Photo: Contributed

The Museum and Archives of Vernon will a hub of activity during Culture Days starting at the end of September.

“Our goal is to one day have everyone who comes to the museum see themselves represented in the some way,” says Laisha Rosnau, curator of visitor experience. “We can begin by providing meaningful opportunities for the community to connect with their own lived experiences.”

The museum will be participating in the Culture Days launch at Polson Park on Sept. 23 where residents are invited drop by to create a paper “quilt” square representative of their heritage.

The squares will then be connected with others to create a community quilt, symbolizing the value of each individual, each identity, and diverse experiences of heritage in the context of the larger collective.

Over the course of the following three weeks, the museum will be collaborating with various partners and inviting the community to be an active participant in the curation of specific exhibits.

In recognition of 2SLGBTQIA+ History Month in October, with funding from the UBC Okanagan Partnership Recognition and Exploration Fund, the Museum & Archives of Vernon, along with UBC Okanagan Library’s Special Collections and Archives, are seeking community involvement to uncover the rich history of 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals and communities in the North Okanagan.

Pride in Place: Historical Representation of 2SLGBTQIA+ Communities in the Okanagan will take place Oct. 6, inviting public discussions around the historical underrepresentation of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in collections and archives in the area.

The museum is currently seeking expressions of interest from potential contributors to help tell this story through objects, documents, photographs and audio/visual materials in their care.

To arrange to loan items to be included in this exhibit, contact Rosnau by email at [email protected] before Sept. 23.

Other events MAV is hosting throughout Culture Days include a workshop on genealogical research, and programming in honour of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. A full listing of the Museum’s Culture Days events is available online.

Participants are encouraged to register early as there is limited seating for most activities.