Your Stories, Our Histories community exhibits
As part of the City of Kingston's Your Stories, Our Histories program, community organizations are encouraged to tell their stories in their own words in a newly available exhibit space at City Hall. Community exhibits within the program will feature stories of the people, events or groups that have shaped Kingston.
YSOH exhibits will last approximately eight months to one year and will be installed each spring. The City of Kingston will provide exhibition space at no charge. There are five exhibition spaces available to display written stories and physical items. Take a closer look and explore the 2024 community exhibits.
Apply today!
Submit your application by using the application form below. If you need the application form in an alternate format, please call us at 613-546-0000. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.
A general theme, story or message is required for the application, but exhibit text does not need to be finalized to apply. Applicants will work with City staff to develop and edit exhibition text. City staff will select the first applicant in early December 2024 and install the exhibit in spring 2025.
About Your Stories, Our Stories
Your Stories, Our Histories (YSOH) started as a public engagement process in 2018 to address the legacy of Sir John A. Macdonald and foster community discussions about how and by whom Kingston's stories are told. The program is evolving to offer free exhibit space at City Hall for the community to tell their stories. YSOH community exhibits are connected to a priority in Kingston's Strategic Plan to drive inclusive economic growth by fostering culture, history, education, arts and recreation.
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2024 exhibitions
Taking Pride in Our Communities
2SLGBTQIA+ communities and identities are a vital part of Kingston’s heritage. This exhibit focused on the often-overlooked histories of Kingston’s 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. Despite their historical exclusion and erasure, these groups and spaces have shown remarkable resilience.
Building on the efforts of 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals and community groups, Taking Pride in Our Communities celebrated moments of struggle, advocacy, connection and hope. It featured sources from the Kingston Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, 2-Spirit+ Archival Collection which included clippings from local newspapers and newsletters, informational booklets and pamphlets, images of protests and gatherings, and symbolic items like the 2-Spirit intersex-inclusive Pride flag and swag from past Pride celebrations.
Photo by Tim Forbes.
Rooted in History and Still Blooming
Gardening Kingston has been beautifying Kingston’s greenspaces since 1899. Originally called the Kingston Horticultural Society, the organization has been active in the Kingston community by fostering gardening, civic improvement and beautification efforts.
Today, Gardening Kingston maintains two public gardens and hosts monthly meetings, special activities, flower and cultural shows and an annual plant sale.
This exhibit explored Gardening Kingston’s history, combining a timeline of key milestones spanning over a century with media coverage, photographs and commemorative items. Garden displays and a doll dressed in clothing from the group’s inception added a visual storytelling element, bringing Gardening Kingston’s rich heritage to life.
Photo by Tim Forbes.
Pakistan: A Land of Rich Culture and Heritage
For more than half a century, the Pakistan Canada Association of Kingston (PCA) has dedicated itself to promoting Pakistani culture and fostering a sense of unity, understanding and appreciation for Pakistani heritage in Kingston.
With a strong focus on cultural tradition, PCA strives to strengthen the bond between the Pakistani and the broader Kingston communities by participating in community events and celebrating Pakistan’s unique culture and traditions.
This exhibit displayed traditional Pakistani handicrafts, reflecting the diverse culture, history and artistic heritage of artisans skilled in embroidery, pottery, rug weaving, woodworking, metalwork and jewelry, using methods and techniques passed down through generations.
Photo by Tim Forbes.
Emancipation Day
Emancipation has been officially recognized and celebrated on Aug. 1 by the City of Kingston since 2022. Working in collaboration with the City of Kingston Emancipation Day Working Group, this case featured the history of Emancipation in Canada and how celebrations often foster and encourage education and self determination to continue promoting freedom and equality for a brighter future.
The exhibition displayed the Pan-African flag, which has been a symbol for Emancipation Day; a copy of the book Emancipation Day: Celebrating Freedom in Canada, written by Natasha L. Henry-Dixon; a copy of the Act to Prevent the Further Introduction of Slaves and to Limit the Term for Contracts for Servitude 9 July 1793; and pictures from the 2024 Emancipation Day celebrations.
Photo by Tim Forbes.
Who's Listening
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Curator
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Curator
JM