John Lennon exhibit to benefit Old School Square

The Old School Square Gymnasium has been transformed into a venue of peace and love. A new exhibit is celebrating the “Montreal Bed-In for Peace” this week leading up to a birthday bash on Friday, Oct. 9, what would have been John Lennon’s 69th birthday. For a $2 donation, patrons can stroll through displays of Lennon’s guitars, a reenactment of the actual “Montreal Bed-In for Peace” hotel room and 30 large framed photographs taken by Gerry Deiter, a photographer working for Life and Time Magazines during his assignment to cover the week-long bed-in. A student art exhibit is also included in the program.
The owner of the exhibit, which is titled: “Give Peace a Chance: John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s Bed-In for Peace,” is Joan Athey of Vancouver, British Columbia. Athey said she met the photographer Deiter by chance.
“We met sitting at a bar called the Victorian. He told me about the photographs and when I saw them I said this is a living thing, something that can live on for many more to see,” Athey said.
She said Deiter told her the story of because of the Vietnam War coverage at the time, the photos were never used in magazines. Athey said she quickly bought and had the photographs framed, providing help to Deiter, a struggling photographer at the time.
The “Give Peace a Chance: John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s Bed-In for Peace” exhibit benefits Old School Square Cultural Arts Center. A mural, “Three John Lennon’s Portraits” will be auctioned off at the “The Big Lennon Birthday Bash” from 7 to 10 p.m.with a live music by Aldo Morales "910" on Friday, Oct. 9 at the Old School Square Gymnasium, 51 N. Swinton Ave.
Victoria Ann Rehberg, president of ArtVision Exhibitions, also associated with the project, said a second mural will travel with the exhibit to future locations.

“Give Peace a Chance: John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s Bed-In for Peace” exhibit hours are
noon-9 p.m. Oct. 7-8; noon-5 p.m. and 7-10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9; noon-10 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10; and noon-6 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 11.

For more information call Old School Square at 561-243-7922 or visit www.oldschool.org.

(From front to back) Mural painters Thomasyn Freeman (light blue sundress), Sharon Koskoff (pink) and Papa Ruby Koskoff paint the John Lennon mural that will be auctioned to benefit Old School Square.