As the PCHP’s president and lead curator, I am grateful to the Museum Strathroy-Caradoc, and particularly its curator Christian Siroyt, for inviting us to display our traveling exhibit “The Portuguese in Toronto, 1953-2013” in their beautiful building (and town), and for being so easy to work with throughout the curating process.
My gratitude extends to Manuel da Costa and Andrea Carvalho of the Gallery of the Portuguese Pioneers for lending us several artifacts from their collection, and to Anthony de Sa and Nuno Cristo for having accepted our invitation and coming all the way from Toronto to Strathroy on a week day. As always, I am indebted to the Clara Thomas Archives and Special Collections, especially my colleague Anna St. Onge, who was instrumental in getting many of the materials ready in time for the exhibit’s unveiling. The PCHP’s connection with the Strathroyan Clara Thomas also presented us with the opportunity to celebrate the memory of that pioneer scholar, teacher, and overall promoter of Canadian literature, through the words of her friend John Lennox. Thank you also to the Portuguese Canadian Club of Strathroy for supporting some of the costs of the opening reception and for helping spread the word about the exhibit.
Finally, thank you to all those who came out to our reception and participated in a wonderful evening of public history, music and storytelling. I am proud to have provided Strathroyans with the opportunity to discover or reconnect with two celebrated Portuguese-Canadian artists from Toronto. Your engagement and praise has furthered my already strong motivation to organize future PCHP roadshows to other Portuguese-Canadian communities in Ontario.
The PCHP’s exhibit will stay at the Museum Strathroy-Caradoc until October, 2015.
Gilberto Fernandes 