and yet-to-be-publicly-available sodas, generated in a Grade 6 class in Edmonton/Treaty 6 Territory during the 2019/2020 school year. Within this research and development process, we learned about; the different ingredients in juice and pop; what carbonation is and what it sounds like; and the variety of ways that artists paint, draw and listen to bubbles. We also talked about; the purpose of nutrition facts panels; big-brand celebrity endorsements; and the differences between small-scale and industrial pop production.

2020 has been shaped by unexpected circumstances, while this is not the full version of the project we imagined, MONSTER FRUIT & ORANGE MAJESTIC honour the work and research we did together before and during COVID-19. Student contributors include: Abdullahi, Addison, Amarah, Antonio, Asia, Bodhika, Brian, Bruk, Bryce, Dakota, Daria, Ifrah, Jerome, Jorja, Kahhari, Khalid, Lamis, Lily, Maryam, Michelle, Mohammed, Moral, Prasun, Qabbane, Rasa, Salem, Thea, Umair and Ydidya. This project has been supported by Ms. Chong, Mrs. Andrews, Mr. Swoboda and Mrs. Zmurchik at John A. MacDougall Elementary School.

ORANGE MAJESTIC & MONSTER FRUIT were interpreted as recipes and produced by Byron Hradoway at Boocha, each as a small edition distributed to students, teachers and project partners in June 2020. Carolyn Jervis at the Mitchell Art Gallery, along with Robert Harpin and Poushali Mitra from the Edmonton Arts Council, have helped to support this project. Gina Pasaran has been the photographer and project assistant. Stay tuned for the next iteration of this project in 2021.