Bay of Quinte Pride Week begins with flag raising, art exhibit opening

Pride Week is underway across the Bay of Quinte region.

Monday morning, Belleville Mayor Mitch Panciuk and Bay of Quinte Pride Chair Stacey Love-Jolicoeur raised the Pride Flag at the Quinte Sports and Wellness Centre.

Both also attended the opening of the Everyone Under the Rainbow show at the Quinte Arts Council on Bridge Street in Belleville.

During opening remarks at the art gallery, Mayor Panciuk called the flag raising an important symbol.

“It’s a message that we send out that we are not just an inclusive community in words, but that we really mean it and that we are striving to be a community that is free from all types of  inequality and inequity and discrimination.”

Love-Jolicoeur says this is the fourth year for the exhibit at Quinte Arts Council.

“Under the Rainbow is a wonderful show of exhibits by our local artists in the queer community. And it really highlights some of the diversity that we see in the colours and through their own personal works.”

Among the featured artists is Luise Cisneros.

Originally from Mexico and now splitting time between Belleville and Toronto, Cisneros uses art to bring LGBTQ issues to the forefront.

“Usually when we think about shows, LGBTQ and community shows, we are always celebratory, they are always about, like, happiness. But we forget sometimes, like, where we are right now and where we were. And I don’t want to forget those people who also have, like, those bad experiences but also, those experiences, sometimes we face them today too.”

The show at Quinte Arts Council, 36 Bridge Street, will run until June 30.

More on Bay of Quinte Pride Week on their website and Facebook page.