Students celebrate Whitehorn’s diversity with self-portrait art project

Professional artist and teacher Natalie Lauchlan worked with grade one and two students of Colonel J. Fred Scott School to explore the idea of what it means to be unique, and what elements make up the community of Whitehorn in Calgary. Over the 2019/20 school year, students focused on celebrating the richness of multiculturalism and exploring the idea of diversity through perspective, place and understanding.

Students created artworks that are now featured on two garbage bins and three utility boxes in the vicinity of Colonel J. Fred Scott School. The project, titled Portraits of Whitehorn, features painted elements of the community that are special to the students as well as self-portraits of students from more than 10 different countries, who speak a multitude of languages. Many of them have either moved to Canada recently or are experiencing Canada as second-generation immigrants.

“Portraits of Whitehorn is a reflection of the children who call Whitehorn home, and the beautiful diversity within this community,” says Natalie Lauchlan. “The students are very passionate about public art and have coined the term ‘everybody art’ to describe the role public art plays in the community.”