Girl Guide Exhibition Casa Loma.
I co-curate a new Girls Guide Exhibit in 2018 at Casa Loma.
In 2018 I was contacted by Girls Guide Canada to improve their art exhibit at Casa Loma. Since 1987, a permanent exhibit was created in the house of Girl Guides Movement as a tribute to Lady Mary Pellatt, who was deeply invested in the Guides. For her commitment to the Girl Guides, she received its highest awards: the Silver Fish[i] and the Official Warrant.[ii] The exhibit offered a historical record of uniforms of the Girl Guides of Canada since 1910, and it was located in the Guest Suite sitting room on the Second Floor.
The exhibit hasn't been updated since 90's and it was time to modernize the exhibit and create a more contemporary approach toe the exhibit. We created a time line from the beginnings of the Girls Guide until the present time and how the became a catalyst to empowering girls. We created a QR code to add more information and with the opportunity to link the exhibit to their site and sing in. It was a absolute success not only for people to know more, enjoy it and connect with Girls Guides; it also became a connection between people around the world that is/or was part of the Girls Guides.
It was an absolute pleasure to co-curate this exhibit. We got fabulous feed back and it was a great experience!
[i] The Silverfish is Girl Guides Canada’s highest honour. The award is based on the recipient’s achievements in Guiding and dedication to world Guiding. Symbolizing a fish swimming upstream, the Silverfish represents “strength in the face of adversity” among girls and women. As Chief Commissioner, in 1922, Lady Mary presented this award to exceptional Girl Guides across Canada at annual rallies held at Casa Loma. [ii] On July 24, 1912, Lady Mary Pellatt was awarded the Chief Commissioner Warrant certificate. Lady Agnes Baden-Powell, president of Britain’s Girl Guides Association, appointed Lady Mary as the first Chief Commissioner; a role created to oversee the growth of an independent Canadian Guiding organization. Lady Mary’s role as Commissioner was to lead the Canadian Girl Guides as its own force of female empowerment in Canada. From 1912 to 1921, Lady Mary was a trailblazer in spreading the Guiding Movement throughout Canada and creating an environment in which girls could learn life skills outside of traditional, domestic gender roles.