ROM to Feature Creative Works from Kids and Teens in a New Fall Exhibition

Canada’s most-visited museum is calling for submissions of works of art that reflect life in the pandemic through the eyes of Ontario's youth

TORONTO, ON, April 12, 2021 – To mark a defining moment in history and help our communities heal, the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is calling on kids and teens to help the Museum create a portrait of life during the COVID-19 pandemic that reflects their unique experiences. #MyPandemicStory invites Ontarians to share their creative expressions of those experiences with their peers and the community through the ROM, with a selection of works to be displayed in a crowd-sourced original exhibition this fall.

Starting today, April 12, 2021, kids between the ages of four to 18 can share their stories, experiences and perspectives on life during the pandemic through original creative works of art in any format of their choice, whether it’s a song, painting or video. Submissions will be reviewed by a panel of ROM staff and advisors this summer and a final selection will be featured in a free-to-the-public exhibition in the Museum this fall.  

“At the ROM, we are always seeking new and interesting ways to understand the past, make sense of the present, and shape a shared future together,” says Jennifer Wild, Deputy Director for Engagement at the ROM. “This pandemic has had a profound impact on the lives of our children. And this moment in history represents a unique opportunity for the ROM and young people across the province to work together to reflect on the emotions and experiences of this time and how it may shape the future. We are eager to hear from kids, teens and their families on how their lives have changed during this unprecedented time, from challenges to triumphs and all the emotions between.”

Art helps us cope with life's greatest challenges by telling our stories through colour, sound, and texture,” adds Justin Jennings, ROM Senior Curator of Archaeology of the Americas and curator of the #MyPandemicStory-themed exhibition. “Children's art often makes plain an era's emotions, and I can think of no better place than the ROM to share children's stories of life during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Submissions can be made on social media or through the ROM website April 12, 2021 until June 27, 2021. Creativity across formats is welcomed and encouraged, whether it is documenting a moment through an essay or artwork, expressing a mood through song or video or representing an object that gained particular meaning during this period. Social media submissions should use the hashtag #MyPandemicStory and tag @ROMToronto. Website submissions can be uploaded to rom.on.ca/en/mypandemicstory.

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Following guidance of the Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health, the ROM is currently temporarily closed to the public. The ROM looks forward to reopening in advance of this exhibition opening date. Visit www.rom.on.ca for further updates on ROM reopening.

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ABOUT THE ROM
Opened in 1914, the Royal Ontario Museum showcases art, culture and nature from around the world and across the ages. Among the top 10 cultural institutions in North America, Canada’s largest and most comprehensive museum is home to a world-class collection of 13 million art objects and natural history specimens, featured in 40 gallery and exhibition spaces. As the country’s preeminent field research institute and an international leader in new and original findings, the ROM plays a vital role in advancing our understanding of the artistic, cultural and natural world. Combining its original heritage architecture with the contemporary Daniel Libeskind-designed Michael Lee-Chin Crystal, the ROM serves as a national landmark, and a dynamic cultural destination in the heart of Toronto for all to enjoy.