On March 22, the Community Health and Social Innovation Hub (CHASI) celebrated the artists who created work for The Laramie Project Digital Art Competition and the cast and crew of UFV Theatre’s production of The Laramie Project at a gathering in the Hub. We were joined by many other members of the UFV and local community to appreciate the hard work of these creative students, and to reflect on the tragically still-relevant production.
After assessing each of the anonymized entries in the competition, a panel of judges selected artist Sharon Strauss’s entry, Night Sky, as the winner.
The judges also selected three runners up: It’s okay to be yourself by Brenda Martinez Aguilar; Love Despite The Hate by Natasha Zilcosky; and Out of Order by an artist who requested to remain anonymous.
By Brenda Martinez Aguilar
Artist statement: My goal with this artwork is to communicate how it can feel to be part of the LGBTQ+ community. As a member myself, I understand the difficulties that people face in order to feel free and live in peace. Movements like this help us gain confidence and feel understood.
My illustration shows how a person looks on the inside and on the outside. There is a face with tears in their eyes, representing how upsetting and unfair it can be how we are treated. The hand covering the person’s mouth represents how we sometimes try to hide our true selves when we go out into the world because we are afraid of being rejected by society.
The colourful square is intended to create an X-ray effect, revealing the inner self. The skull represents more than just death and mortality; it is also a spiritual symbol of strength, courage, and bravery. The variety of colours makes reference to the pride flag, which shows diversity and unity.
Overall, the message that I want to give to people is that we are warriors that won’t stop fighting until we achieve equality and respect. We should put an end to discrimination and hate crimes, because no one should be afraid to be themselves.
By Natasha Zilcosky
Artist statement: As a queer youth in Abbotsford, I have found myself feeling unaccepted, isolated and in some aspects fearful due to my sexual and gender affiliation. Whether it be homophobic comments online, slurs yelled at me from across the street or harassment from peers,I am one of the many LGBTQ2S+ identifying people who have been hurt by our own communities. Living in a sheltered community such as Abbotsford, hate regarding sexual and gender identity runs rampant. In my own community I feel as if I need to hide who I am for my safety. Online I see hate regarding inclusive efforts in our community and schools, hate due to rainbow sidewalks, hate due to love, hate due to identity. No matter where I look, all I see is hate in the community. Pride flags destroyed, homophonic comments in our schools, all due by hate. Yet despite this hate, there are so many influential LGBTQ2S+ individuals who are able to overlook this hate and be themselves. Despite the threats online, the lack of media attention and physical destruction of our symbols, the LGBTQ2S+ community continues to flourish. Despite this hate, our love will continue to prevail.
Links to news articles used in background:
https://www.abbynews.com/news/abbotsford-womans-pride-flag-cut-up-left-on-doorstep/
https://xtramagazine.com/power/abbotsfords-new-lgbt-policy-doesnt-go-far-enough-says-educator-73360
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/abbotsford-secondary-rainbow-crosswalk-vandalized
https://vancouversun.com/news/staff-blogs/abbotsford-students-drop-plans-for-gay-pride-parade
https://pridesource.com/article/33213/ https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/statscan-hate-crime-data-british-columbia-1.6538900
By anonymous artist
Artist statement: I would like to acknowledge that this artwork was created on the unceded territory of the Sto:lo First Nations and I am grateful for their stewardship of the land where I live, work and play.
“Out of Order” was created to highlight the most challenging barriers when it comes to inclusion and acceptance of LGBTQ2S+ communities across the world- Religion, Law and Media. Although it might seem there has been significant progress in LGBTQ2S+ representation in New Age media and there is, but often it is to appear “inclusive” by blatant culture appropriation and tokenization. Corporations are notorious for exercising a simple marketing ploy to attract the LGBTQ2S+ demographic- Queerbaiting, while not exactly having their interests on mind. Anti-Gay Legislation has been and continues to be responsible for the ongoing prejudice against LGBTQ2S+ groups and individuals. Plenty of North American institutions have been on the forefront of lobbying for and executing laws that not only affect LGBTQ2S+ negatively but other marginalized groups as well. Finally, Religious influence has impacted LGBTQ2S+ communities in parts of the world where and when Law and Media fail to. Societal pressure derived from common religious beliefs and sentiments against same-sex relationships caused many an individual to undergo identity crisis.
In my artwork, I have symbolized all three of them on the panels of a revolving door. The two individuals pushing it and the sheer disparity in their sizes and the doors’ depicts the stationary nature of the door. The theme of my artwork is that, even in this day and age, LGBTQ2S+ individuals and groups continue to face inequality of opportunity, stemming from hate and ignorance, at an alarming rate. Having a “Live and Let Live” philosophy is not nearly enough and we all need to join hands to appreciate and nurture the coming generations.
CHASI and the UFV Theatre department would like to thank these artists, and all of those who submitted work to the competition for their hard work, vulnerable reflection, and visible support for the LGBTQ+ community.
We’re also happy to share some photos from the event on March 22, and thank everyone who attended for an evening of great conversations and important work.
