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Thousands of painted eyes peer out from the walls of a museum in St. Walburg, South Carolina, and are met by town residents as they view works depicting themes such as schizophrenia, fragility, and emotional strength.
Despite the pouring rain, the interior of the 105-year-old church that houses the Susan Belder Gallery & More Art Gallery was filled with laughter, conversation, and reflection.
“People are tired of thinking of mental health issues as some dirty little secret,” Deb Kerr Goodfellow, co-founder of the gallery, located just 60 kilometers east of the Alberta border, told CBC News. “That’s an outdated way of thinking.”
Invisible Winds features the work of 19 Saskatchewan artists and is named for the invisible and unspoken forces that shape the lives of those around us.
Curated by artist and gallery director Dean Boesch and supported by the Organization of Saskatchewan Arts Councils (OSAC), this exhibition explores true stories of mental health struggles.
A traveling exhibition featuring the work of established and emerging Saskatchewan artists focused on mental health has been held in a converted church-turned-art gallery in the small town of St. Walburg, Sask., 60 kilometers east of the Alberta border. The event was held just in time for Mental Health Awareness Month.
The words of Order of Canada author David A. Robertson serve as the introductory essay to this collection. Robertson is known for his autobiography. all the little monstersThe paper, which details her own struggles with depression and anxiety, argues that vulnerability is necessary to dispel stigma and bring the invisible to the fore.
“Art tells stories, and stories save lives. I know this as an indisputable fact,” Robertson wrote. “It’s not just about the art on the walls, it’s also about the life behind it: the story, the pain, resilience and hope.”
For artists like Bonnie McNab, Invisible Winds is a chance to spark conversation.
“Artists are really privileged to have art to express themselves and to be able to carve out subject matter that is relevant to other people,” McNabb said. “Maybe they’ll empathize in a different way, but it’s still relatable.”
One of her works is about her older brother and delves into the traces left on the children of alcoholic parents. She said the act of creation revealed motifs that she hopes others will embrace.
“I used an old one to create a medium-sized background.” [sewing] The pattern was a coincidence, but it was actually like, “Oh my god, this is an old pattern. It was like, ‘If we don’t know what we’re doing, this could happen again.’ ”
Holly Hildebrand’s textile art uses cotton thread to symbolize connection. Her artwork tells the story of an adopted sister’s search for familial and cultural connections to a seemingly inaccessible identity and her niece’s struggle with PTSD.
The stitched, textured portraits reveal the intertwined threads of life, while the other side of the piece tells a completely different story.
“It’s like a delicate thread that hangs down and shows a more fragile side, and it speaks to the different sides that we show about ourselves,” Hildebrand said.
“The harsh side we show to the world, and the more delicate side we hide within ourselves.”
The meaning of the art is explained in text so that the viewer can understand the deeper themes and stories that inspired the creation. Scanning the QR code will also play an audio message in which the artist or subject tells their story in their own voice.
Mr Kerr Goodfellow said the community response on opening night was encouraging and he hoped visitors could see signs of hope behind the heavy themes explored.
“I think there is healing in art, and when you look at these photos, you can see what kind of hardships this person has gone through.
“But you can also see resilience and hope in many of these photos.”
The “Invisible Winds” exhibition will be on display at Susan Belder Gallery & More until June 28 and will travel to galleries around the state for the next three years until its story is preserved in book form.
A list of galleries hosting touring exhibitions can be found on the Saskatchewan Arts Council Organization website.
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