Andrea Chiu
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Grandmothers influence our lives and shape our destinies through their personalities, their strength and wisdom. And whatever the ethnic and cultural backgrounds they belong to, grandmothers and their tales inspire generations. They are a link with the past.
Author Gina Valle was herself inspired by the stories of these courageous women, and says that her photo exhibit Legacies: Our Grandmothers And Ourselves, explores the heritage of individuals in multicultural Canada, through the lives of many different grandmothers.
"This exhibit encourages you to think about your past," the Canadian says. "In order to feel comfortable with your present and where you're going with your future, you have to deal with your past."
The photography exhibit was inpired by a book Valle edited, Our Grandmothers, Ourselves, an anthology of creative nonfiction.
She asked Canadian women from diverse cultural, ethnic and economic backgrounds to share the stories of their grandmothers.
To complement the tales of love, struggle and success, Valle gathered photographs of the subjects for the book.
After the book was published, she decided she should do more with the powerful images, and the photo exhibit was born.
The exhibition is hosted by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, and the display of 20 sepia photographs will open to the public tomorrow at the Fringe Club in Central.
To kick off the exhibit, Valle will host a breakfast discussion about women and multiculturalism.
She says Canada's approach to multiculturalism is unique.
Rather than adopting the melting pot approach to multiculturalism, Canada views the issue as a tossed salad, she observes.
Two weeks ago, US President GeorgeWBush angered some people when in reaction to a Spanish recording of the American national anthem, he said the Star-Spangled Banner should be sung in English and those who want to be American citizens ought to learn English. Valle does not think this will happen in Canada.
"Other countries have a much more restrictive policy. You are required to first be American or German or Dutch or Swedish and then you are Indian or Sri Lankan or Chinese or Italian. In Canada, we're saying, let's give it a try at both." Legacies will be on at the Fringe Club fotogalerie until May 20.