About House of PainT
...is Graffiti Writin’, Bboy/Bgirlin, DJin’ and MCin’. The House of PainT event brings the four elements of hip hop together – with writers covering concrete walls while DJs and MCs fill the air with beats & rhymes and bboys an’ bgirls throw down. Concession stands sellin’ art by local artists, a community BBQ, a kids corner and workshops teachin’ mural painting, breakin’, DJin’ and the history of hip hop and urban life.
The Dunbar Underpass runs under the bridge where Bronson crosses the Ottawa River, with Carleton on one side and Brewer Park on the other. For years its walls displayed the works of local graffiti artists and, in 2003, it became Ottawa’s first legal graffiti wall. HoP celebrates the City’s recognition of the value of freeform public art.
The event started in 2003 as a celebration of the creation of Ottawa’s first Free Zone for Legal Art. Since then it’s become a yearly event under the bridge, bringing Ottawa’s grassroots hip hop community together for Ottawa’s dopest old school block party style summer event!
The House of PainT Festival is a four elements of Hip Hop event. Like Under Pressure – an event in Montreal that's been running for 15 years – House of PainT is a block party and community BBQ that brings heads out into the sun to sit on the grass, listen to good tunes, eat tasty food and watch amazing artists and dancers in action. As a free community event House of PainT takes hip hop back to its roots – promoting community consciousness, political awareness and artistic development through art, dance, music and spoken word, creating a truly dope event!
Nowadays, 'HoP' is a nationally recognized festival and attracts thousands. We now partner with other positive community hip hop events and projects, coordinate workshops and attract artists from all over North America, providing a full week of different events and activities.
History of House of PainT
The Dunbar Underpass, which runs under Bronson Avenue where it goes over the Rideau river, was for a long time a little-used clearing of gravel and dirt surrounded by concrete walls and pillars grown over with weeds and surrounded by litter. Although it was sandwiched between a vibrant neighbourhood, a park and a university, the six-lane parkway that passed overhead made the space feel cold and uninviting. The local community was open to any ideas to rejuvenate the area, but there were very few established ways to use such a dead urban space.
The one thing that did stand out about the place however was the colourful graffiti that covered some of the walls in and around the underpass. This was a time when the city struggled to control (it still does) tagging, and most of this 'art' was considered vandalism. Nonetheless, to some younger and more progressive minds, the graffiti represented an artistic spark that the space desperately needed and that hip hop- through its universal urban appeal- could actually accomplish where city planners failed: to bring an impossibly dead space back to life.
With the efforts of many people in many different levels of community, activism and government, in 2003 the Dunbar underpass became Ottawa's first legal graffiti wall. It was a bold experiment in which Sabra Ripley was a strong advocate and promoter, and to celebrate the formation of this Legal Art Zone, she decided to throw a party under the bridge in recognition of the power of community. She named the party House of PainT since the area was referred to many graf writers after a long-lasting graf piece that existed there that said 'House of Pain'.
The party has become a yearly thing, and every year it has grown in size and depth. What started as a small jam is now a large event with performers and artists from across the city, region and nation, with many satellite events and workshops held over a week. The space is now like a massive outdoor gallery, and is cleaner than ever before.
House of PainT represents the power of community and urban youth culture to transform any environment for the better.
HoP Staff
Running an event like House of PainT takes a lot of time and complicated planning. Thanks to our committed staff things are kept running smoothly.
Kenji Toyooka
Is the resident graphic artist and web designer, who also runs the HoP arts market. He plays squash and likes to eat smoked mackerel.
Mike Gall
A graffiti artist for 15 years, Mike takes care of the visual arts end of things at HoP. He also represents AS Crew and Keepsix. He likes to fish and rock burners. 
Rob Reid
The HoP media director, who also runs World Famous Music, an Ottawa promotions business that specializes in eclectic but seriously funky bands from around the globe.
Alistair Xavier
Allister- the finance guy for House of PainT. Alter-ego: Bboy Prof. X. Dancer of the Funk.
DJ Morales
Aka Vocab, our spunky spoken word poet / fashion designer / organizer whose love for art is only surpassed by her love for New York city.
Alex Mattar
Well known as DJ Zattar, who is not only one of the founding members of House of PainT, but is also an integral force behind the popular Timekode nights every month.
Sabra Ripley
The brains, braun and founder of the group, Sabra (aka Sabretooth) is a believer in the power of community arts, healthy urban culture, 
and chocolate covered Pockys.
