Artist Pamela Masik’s much-anticipated exhibit at the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia, The Forgotten, was cancelled as a result of immense outrage from women’s activist groups.
The Forgotten features the faces of women deemed missing persons from Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.
The Vancouver-based artist has been accused of exploiting the women’s sufferings (and that of their families) to further her own career, expanding the “Masik brand."
While she may not have been welcomed in Vancouver, Masik wants to continue with the show.
She was quoted in The National Post as saying,“I want to show it where decisions are made, and then take it international.”
As the cornerstone of Canada’s decision-making process, Masik has expressed interest in bringing the show to Ottawa.
Masik was unwilling to comment for this story.
She told The National Post last week that her motivation in painting the images was driven by a need to shine light on marginalized women largely ignored by society.
“There are still missing and murdered women all over Canada and it’s going to continue to happen until we acknowledge our role in making this happen," she told The Post.
"How do we create change if we can’t even talk about it?”
Tony Romeyn, a Vancouver resident and creator of the Highway of Tears website (one of several dedicated to B.C’s missing women) says that while Masik’s art may not be for everyone.
“She desires to leave an impact as to what is truly happening to the girls,” he wrote in an email.
An RCMP victim services volunteer for 17 years, he says his main purpose now is to help small groups from within his community’s church to “understand all the pain and hurt in our communities.”
John Kelly, a journalism professor at Carleton University and co-director of the Centre for Indigenous Research, Culture, Language and Education, says that while it may not be the case with Masik’s work, aboriginal people are “ . . . used to being exploited, you might say we’re a little bit sensitive to it.”
Kelly, who focuses largely on the issue of ethical journalism when teaching his courses, says that as long as Masik covered the ethical basics (contacting the women’s families for permission prior to) then “it’s fine."
But he adds, “if there’s an agenda that’s present and she’s taking advantage of the marginalized groups then it’s not fine.”
It would be beneficial for the artist to bring the exhibit to Ottawa, Kelly says, if it will ignite public awareness and spark political support.
No date has been set for the exhibit coming to Ottawa.