Photo: Vanessa Djayne LokongaTransformation: Love Returns to the Museum – Until March 31, 2019 LiveEvents February 18, 2019 2947 TRANSFORMATION: LOVE RETURNS TO THE MUSEUM An EducExpo created by young people to build a world without violence The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) and LOVE (Quebec) presents Transformation: Love Returns To The Museum. This EducExpo comprises photos taken by teenagers and young adults in the context of a program designed to encourage youth to build a society free of fear and violence. In the summer of 2018, a group of participants in the LOVE (Quebec) program met at the Museum for two weeks to discuss art and social issues. Based on self-examination and communication, these group meetings provided an opportunity to explore the subject of identity and share their messages of non-violence. The program also enabled the participants to develop their sense of autonomy and empathy and contributed to their feelings of accomplishment and their self-esteem. Photo: Eshai Miller These young people aged from 13 to 21 toured the collections and visited From Africa to the Americas: Picasso Face to Face, Past and Present, the major exhibition then on display which examined the evolution of perceptions of identity, aesthetics and culture. With the support Moridja Kitenge Banza, artist and Educational Programs Officer – World Cultures and Togetherness at the MMFA, they also took photos and wrote the accompanying texts here exhibited to the public, which bear witness to their thinking and seek to inspire tolerance, respect and peace. This exhibition is the result of the fifth partnership between LOVE (Quebec) and the MMFA’s Sharing the Museum program, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Thanks to this inclusive program, thousands of Montreal’s disadvantaged citizens, including at-risk youth, can access the Museum’s educational programs free of charge. This exceptional initiative also allows group leaders to co-create with the Museum’s educational staff programs such as this long-term project with LOVE (Québec). “Art has the power to foster dialogue, resilience and a better understanding of our neighbours. Thanks to this partnership between LOVE (Quebec) and the MMFA, numerous young citizens have put a positive spin on their experience of violence and through their creations have shone a light on their inner world”, says Thomas Bastien, Director of Education and Wellness, MMFA. “For 25 years, the Montreal-based, non-profit organization LOVE (Quebec) has empowered at-risk youth to thrive, radically changing the trajectory of their lives through innovative educational projects that foster emotional intelligence to overcome the challenges they face. LOVE (Quebec)’s programs are essential and successful, creating inspirational community leaders and giving them a voice that needs to be heard” according to Joseph Allen and Justin Gaurav Murgai, Co-Executive Directors of LOVE (Quebec). Montreal Museum of Fine Arts Michel de la Chenelière International Atelier for Education and Art Therapy J.A. DeSève Gallery Free admission
