Canadian War Museum
Expanding stories of Black Canadian military service across the country
A flexible travelling exhibition honouring the stories, service and sacrifice of Black Canadians in military history.
Client
Canadian War Museum
Project type
Travelling Exhibition
Oulton + Devine
Collaborators
Following the success of A Community at War, the Canadian War Museum asked us to again reimagine the exhibition as Portraits: Stories of Black Canadian Military Service, extending these important stories of service, sacrifice, and resilience to communities across Canada.
Working again with 3D designer Peter Oulton, we evolved the original visual language into a lightweight, highly adaptable travelling system. Large-scale portraits remain at the centre of the experience, supported by bold typography, vivid colour, archival imagery, maps, and regional storytelling that traces Black Canadian military service from pre-Confederation conflicts to the present day.
Designed entirely with fabric graphics mounted to a modular freestanding system, the approximately 900 sq. ft. exhibition can be packed efficiently, installed with minimal infrastructure, and configured in multiple layouts to suit the size, shape, and circulation needs of different host venues. Individual components can stand alone, combine into larger storytelling moments, or shift to accommodate local conditions without compromising the overall visual experience.
The flexible system also allows host museums to incorporate artifacts and stories from their own collections, giving each installation an opportunity to connect the national narrative with its local community.
The result is an exhibition designed not simply to travel, but to adapt, expand, and remain visually powerful wherever it goes.
“Saying goodbye… shedding a tear. Never forgotten.”
Black Canadian Veterans Stories