Story by Diversity TV Community Newscast Host, Rayyah Sempala
The Edmonton Multicultural Coalition in partnership with the Art Gallery of Alberta is holding an exhibition from October 3rd to November 4th.
This features various artists from different ethinc backgrounds. The artwork which is featured in the art gallery is a testament to the many diverse communities within Edmonton and Canada.
Diversity spoke with a few of these artists who showcased their journey in Canada through artwork. The vibrancy and diversity of the different artworks showcase the different perspectives of the many people within Canada.
The Edmonton Multicultural coalition hosts a variety of programs that serve the Edmonton community. Donna Kampen Entz, one of the board members for the Coalition stated that,
“The Edmonton Multicultural Coalition has a variety of programs and one of my roles as a Board member has been to work with the English program and three of the artists are connected to that program”.
The success of these artists in this arena as an important accomplishment to highlight as one of the problems encountered by some immigrants who are new to Canada is the language barrier. Programs like this highlights the need to encourage and hone other aspects of immigrants skills and talents that can sometimes be hidden behind the barrier of language. Victoria, the youngest artist in the group, who recently immigrated to Canada pays homage to her journey from Ukraine to Canada telling different stories that tie with Ukrainian folklore. She states “This (pointing to her art) didn’t get enough recognition in the culture that I saw and that’s why I wanted to depict it with a bit of fantasy”.
The story of journeying from their respective countries to Canada was one that many if not all the artists could relate to and was a running theme within their artwork. The artists came from different parts of the world, yet came together united by their love for art and showcased stories close to their hearts. The exhibit ends on November 4th and is open to the public if you have the time make sure to go and check it out.
