The Kitchissippi-Ottawa Valley chapter of the Council of Canadians invites children and youth under 18 to celebrate Earth Day by sharing how they feel about the planet through visual, musical, written and performance art. Earth Day Arts project coordinator Diane Veilleux of Killaloe says, “I invite you to come celebrate Earth Day with us. In our electoral system, young people have no public voice on inmportant issues. Valley Earth Day Arts 2022 is your time to roar, and to shine! Tell us how you feel about Earth and her future, including the climate crisis…. We are providing a public platform for you to share your talents, passions, and opinions about the planet we share, through visual, musical, written, and performance art.”
She poses these questions to Valley youth:
- What does Earth Day MEAN to you and how should we CELEBRATE it?
- How INFORMED do you feel about environmental and other issues your generation is facing?
- What SOLUTIONS do you suggest for achieving protection of our planet’s climate, water, land, air, animals, plants, and air?
- What does the FUTURE look like to you?
Submissions due April 4: Submissions can be left at the Community Resource Centre (Killaloe), Calvin United Church (Pembroke), and The Art Factory (Renfrew). Smaller pieces of visual art (12×18″ or less), videos, or written pieces will be easiest to accommodate. Onlink links or memory sticks with performance art are also welcome. The last day for submissions is April 4, 2022. (Earth Day is celebrated annually on April 22.)
All creations will be showcased for our Earth Day 2022 celebration. There will be an online gala exhibit, and displays in local communities throughout the Valley. County politicians and business leaders will be invited to take part. More details are expected in early April.
You can follow @valleyearthdayarts on Instagram or visit the website for more details: https://earthdayartexhibit.wordpress.com/
This project is initiated by environmentalists and artists in the Kitchissippi-Ottawa Valley chapter of the Council of Canadians. It is supported by Studio Dreamshare (Pembroke), Ottawa Valley Community Arts Open Studio (Killaloe), Bayberry Design (Barry’s Bay), and The Art Factory (Renfrew), who do this in respect for Greta Thunberg’s call-out for adults to support youth leadership.
Veilleux,D.,Council of Canadians Kitchissippi-OttawaValley(2022,Feb.17) Our World, Our Future: Valley Children and Youth Earth Day Arts Project: April 22, 2022 [media release]
Image: Instagram/@valleyearthdayarts
