Bright coloured pictures and black-and-white portraits of seniors – in the style of cubes – adorn the walls outside the Langley City council chambers.
The artwork is all part of a collaborative project organized by the Langley Human Dignity Coalition and involved many community partners, including students at Blacklock Fine Arts Elementary.
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Since April, students met with seniors at the nearby Langley Seniors Resources Society to listen, document their lives, and create artwork that tell their stories.
People can read about their process here.
On Wednesday, June 8, members of the community gathered to celebrate the opening of the art exhibit and honour the seniors who have shared their lives.
“They formed really genuine connections,” said Blacklock teacher, Cheryl Hillier.
“The students knew so much about their lives just from listening to their stories,” explained the teacher.
“I remember one of the students came back and went, ‘I didn’t expect them to be so energetic’,” Hillier recounted with a laugh.
“Cause they just have an image of what seniors in our community are like and I think some of the seniors had preconceived ideas of what the kids in our community are like. They were all just, there was so much beautiful learning about humanity that took place,” she said.
The ceremony opened with an acknowledgment that it took place on the traditional, unceded, and ancestral territories of the Matsqui, Kwantlen, Katzie, and Semiahmoo First Nations.
A few of the individuals who inspired the young artists took part in an Indigenous blanketing ceremony, organized by the district Aboriginal support workers Carlyn Andres and Deanna Miller. (This is a cultural practice to show honour and respect.)
To further acknowledge the seniors, the students also performed a song, which they wrote, called “You Matter.”
A reception was held after the ceremony that gave students, staff, and attendees, the opportunity to view the artwork.
The Langley Human Dignity Coalition organized the initiative with support from Langley City and Township, along with the partnership of the Langley Senior Resources Society, Blacklock Fine Arts Elementary, Langley Community Services Society, and Inclusion Langley.
READ MORE: Langley kids bust out the paints and crayons to bring cheer to seniors
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