It is with a good deal of pride that we announce that we have reached a milestone with Project Change #MMIW. To date we have raised over $850. We were hoping to present a check to the Charity as a photo opportunity but due to COVID we are making the announcement here.
We started this project in 2019 when Shawna Serniak from Every Woman Empowered Endowment Fund, approached us about providing some photographs to help raise money for memorials for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. We were planning on being involved in the InFocus exhibit at the Renaissance Airport Hotel, Alexis Marie Chute, the curator, was calling this exhibit Change. At the first meeting of everyone involved we offered up the idea of calling the project, Project Change.
A few weeks later, due to weather, we shot in our basement studio with Deonna Fetzko providing incredible makeup for the project. The shoot lasted about 8 hours, then the real work started while Heather performed her magic creating these stunning images. Originally it was just going to be basic photos in the woods.
The main image, Voices of Change, the three strong and proud indigenous women, was entered into the CAPA 2019 Fall Open Competition and won a First Merit for People (Portrait).
The plan was to do a gallery opening at the Gossamer Gallery in Wabamun. in March. We got the prints made and were all ready when the pandemic hit. The Gallery was forced to postpone twice.
We sat on the prints for a couple of months when a good friend of ours told us about an opportunity to join the Old Strathcona Arts Emporium on Whyte Ave. We jumped on the opportunity and proceeded to do our own opening to get the ball rolling. We were set up right next to Ellie in the store.
We contacted CBC Radio and Global News Edmonton and were fortunate enough to get interviews with both just prior to the opening of the exhibit at the Emporium.
Through the sale of prints and other products on our Café Press store, we managed to raise over $700. Pixportal did the prints and provided print discounts of over $150 which we donated directly to the charity.
Later in the summer Heather entered the ‘Voices of Change’ image into the Professional Photographers of Canada Regional Salon for Alberta and it won a Merit there too. It will be on display throughout Alberta soon.
We want to thank everyone who was involved and especially those who bought prints and other product. We still have images for sale on this website here.
