#MyPandemicStory
Youth create portraits of a pandemic
Date
About
New ROM-original exhibition captures history while it’s being made.
In spring 2021, ROM launched #MyPandemicStory with a call for Ontario youth aged 4-18 to reflect on and express their experiences of the pandemic through a work of art in any medium. Between April and June 2021, #MyPandemicStory received over 2,300 submissions for consideration for ROM's first crowd-sourced exhibition, one of the few pandemic-related exhibitions worldwide to focus on children's points of view.
Working with a panel of external advisors with expertise in clinical psychology, education, mental health, media, the arts, and more, our exhibition team reviewed and selected 60 artworks for the physical exhibition that, together, form a stirring portrait of the complex journeys young people have experienced during the pandemic. Honoured by the overwhelming response and inspired by the artistry of the works and candour of those who submitted, all submissions will be displayed in a digital gallery in the exhibition, inviting visitors to experience all the remarkable works of art created.
Through a variety of media—written word, song, dance, sculpture, paintings, drawings, and performance art—Ontario’s kids and teens have shared their stories of what it’s been like to live through the pandemic. With content-driven themes that speak to struggle, loss, frustration, hope, and more, this free, ROM-original exhibition shines a light on a unique perspective and voice in these unprecedented times.
#MyPandemicStory: youth create portraits of a pandemic is free to the public. No admission is required.
Browse all 2,300 submissions in the #MyPandemicStory Digital Submission Gallery.
#MyPandemicStory
Highlights
#MyPandemicStory
Struggling during the pandemic? You’re not alone. We recognize this is a difficult time for a lot of people. If you or someone you know is struggling or in distress, please know you are not alone, and it’s important to reach out to get help. Some resources include Kids Help Phone, Canada Suicide Prevention Service, and Gerstein Crisis Centre. The Canadian Mental Health Association also offers resources to support mental health during the pandemic.
Digital Submission Gallery
A year into the pandemic, its end was still on the distant horizon. March Break was postponed and parents, schools, and kids would have to adapt once again. We put out a call across Ontario for kids and teens, aged 4-18, to create original art about their experiences. These are their portraits of a pandemic.
