Canadian Museum for Human Rights

0 2 C a n a d i a n M u s e u M f o r H u M a n r i g H t s - s u p p l e M e n t t o t H e W i n n i p e g f r e e p r e s s - s a t u r d a y, s e p t e M b e r 1 9 , 2 0 1 5 CentennialConcertHall to Neechi Commons were invited to squeeze pieces of clay into beads, which Belmore fired and strung together to create a massive blanket. "All the public got to participate in it by squeezing out the beads. Each one of those beads is unique because it's a different handprint," Timpson says. "I walk through the galleries and people are just staring at this thing. It's large and it's beautiful, but it has a lot of significance to it. It's one of those things that really hits me every time I walk through and it was a success because of the fact it involves so many people." Along with 10 permanent galleries and a changeable gallery on Level 6 for temporary exhibits, the CMHR now has a new Level 1 Gallery, which drew more than 8,000 visitors in the first three weeks after it opened Aug. 15 with the temporary exhibition Magna Carta: Law, Liberty & Legacy. Timpson expects the next exhibit in the Level 1 Gallery to be equally popular. XOXO: An Exhibit About Love and Forgiveness is a travelling exhibition from the Pittsburgh Children's Museum. It opens Oct. 4, and while it's aimed at a very young audience, it's a lot of fun for all ages. One of the installations has a camera that takes visitors' photos when they act out an emotion, then displays the photo on a digital grid. Timpson says when he visited the XOXO exhibition for the first time, adult faces made up most of the photos on that grid. "I think families together will have a really good time. It's very active and participative. There's a lot of activities in the exhibition so it's very hands-on." In January, an outdoor exhibition will open at The Forks. The CMHR is partnering with the Library and Archives Canada to present Portraits on the Ice, marking 100 years since Canadian women claimed the right to vote. Timpson, who is from Ottawa, says he was always struck by the giant portraits in ornate frames presented in Portraits on the Ice on the Rideau Canal, and he sees some opportunities for friendly competition between Ottawa and Winnipeg this winter. Starting in December, The Witness Blanket — a poignant art installation made up of hundreds of items collected from residential school survivors and sites related to the residential system — will be on display in the Level 6 Expressions gallery, replacing Peace: The Exhibition, a travelling exhibit developed by the Canadian War Museum. Timpson says he can't reveal all of the upcoming offerings just yet, but stay tuned — there are more good things to come. "I look forward to being able to announce the next couple of exhibitions that we have in the works, because I think they're going to be a lot of fun and quite different from one another and what we have right now, as well." ▲ ➤ sTory ConTinued from pAge 1 Congratulations CMHR Onyouroutstanding firstyear! cmu.ca Connectyourlearning...DiscoverCMU CANADIANMENNONITEUNIVERSITY ��������������������������� The Canadian Museum for Human Rights is a place that tells their stories. They are not all famous people or world leaders. Many are everyday heroes who triumphed over adversity through the sheer strength of their character, after simply deciding that enough is enough. Viola Desmond, a Nova Scotia business woman in the 1940s, was fed up with racial segregation. Travis Price took a stand against bullies at his high school in 2007. Calgary mothers Christine Meikle and Emily Follensbee challenged a 1950s education system that had no place for their children, who were born with Down's Syndrome. These are a few of the hundreds of stories we share. The point is not only to celebrate their accomplishments, but to learn from them — to feel gratitude but, more importantly, inspiration. Perhaps even a sense of obligation. For they show us what's possible if only we try. To paraphrase Isaac Newton, we stand on the shoulders of giants: courageous people who have fought, suffered, survived, and prevailed. This helps us see both ahead and behind. Their stories are not simply memories or history lessons. They inform us of the work we still need to do. The present is the connecting link between past and future. By looking back, we have an opportunity to help shape the future, and look forward with a vision of the world we want for our children and grandchildren. We want our visitors to leave with a piece of that vision. So we look for different ways to communicate and connect, sharing stories from multiple perspectives and in many different ways: through interactive technology, film, images, text, art and artifacts. If our first year of operation is any indication, there is reason to hope that a chord is being struck. Over 385,000 people have visited since September 2014. We've welcomed them from across Canada, North America and around the world, with roughly half our summer visitors coming from outside Manitoba. Over 20,700 students participated in our programs for schools. This year, we'll welcome 30,000 more, and continue to pilot a National Student Program, while expanding our online offerings. Every visit has value — not only in economic impact, but in striking those chords for human rights. For example, our free admission nights (which resume Oct. 14) are an opportunity to reach youthful and diverse audiences, to spark conversations, and get people thinking. And it doesn't end inside the museum's walls. Our programs, our partnerships and our online offerings will continue to grow as we expand our reach to a wider national and international audience. Already, thousands of teachers across the country are using our online toolkit to help them talk about human rights with their students. The underlying message of hope — for the museum and for human rights education, for Winnipeg and for Canada — means the first year of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights is not an end point. In fact, it is just the beginning. We've embarked on a meaningful journey — one that's worth taking together. If you haven't yet had a chance for your own personal journey of inspiration at Canada's new national museum, I invite you to come and see. Find the story that speaks most to you. Climb up on someone's shoulders and check out the view. ▲ STORIES WEAVE A JOURNEY OF inspiration & Hope ➤ As Canadians, we have inherited the human rights legacy of many previous generations — those who have lived on these lands for thousands of years, and others from all over the world. dr. John young by John young presidenT And Ceo, CAnAdiAn museum for humAn righTs Thankyouforenriching ourcommunity! www.7oaks.org CommunityBeginsHere!

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