The Forgotten Moccasins Photo Project

Created by Tom Baril,  a student from the Victoria School of the Arts in Edmonton

Opening Celebration September 28, 2019 at 2:00 pm

Lacombe Memorial Centre, 5214 – 50 Avenue, Lacombe, Alberta

Tom’s project will be on display until the end of November, 2019

Contact:  Maureen MacKenzie 403-782-1258  mmackenzie@lacombe.ca

For such a young artist, Tom’s works are incredibly powerful.  He has a strong eye for capturing the textures, and colors of everyday life, while depicting the emptiness and sense of loss of the children left behind when an Indigenous Mother has been murdered or has gone missing.  His imagery, and his passion for this project brings many to tears as they hear him speak and witness the effects of the tragedy that continues to occur across Canada. 

Tom’s works will be featured with red dresses, to signify the Mothers of the children who have been left behind.  It is our intention that by showing both, the Forgotten Moccasins Photo Project, (the children) and the red dresses, (the women) the impact will be even stronger, resulting in renewed conversations, greater understanding and an end to the attacks on our Indigenous women.

In Tom’s words:  “I got the idea for this project from The Red Dress Project which raises awareness to the high number of missing or murdered Indigenous women. The Forgotten Moccasin photo project builds on the idea of the missing women, but focuses on the children who are negatively affected. When the women suffer in a community the whole future of the community suffers.”