Ahead of the Advocate’s upcoming panel discussion about the treatment of women in politics taking place at Kindred on July 7, the Kawartha Art Gallery will be putting on an exhibit at the coffee shop beginning June 29 and 30.

The pieces of art will be created in the theme of protest posters and will explore themes of civic engagement, democratic participation, institutional change and collective action.

The art will be made by seven local female artists including Rylie Van Halteren, who also serves as the program coordinator for the exhibit. Other artists include: Gillian Steven; Samantha Jones; Christina Patton; Ruth Kelly-Koebel; Sydney Martin; and Jess Spagnolo.

Van Halteren hopes that the takeaway people will have from the exhibit is, “the realization that this kind of thing is still going on in 2026. That women are still being harassed, even if they’re serving their community.”