UBC Robson Square to host Burnaby Youth Custody Center Artwork

For three years running, Michele Morin, a teacher at Gleneagle Secondary in Coquitlam, has challenged her entrepreneurship class to raise money for the Passion Foundation. Her classes learn about the work we do in the community and overseas, do their own research and promote and sell our passion bracelets over three lunch hours.  The students create posters and set up shop in the hallways. They use their knowledge and pitch to their fellow students as to why they need to buy a bracelet. This year Ms. Morin’s class ran out of bracelets in the first lunch hour and raised over $300 toward offering free Passion Projects to young women in BC.

As word starts to spread so does the awareness. It's a two-fold campaign that the students have a lot of fun doing. In fact, I hear the teams get quite competitive.

In addition to this awareness project, I’ve been out and about talking to people over the last few weeks and trying to find a temporary home for the Burnaby Custody Center art pieces. I had no idea how hard it would be. Over a three week period I emailed and talked to over 80 people in the Metro Vancouver area including the Vancouver Art Gallery, the Vancouver Public Library, the YWCA, independent galleries, community organizations and others in my network.  I had many leads but none that came to fruition - until this past week.

Just as I was about to run out of hope of finding a great public place, someone directed me to Marni Fraser, Operations Manager, for the UBC Robson Square site in downtown Vancouver. The building is located adjacent to the outdoor skating rink on Robson and W. Georgia.

As soon as I mentioned to Marni what the project was about she immediately invited me down to the space to see if it would work, as it was currently vacant.

As soon as you walk in the doors you’ll see the girls' artwork for three weeks, beginning December 20, 2010.

This week we will be putting a call out to all organizations serving girls and women to encourage their participants to come down and bring a small piece of artwork, poetry, or a photograph to contribute to the art pieces. The girls of the Burnaby Youth Custody Center stated that they recognize every woman needs forgiveness and acceptance. This is their way of giving back.

We are encouraging people to come down and check out the recyclable art pieces and contribute a letter, photo, or small art piece illustrating the theme of forgiveness.