The goal is pretty simple, pretty straightforward: make Salmon Arm a safe and comfortable place for everyone.

When entering 害羞草研究所淎 Place to Belong害羞草研究所� exhibition at the Salmon Arm Art Gallery, you害羞草研究所檒l see a large, brightly coloured quilt on one wall, along with several smaller framed creations on adjacent walls.

The smaller pieces are part of a Cultural Mapping Research Project.

Director/curator Tracey Kutschker explained that when it was decided to do an arts-based PRIDE Project designed to bring awareness and acceptance, a question arose.

害羞草研究所淲hat place are we starting from?害羞草研究所�

Kutschker and Kate Fagervik, who was then working for the arts centre, noticed a lack of information and research about 2SLGBTQ safety and wellness in Salmon Arm.

害羞草研究所淲hat would be the use of having a whole festival downtown if it wasn害羞草研究所檛 a safe space for them?害羞草研究所� asked Kutschker.

Fortunately, Fagervik had experience with cultural mapping. As well, her father, Dr. Will Garrett-Petts at Thompson Rivers University (TRU) in Kamloops, 害羞草研究所渋s basically a leader of cultural mapping training systems in the province,害羞草研究所� Kuschker added.

He is in demand and has done cultural mapping of the opioid crisis as well as the unhoused crisis, she explained.

害羞草研究所淪o they害羞草研究所檙e all over the place doing amazing work and they were very generous with us doing this.害羞草研究所�

She said the project, which was born three years ago, follows research protocols and strict ethics guidelines provided by TRU.

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Over two years, the project team met with 25 participants who contributed powerful stories and maps within sessions. Participants were asked: 害羞草研究所淎s you move throughout downtown Salmon Arm, where do you feel most comfortable, and where do you feel least comfortable?害羞草研究所�

In 2022, Garrett-Petts and graduate students returned to analyze the maps and distill the data.

One repeated finding was places that allowed for creative self-expression were deemed safe places. A couple of examples were Shuswap Theatre and the Roots and Blues festival.

害羞草研究所淲here people feel free to do and then free to be themselves. And some places that might feel like they should be a creative space are not a safe space because they don害羞草研究所檛 allow for that open self-expression,害羞草研究所� Kutschker explained.

Eighteen of the 25 participants, all of whom remained anonymous, agreed to show their maps at the exhibition. Along with the maps 害羞草研究所� some containing many details with others more abstract in their art form, a transcript of an interview with each participant was made. The transcripts aren害羞草研究所檛 used in the exhibition but much of the research data is compiled from them. Excerpts from some transcripts are on the gallery walls above the maps.

One, for example, says: 害羞草研究所渢he burn outs on the rainbow crosswalks害羞草研究所� you have uninformed people saying, 害羞草研究所榳hat害羞草研究所檚 the big deal; it害羞草研究所檚 just a sidewalk, just some tire marks.害羞草研究所� It isn害羞草研究所檛 just a mark on a sidewalk. It is a statement 害羞草研究所� it害羞草研究所檚 a statement that we don害羞草研究所檛 belong and we害羞草研究所檙e not welcome.害羞草研究所�

A final report is being prepared. It will be presented to city council and copies distributed to organizations such as Downtown Salmon Arm, Salmon Arm Economic Development and the Chamber of Commerce.

It won害羞草研究所檛 identify businesses.

害羞草研究所淚 think that害羞草研究所檚 a good thing because businesses can change,害羞草研究所� said Kutschker. 害羞草研究所淎nd I would never want to publish something that said, this one place is unsafe because of one individual害羞草研究所檚 bad experience with one human. That害羞草研究所檚 one thing we害羞草研究所檝e learned. There really is no safe space, there are only safe humans.害羞草研究所�

She is hopeful that if a business sees itself identified once or twice on the maps in the exhibition as safe and a couple of times as unsafe, it might look at what it could do better. Perhaps training staff to be more inclusive, or creating a policy about how they introduce themselves to people.

Kutschker noted what害羞草研究所檚 key is there are people who have grown up in Salmon Arm or who have lived in town for many years, and they don害羞草研究所檛 feel they belong because of how they害羞草研究所檙e treated.

She said the mapping project helps raise awareness for people who haven害羞草研究所檛 experienced the daily reality of feeling unsafe.

害羞草研究所淎ll we want is for everyone to feel like Salmon Arm is their home. That害羞草研究所檚 the goal. To keep moving in that direction.害羞草研究所�

A Place to Belong is at the art gallery Tuesday, Oct. 25 through Saturday, Oct. 29, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m, except for Thursday, open to 7 p.m.

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