As a peaceful protest against the racist propaganda which was distributed around schools in the community in the fall of 2020, École Beairsto and the Vernon Public Art Gallery are excited to present a collaborative social justice project as a way to speak up against hate.

In the fall of 2020, hundreds of flyers on pieces of white paper with the headline ‘Wake Up’ along with a list of several web pages that promote racism and Nazism, were found scattered outside several Vernon schools, leaving many parents and staff seriously concerned, shocked and saddened.

The PAC at École Beairsto felt they needed to speak up against this incident and are taking action by creating acts of resistance. With the instruction from VPAG’s learning and community engagement curator, Kelsie Balehowsky, the students will take part in an anti-racism discussion and workshop which will result in the creation of self-portraits which will then be displayed in an exhibition at the VPAG from July 29 – Oct 19, 2021. The 715 self-portraits will form a rainbow mosaic of diversity that highlights the differences that make each one of us special.

Gallery hours are Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm, and Saturday,s 11am to 4pm.