Some say knowing the past is key to the future. A new exhibit at Fredericton’s Beaverbrook Art Gallery is putting that saying to the test.
Full suitcases are waiting be unpacked on the floor of the Beaverbrook Art Gallery. Children are then asked to respond to what they see in the suitcases by writing and drawing postcards.
It’s part of an educational exhibit called ‘Suitcase Stories: Postcards from the Past’, an interactive art project that aims to give children an opportunity to reflect on Canada’s history while creating art.
“To encourage people of all ages to look carefully at the artwork, starting with the material objects that reflect lifestyles or activities,” explains historian Cynthia Wallace.
Wallace developed the concept for ‘Suitcase Stories’ while completing her PhD at UNB. The project combines her passions for history and accessibility of education.
“All items (in the suitcase) they can visually see within the painting and use that as their starting point to maybe explore what was happening,” says Wallace, who is now a postdoctoral fellow in Ottawa.
“Having the objects is really special, because it does have that hands-on, sensorial environment,” explains Christina Thomson, Outreach Coordinator at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery
One of the four suitcases focuses on Arthur Lismer’s 1931 painting ‘Harbour Life, Nova Scotia’. Exhibit items include a buoy, a lobster trap, photos and a warm toque.
“That East Coast lifestyle, looking at the water,” describes Thomson. “The boat, our economy, the tradition that’s changed a lot.”
The exhibit hopes participants will engage in a dialogue about Maritime history, and give the courage to ask tough questions.
“I think it’s cool, but how do the lobsters get in there?” asked participant Liam Lewington as he observed a lobster trap.
An art exhibit hoping to encourage children to unpack Maritime history through creating art.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Jessica Ng.
