All in Guest Writer series
Unveiling her exhibition A Rose for Remembrance / Una Rosa Para Recordar in the Ledge Gallery at Arts Commons this month, Claudia Chagoya is deeply interested in gender dynamics and how they impact culture and belonging. In her piece, she examines how ingrained, misogynistic assumptions is the root to much of the violence against women, and shares her hope that we can strive for a safer, more inclusive tomorrow.
As COVID-19 restrictions loosen and movie-goers begin hitting theatres once again, there’s a tangible excitement in the air to watch the delayed releases of highly anticipated films. Denis Villeneuve’s Dune, based on the novel by Frank Herbert, is one of those movies I’ve been patiently waiting to watch. It premieres October 2021, and you can bet I’ll be standing first in line on opening night.
But to say I have a complicated relationship with Dune doesn’t even begin to cover it.
When I graduated from SAIT with a Diploma of Journalism in 2013, my parents gave me a book, Flight of the Hummingbird. It tells a story of a raging fire threatening a forest, where animals of all shapes and sizes flee the wall of flames. Every animal, from the bear to the eagle, lamented on their helplessness in the face of such a tragedy and each proclaimed why it was hopeless to try and fight the fire. Throughout this, a single hummingbird flew from the river, carrying a bead of water in its tiny beak and dropped it on the towering inferno. The bird repeated this until the other animals asked why the hummingbird was doing this, to which it replied. “I’m doing what I can”.
When you hear Alberta, what picture comes to mind?
Among the reel of photos you may visualize, one that likely unites all Albertans is our imaginings of the mountains. Let me tell you about my story of the mountains.
Almost straight-out of the womb, my parents took me on a road trip to our beloved Rocky Mountains. Actually, I spent much of my youth travelling our province, and the entire West Coast, in our family minivan. Sometimes in my car seat I sat side-by-side with my great grandmother, other times my napping sister, other times a cousin and so on. At some point or other, all of my grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles have spent time in the van - and like most Albertans, our favourite destination has always been the mountains!
