Homeglen School of One

An extension of the Homeglen School of One Global Art Project, Project Y150 YEG-GA is a collaborative e-Public History endeavour which documents the "everyday" experiences, contributions and active agency of women. First conceived in Fall 2015, this project utilizes the YEG-GA Carvings series and the Homeglen School of One Carving Vignettes advanced literacy program in order to provide multi-cultural, multi-generational and multi-dimensional perspectives into Canada and the way Canadian historical memories are intimately linked to the larger World. Canada's 150th anniversary serves as the marker for the production of YEG-GA Vignettes, and collaborators offer original insights into their personal journeys, further shaped by the trajectory of their Canadian recollections and their own heritage. The rich digital tapestry of YEG-GA Vignettes also features the collaborations of members of First Nations' communities, Métis mothers and daughters, foreign visitors and workers, international students, as well as non-female participants who value their female partners and relatives, their female colleagues and friends, and, most importantly, their female ancestors.

The shape of the YEG-GA carvings draws upon a comparative reading of extant records that detail the way many Global cultures have marshalled eggs to come to terms with their respective understanding of "the Cosmos", physical balance, and the movement of light. These comparative insights help explain why the carvings will rock and spin, while they also appear as "upright eggs" when left to their own devices. Meanwhile, the "face" of the YEG-GA carvings is inspired by the childhood memories of the School of One Carver's Eurasian grandmother.

The personal, multi-cultural dimension of the sculptures also helps situate and explain the local, etymological origins of the "YEG-GA" carvings series. Even though the name of the series was undoubtedly influenced by tales about "Baba Yaga" from Eurasian folklore, the "YEG" in YEG-GA actually harks to the airport designation of Edmonton, Alberta, and "GA" remembers "to sing" in Hindi. The pronunciation of YEG-GA also recalls "llega" in Spanish, or, in this specific instance, the arrival of Year 150 within the geographical area comprising Canada.

The impressive handiwork of collaborators within this e-Public History project is also found at YEG-GA Vignettes. Please send us an e-mail us at contact@homeglenschoolofone.com if you would like to become a collaborating contributor for Project Y150 YEG-GA or if you have any questions. Otherwise, enjoy your visit. We are very grateful for your interest and support.