An idea that stemmed from other small towns and cities will be trying its luck here in Cochrane later this month. The Faces of Cochrane Mosaic is designed to show the growing diversity within our not so little town.
The City of Brooks and City of Chestermere were the first to test the water with their Faces of Brooks and Faces of Chestermere mosaics – a concept that Cochrane is going to mimic and make its own.
The mosaic will be a 4 ft. by 6 ft. collage-style piece consisting of fellow Cochranites holding up a sign stating where they come from and, of course, smiling for the camera. As this will be the first of its kind in Cochrane, the hope is to get around 60 to 80 photos to showcase the community's multicultural diversity.
"We thought it would be a nice fit with culture days to have it as a legacy afterward, so we can have something that can travel around town and show people how Cochrane is changing. Kind of how the West is Now, it's more multicultural than it used to be," said Jackie Shier, one of the project leads for the mosaic.
There will be a Faces of Cochrane booth set up outside during Cochrane Culture Fest at the Lion's Event Centre on Sep. 29 where people can write down their country of origin and have their photo taken. On-site will be Malann Klassen, the other project lead and photographer for the mosaic.
"The point of this is to show the diversity throughout Cochrane and to break the perceptions that people might have as to what we think somebody from somewhere looks like," explains Klassen. "Projects like these are always to encourage conversation, help people see things differently and to be open. Open to growth, open to something new."
Both Klassen and Shier say the idea is designed to be thought-provoking and to create a conversation about common misconceptions people may have. The mosaic will be about inclusion and showing the different faces that make up our community.
"There is this movement happening now where people are worried about divisiveness. It's not to create divisiveness but to learn from each other. Canada claims this multiculturalism, that is the crumbs of Canada. We are multicultural, we accept so we want to keep that kind of openness. This doesn't mean I have to go hang out with all the people from Denmark it means that I can identify with something but then I can also learn about other places," states Klassen.
Culture Fest has already brought people closer together. Klassen's husband once worked in Bulgaria and considers it a special place. Through mentions about the event on Facebook, Klassen and her husband were able to connect with a Bulgarian couple and have built a friendship. It's stories like these that make events like Culture Fest and the Faces of Cochrane Mosaic an important way for individuals to meet fellow Cochranites who they may have commonalities with. In turn that might develop into long-lasting friendships and foster a level of awareness and acknowledgement within the community.
There are only two stipulations to be part of the mosaic:
• You need to be a resident of Cochrane
• You need to sign a waiver.
If you are interested in being one of the many Faces of Cochrane, don't miss your opportunity to do so during Culture Fest on Sun. Sept. 29 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
