fbpx

Blog

Dropping in on the New Republic by Sharyn Carroll

April 13, 2016

kehinde image1kehinde image2

 

 

 

 

 

 

Every city I go to, I seek out local Art Galleries. I am intrigued by the way citizens in a community are able to tell their story with creativity. How are they able to interpret cultural and historical aspects of their lives? Or how are some able to work out their demons into something beautiful and captivating?

Never before in these excursions have I left a gallery feeling uplifted.  During a brief holiday, I was able to walk into a gallery where an exhibit of Kehinde Wiley’s work was on display. His method is to paint everyday people pulled off the streets of New York and cast them into roles traditionally occupied by aristocrats.

kehinde image3

Kehinde Wiley in his Brookly studio with his oil, “Judith Beheading Hologernes,” 2012 (photo: Chad Batka)

His portraitures cause discomfort for some, as these regal images depict those who have historically not belonged, while raising questions that interrupt our views about race, gender and social class.  For myself, it brings a realization of how I choose to see myself and my ancestral roots. I leave the gallery feeling full and in some way, quietly empowered.

 

 

 

by Sharyn Carroll,  Project Coordinator

 

Best Books to Read for International Women’s Day

Best Books to Read for International Women’s Day

Leading up to International Women’s Day, we asked Sophia vom Bauer Jackson, service manager at the Salt Spring Island Public Library, to make a list of contemporary female-focused books. This is her Top 5 (fiction and non-fiction) plus some extra recommendations (all...

Healthy Risk Taking is about Growing and Developing

Healthy Risk Taking is about Growing and Developing

Teenagers crave and seek risks. It helps them to develop and grow. We often think of risk-taking as dangerous, but risk-taking is not always negative. Healthy risk-taking – like hiking up a mountain, riding a unicycle, or performing on stage – helps kids build...

Social-Emotional Learning during the Holidays

Social-Emotional Learning during the Holidays

School is almost out, and students will have a well-deserved break from class. However, learning doesn’t have to stop completely as soon as school is out for the year. The holidays are the perfect time to practice kindness and generosity. We've curated five tips to...

Never too Young to Remember December 6

Never too Young to Remember December 6

On December 6th, 1989, the day that fourteen young women at l’École Polytechnique in Montreal were killed by a gunman as a deliberate act of violence against women, Quinn Mulherin (21, she/they*) wasn’t born yet. She learned about the tragedy years later when she...

The Past and the Future of the Core (Inn)

The Past and the Future of the Core (Inn)

Salt Spring Island does not have a lot of facilities to accommodate young people, but we do have The Core (Inn) on McPhilipps Avenue. It is a safe place where island youth can come together to hang out, play music and games, and where snacks and healthy food are...

Book about stereotypes helps kids combat bias

Book about stereotypes helps kids combat bias

Identifying and questioning stereotypes, bias, and prejudice has been part of our educational programs since we started to develop our social-emotional learning framework for kids and youth twenty-five years ago. It turns out that stereotypes start to take form in our...

Name(Required)
Email(Required)
Please let us know what's on your mind. Have a question for us? Ask away.
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.