To celebrate this year’s National Newspaper Week, News Media Canada has partnered with Canadian artist, Ola Volo, to create an exclusive limited-edition, signed print.
The signed 20”x19.5” print titled “Champions” by Ola Volo launched as the hero item in this year’s Champion The Truth collection, which also includes a softcover journal.
Ola is known for bringing strong narratives to life through her work and her ability to spark conversation, bring people together, empower action, and shed light on important issues.
Ola’s art celebrates the local news industry as champions of truth in Canada and was inspired by conversations between Ola and industry stakeholders from local newspapers across the country.
To support Canadian journalism, a portion of the proceeds from the sales of the Champion The Truth capsule collection will be donated to Canadian Journalists for Free Expression.
A Conversation With Ola Volo
How did your passion for supporting Canadian news begin?
I’ve always been a supporter and reader of local newspapers. So when News Media Canada approached me to collaborate on a custom artwork that celebrates Canadian news for National Newspaper Week, I was excited and just knew it would be a great fit!
When I was a child, as a Canadian immigrant, I remember my parents reading the local newspaper every morning to stay connected to our community – which often started our conversation at dinner to talk about what we read and the things that were happening right in our community. And now as an artist, these same newspapers have been supporters of me and my art, for years! Every time I create a mural or a piece of art somewhere in Canada, I feel incredibly supported by local newspapers and it’s been an amazing way to share my story and my artwork with people across Canada. When I create my artwork and discuss the story behind my murals with a local journalist, I feel they give the artwork a voice. I’m just really grateful to be able to contribute my talent to this amazing initiative.
What do you think is journalism’s biggest contribution to society?
Journalists truly are champions of the truth, and National Newspaper Week gives us all a chance to recognize the critical role that newspapers play in our society. Local newspapers deliver vital information to Canadians every day connecting communities across the country and providing diverse, local, original content that cannot be found anywhere else. Because art has been such a major part of my life, I found that local newspapers have been a critical source of uniting artists across the country and to share and shape the culture we have today.
Over the past two years, it’s become really clear just how important newspapers are. Now more than ever, we need to acknowledge and celebrate newspapers and the work they do to provide us with credible information, and I think that National Newspaper Week is a great opportunity to do that.
How do you think art and journalism work together to contribute to society?
Newspapers, much like art, have the ability to spark conversation and connect communities together no matter the distance. In fact, the art I created for National Newspaper Week – ‘Champions’- was inspired by conversations I had with representatives from local newspapers across the country. I was able to hear from them firsthand just how important local reporting is and the ability of newspapers to keep communities informed especially during the past few years.
I think Champions really highlights how art and journalism are intertwined. Champions features three stoic, trailblazing characters that represent both journalists and readers. I wanted the work to feel like it’s full of diverse stories and subject matters, just like our papers. You’ll also see a variety of iconic landmarks from across the country featured in this piece which represents the diversity of people, places, and perspectives in Canada. Canadians can show their support for the Canadian news media industry by owning a limited-edition signed print or beautiful softcover journal at nationalnewspaperweek.ca, with a portion of the proceeds being donated to Canadian Journalists for Free Expression.
Published by HOLR Magazine