A trip to the museum

Touchstones Museum in Nelson, BC, Canada. Nov/11

Short version:

Growing up in Toronto, I enjoyed trips to the Museum - The Royal Ontario Museum...(not to mention the Science Centre, CNE, Zoo and more), but I'll stick to the museum, because that's been on my mind, since a recent visit our local Museum), which got me thinking…

We may have a tiny Museum, but it invokes some big thoughts.

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The rest of the story:

The new Exhibition in Gallery A - Two Views: Photographs by Ansel Adams and Leonard Frank.

Looking at the stark black and white photos of Canadians (of Japanese descent) during the "internment" of the 1940's, was moving and eye-opening.

It is disappointing to see how my country treated our Japanese residents. Taking away their civil rights, homes, property, way of life, dignity, families, livelihoods and detaining them in camps.

This isn't the 1st time, and maybe not the last either! Our country has treated it's native peoples the same way! Maybe even worse! I thought Canada was better than this...

However, some of the photos showed touching moments, capturing the love, strength and resilience of the human spirit, finding hope and even happiness, under bleak conditions.

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Gallery B- The White Line: Wood Engraving Prints from the Studio and Collection of Gene Leavitt.

Wood engraving and printing may be a primitive technique, but the results are amazing. It's inspiring to see the span of design and detail that is possible within its limitations. Complex, yet simple at the same time, this presentation made me realize how much printing and illustrating techniques and mediums have changed over time, and how much effort it takes to make even a simple design, in this.

I loved the subtle humour in some of the pieces on display as well.

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Both exhibitions were presented in black and white. The contrast of the artistic prints were a "relief" and most welcome after viewing the sober black and white photos of the Japanese internments.

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I didn't know how lucky I was to be able to visit the ROM (Royal Ontario Museum)

… until I moved to Calgary.

As a young mom, I took my kids to Calgary's Glenbow Museum.

Small as it was (compared to the ROM), it had a lot of interesting displays to see…

I didn't know how lucky I was to be able go to the Glenbow… until I moved to Nelson.

Now Touchstones is a small Museum!

However, size isn't everything.