With you, with Pride offers local artists the opportunity to showcase their talents
By Isabella West, Arts Editor
The Calgary park that was the site of the first-ever Pride protest over 30 years ago is now engulfed with art that celebrates acceptance, belonging, self-identity and much more.
With you, with Pride is an artistic initiative that commissioned four local 2SLGBTQ+, BIPOC and ally artists to paint murals that honours the 2SLGBTQ+ community and to kick off celebrations for Calgary Pride.
The initiative was presented by Rogers together with Shaw in partnership with the City of Calgary, Calgary Arts Development and Calgary Pride. The murals were revealed two weeks before Calgary Pride and are available for viewing at Central Memorial Park until October 4, 2023.
Kat Simmers, an artist, author and muralist painted the mural titled Love and Liberty. Simmers said that Calgary has had a very politically charged year with an increase in the frequency and intensity of protests that are calling the 2SLGBTQ+ community to respond.
“Our community has been called out to the streets week after week sometimes to support things like Drag Storytime in libraries, gender inclusive policies in schools and Pride celebrations in schools,” said Simmers.
Simmers wanted to respond and talk about the challenges she herself as well as her community has faced this past year while also reflecting on the bonds that have come from the communities resiliency. It was for this reason that Simmers named their mural, Love and Liberty because, at the end of the day, she believes that that’s what she and the 2SLGBTQ+ community are striving for.
“It’s been a long year and our community is feeling tired, we’re worn down and exhausted by having to justify our very existence,” said Simmers. “We as queer, trans and non-conforming folks have a place here as much as anyone.”
Simmers has participated in With you, With Pride once before and said that they believe it is important to give local queer artists a space to share their stories through art.
“It’s so important to have queer artists particularly local queer artists who are living the experience of being here and understand how bizarre, beautiful and sometimes painful it is,” said Simmers.
Simmers said how wonderful it is to be a part of a community that celebrates her for her but how jarring it is to walk down the street and to be called slurs. Because of this, Simmers hoped that their mural and Calgary Pride could help solidify the fact that she and her community belong here just as much as anyone else.
