“In the suitcase thingy I found my past, present and possibilities of future things.”
Amy — participant in 15 Minutes of Fame installation and workshop with Parallel Lines exhibition - Museum of Northern History
“I’ve never seen my biological father.
I’ve never seen God either, but I believe they both exist.”
Ted — participant in 15 Minutes of Fame installation with Parallel Lines exhibition - Museum of Northern History
“For me, the bed represents my own internal prison and the sense of alienation I have felt in the world around me.
The paintings are an effective manifestation of my own internal struggles.
It’s comforting to know others experience similar discomfort.
We are all alone together.”
LyAnne - visitor/participant in 15 Minutes of Fame installation with Parallel Lines exhibition - Museum of Northern History; Counsellor with Canadian Mental Health Association
15 Minutes of Fame interactive sculpture installation in Parallel Lines exhibition at Museum of Northern History.
Visitors are invited to open the suitcase, consider and arrange the contents around and upon the bed to create an artistic statement or convey a story.
Visitors are then invited to discuss their work with onlookers and/or write about it in the Book of Fame.
This man put himself under the bed, saying “this was the safest place in prison.”
Another man exclaimed: “you’d never catch me under any bed. I spent half my life in prison, I ruled the place!”
Matthew - participant in 15 Minutes of Fame installation with Parallel Lines exhibition - Museum of Northern History
“Before I was born my biological dad threatened my mom to kill her and I. So she ran away. My adoptive father was an alcoholic who was empty. Then he met my mom and I and then he was fun. When my brother was born her introduced me to my native cultures. The beads is my and Keara’s friendship. Even though we have different stories we still formed a bond.”
Sky-Lynn — visitor/participant in 15 Minutes of Fame installation with Parallel Lines exhibition - Museum of Northern History
“I want to learn other languages and cultures. But I feel like I am separated between my culture and my career path. The bible is away but yet still showing is because in order to learn I need to put aside my religion to do so.”
Taylor - participant in 15 Minutes of Fame installation with Parallel Lines exhibition - Museum of Northern History
“Kasandra’s death impacted my life. I made a contribute to her resembling her death. Teddy bears were her favourite thing to hug. Lavender was her favourite flower and would sleep next to it. She loved jewelry.
Emily — visitor/participant in 15 Minutes of Fame installation with Parallel Lines exhibition - Museum of Northern History
A week or so after participating in 15 Minutes of Fame at Museum of Northern History, Kirkland Lake, a woman donated this baby’s outfit for inclusion in the suitcase.
She explained that her mother had given her this outfit and that she’d had it in her possession for fifty years. She has disliked pink and disliked dresses all her life.
“My mother was always forcing me into frilly pink outfits. I wanted to be a welder working on cars.”
“I grew up too fast because of how I was taught and because of my extreme anxiety. Once I learned how Canada and Christians treated natives I was mad and ashamed.”
Keaira - visitor/participant in 15 Minutes of Fame installation with Parallel Lines exhibition - Museum of Northern History
This woman enacted her experience of being imprisoned, forced to surrender her children and ordered to choose between which of her children would live and which of them would die.