Much of the work that sustains everyday life happens quietly, without much recognition.
Calgary-based artist and cultural practitioner Rolando Jr. Montemayor Pepano, listed with Calgary Arts Development and the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, recently shared a reflection on frontline care work through the Calgary Herald. The piece was later featured across Yahoo News Canada, MSN, and Google News.
Written from his experience working in a long-term care kitchen, the reflection looks at the daily routines, coordination, and steady consistency required to support essential services. It highlights the kind of work that often goes unseen, despite its importance to residents and the broader system.
The piece is also informed by a personal connection beyond Canada. Pepano’s sister, Sherill Pepano Manzon, has worked in the care sector in the United Kingdom for more than twenty years, reflecting how similar forms of labour exist across different countries and communities.
This work is part of Pepano’s ongoing initiative BOYVAULT™, which began as a documentation of masculine histories and is now expanding into a broader focus on unseen labour across sectors such as healthcare, hospitality, and essential services.
Together, these efforts contribute to ongoing conversations around care, labour visibility, and cultural memory within Alberta and beyond.
Read the feature:
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/last-kitchen-working-calgary-care-120022378.html
listings:
Calgary Arts Development: https://calgaryartsdevelopment.com/news-information/directory/rolando-jr-montemayor-pepano/
Alberta Foundation for the Arts: https://www.affta.ab.ca/node/19060
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