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About Miguelito’s Little Green Car

Miguelito

WE ARE ALL CONNECTED

The Story

One day in a happy fit of energy, while playing with a small toy car a two and half year-old boy named Miguelito threw it into a garage piled to the roof with boxes. It landed out of sight behind so many boxes that it would have taken superhuman feats to find it, so the car was assumed to be lost and was forgotten about.

But many months later, when the garage was cleaned out the little green car was found. It was given to me to return to Miguelito.

Instead, I started taking the little green car with me to mountain summits and on my travels. In my care, the car has been traveling the world and meeting people from all walks of life. This website exists to chronicle those travels for Miguelito, my nephew, and these are the adventures of Miguelito’s Little Green Car.

This project is meant to remind us that we are all connected. Thousands of people from around the world from all walks of life are interconnected through the green car.

Leroy Schulz
Photographer

The Details

What

Miguelito’s Little Green Car is a long-term art project by Canadian photographer Leroy Schulz for his ten year old nephew, Miguelito. Participants pose for a photo with a small, die-cast toy car belonging to Miguelito. The project consists of a website with photos and stories. Ultimately, a book and public photo exhibit is anticipated.

When

The project began in 2007 and will end in 2021 when Miguelito turns 18 years old. It will conclude with a book of photos and stories in which all of the people in it, from all walks of life from around the world, interconnected because he exists. The photos from the intervening years will form an auto-biographical, visual documentary of our lives and times. A large public exhibition in a gallery space is anticipated.

Where

Everywhere! So far the car has traveled to many countries, including Canada, the United States, the Philippines, Jordan, Israel, Italy, Mexico, and France, with many more countries expected.

Why

In this project, the toy car represents the interconnection that exists between all of us. Rich or poor, powerful or powerless, young or old, regardless of race, religion, culture, creed, gender or nationality, the car is an equalizer. We are all connected.

Who

The project includes a diverse range of people from all walks of life from all around the world. They range from a 75 minute-old baby to a 95 year-old World War II veteran. Laborers, artists, musicians, politicians, business people, academics, entertainers, athletes, authors, doctors, soldiers, models, activists, Pulitzer Prize winners, Nobel Prize nominees, and many others are represented.

See below for a partial breakdown of people in the project.

Media

The story of this project has been covered widely by newspapers (including the Edmonton Journal, Calgary Herald, Regina Leader-Post, Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette, etc.), radio (CBC Radio 1, 630CHED, iNews880, UP!99.3FM, 100.3THEBEAR), and television (CTV’s Canada AM, broadcast live coast-to-coast, CTV Edmonton, Global TV, Omni TV), blogs (Unmarketing) and public events (Pecha Kucha Night, etc.). Visit the media coverage page.

Who’s In It

Notable people in the project include:

Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge
Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary General of the United Nations
Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada
Stephen Harper, Paul Martin, Kim Campbell, former Prime Ministers of Canada
Gordie Howe, retired hockey superstar
Gordon Ramsay, chef, television personality, and restauranteur
Jerry Seinfeld, television personality, comedian, actor, producer
Peter Mansbridge, broadcaster, news anchor, chief correspondent for CBC News
Dave Hancock, Alison Redford, Ed Stelmach, Ralph Klein, Peter Lougheed, former Premiers of Alberta
Jack Layton, Michael Ignatieff, Gilles Duceppe, Preston Manning, former leaders of Canadian federal parties
Bob Rae, Stephane Dion, Olivia Chow, Elizabeth May, Canadian federal politicians
Sir Salman Rushdie, Margaret Atwood, Naomi Klein, Michael Ondaatje, authors
Robert Bateman, iconic artist and conservationist
Lieutenant-General Roméo Dallaire, former Canadian senator, humanitarian, author and retired general.
James Cartwright, retired U.S. Marine Corps four-star general, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The Chilean Miners, three months after their rescue from the mine
Snoop Dogg, Jim Cuddy, Alan Doyle, Blind Boys of Alabama, musicians.

Selected Breakdown Of Participants

Royalty

Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge

International Politicians

Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary General of the United Nations

Military

Lieutenant-General Roméo Dallaire., Canadian senator, humanitarian, author and retired general.
James Cartwright, U.S. Marine Corps four-star general, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Authors

Sir Salman Rushdie
Margaret Atwood
Naomi Klein
Michael Ondaatje

Canadian Prime Ministers

Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada
Stephen Harper, former Prime Minister of Canada
Paul Martin, former Prime Minister of Canada
Kim Campbell, former Prime Minister of Canada

Canadian Federal Party Leaders

Jack Layton, former leader of the NDP Party of Canada
Elizabeth May, leader of the Green Party of Canada
Michael Ignatieff, former leader of the Liberal Party of Canada
Bob Rae, former leader of the Liberal Party of Canada
Stephane Dion, former leader of the Liberal Party of Canada
Gilles Duceppe, former leader of the Bloc Quebecois
Preston Manning, former leader of the Reform Party

Canadian Premiers

Rachel Notley, Premier of Alberta
Brad Wall, Premier of Saskatchewan
Dave Hancock, Premier of Alberta
Ed Stelmach, Premier of Alberta
Ralph Klein, Premier of Alberta
Peter Lougheed, Premier of Alberta

Athletes

Gordie Howe, hockey superstar
Andrew Ference, former captain of the Edmonton Oilers
Ryan Smyth, former captain of the Edmonton Oilers

Television Celebrities

Gordon Ramsay, chef, television personality, and restauranteur
Jerry Seinfeld, television personality, comedian, actor, producer

Musicians

Snoop Dogg, rap superstar
The Jackson Brothers, pop music superstars
The Blind Boys of Alabama
Jim Cuddy
Alan Doyle

Artists

Robert Bateman, iconic artist and conservationist

Others

Peter Mansbridge, broadcaster, news anchor, chief correspondent for CBC News
The Chilean Miners, three months after their rescue from the mine

Download an overview of the project in PDF format:

Download PDF

Special Thanks

True to the theme of interconnection, this project would not be possible without the help of supporters from near and far. I owe much gratitude to anyone who has helped by opening a door or given encouragement or support. I particularly want to thank:

  1. Margo K for early and ongoing encouragement.
  2. The online society at Andrew’s Kitchen for sagacity and support.
  3. Omar Sachedina for opening doors.
  4. LouAnne Babcook for tremendous support, encouragement, generosity, guidance and idea generating.
  5. Mike Hanson for brainstorming, feedback and support.
  6. Joan Broughton for brainstorming and support.
  7. Maria Ospina for staggering enthusiasm and tireless support.
  8. Erin Clyde for explosive enthusiasm and brainstorming.
  9. Sergio Torres for support, moral and otherwise, and for being a perpetual idea machine.
  10. Joey McColm for enthusiasm, idea-generation and support.
  11. Dave K. and Natalya M. for material and psychological support.
  12. J. Black for believing that a late-night stranger was legit.
  13. Andrea Anderson for unwavering support of all kinds.
  14. anyone who took a seemingly outlandish request for a photo with a toy car seriously.
  15. all of you who comment on and share photos. That’s wind in the sails of the project.

Thank you!

WE ARE ALL CONNECTED

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