Galt museum looking to reflect community in mosaic

By Al Beeber on May 4, 2021.

GALT MUSEUM & ARCHIVES - A digital recreation of what is hoped to be a large mosaic of portraits and self-portraits submitted by community members to be displayed at the entrance of the Galt Museum.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDabeeber@lethbridgeherald.com

The image visitors to the Galt Museum & Archives see in the huge west-facing window will soon be no more.
In place of the 1950s-era photo of shoppers, the museum hopes to create a mosaic of 400 portraits representing the diverse population of Lethbridge and southern Alberta.
Until the end of May, the museum is seeking contributions to a community mosaic that will consist of about 400 portraits of people who call this area home.
Submissions must be digital and be at least 200 DPI in size. The person, or person shown in the photo, needs to be front and centre in the image. Full details for submissions can be found at galtmuseum.com/community-mosaic.
“We’re thinking about the different communities that make up Lethbridge and Southwestern Alberta,” said museum CEO and executive director Darrin Martens.
Census data and community groups clearly show the area is no longer inhabited primarily by white Anglo-Saxon immigrants, said Martens.
“People from all over the world are making Lethbridge their home.”
The project is an opportunity to show the diversity that now exists here, he said.
“If we can, we’d love to see over 400 images, portraits of people on that wall. It’s a simple call for portraits,” he added.
After images are collected, they’ll be added to the museum’s archives to become part of a historical record of the area for researchers 50 or even 200 years down the road to utilize in their research of this era, he said.
When all images are received, the mosaic will be designed with a reference so everyone can find their photo in the window, he said.
“It’s a chance for people to own a piece of museum,” said Martens, emphasizing that the facility is for everyone.
The mosaic will be unveiled in July.

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