By Jessie Weisner

BeYOUth Centre set to host youth diversity art show

Mar 21, 2019 | 5:31 PM

A different kind of art show is coming to Medicine Hat on Friday, one that’s entirely put on by kids.

Medicine Hat’s Be YOUth Centre is hosting the show, aimed at celebrating diversity in Medicine Hat.

“We’re part of raising the curtain,” says Jill Forsythe, coordinator for the Be YOUth Centre. “We’re participating in that and we’ve parted with the Myplace/Hug program, the Women’s Shelter and Saamis Immigration to pull together a youth art show.”

The initiative is part of a city-wide event called ‘raising the curtain’ aimed at cerebrating diversity and inclusion.

The art show has submissions from youth who attend the centre, youth from Saamis Immigration and likely youth from the Myplace/Hug program.

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“We just asked out youth to create art, no rules, just anything around diversity, how they view diversity, how they feel it affects them in the community and in their lives here,” says Forsythe. “We’ve got some 3D kind of diorama pieces, we’ve got some paintings, some sketches.”

The goal is to open up youth’s eyes to how important their voices are.

“Part of our mandate here is to build up kid’s confidence and self esteem so just by allowing them to have a voice and letting them know that their voice is important and that they have a say in how things are shaped and planned in our community,” says Forsythe. “If we start that at a younger age by the time they get into their later teens they’ll have more confidence to maybe approach city council with ideas or maybe join the youth advisory board.”

The art show runs from 6:30 to 9 p.m. on Friday, March 21 at the Be YOUth centre.

“It’s open to the entire community and we want everybody to come check it out, see what we have to offer for youth and if there’s youth out there that don’t know about us this is a good chance to come see what we do and the different activities we offer.”