Older and Creating it part 1: Feel wall

Seniors Week is a yearly event where I am invited to exhibit the work of my students and some of my own. This year’s theme was Older and Creating It, a worthy title to underscore the importance of art in our community. Throughout the years I have learned so much as a curator and I was eager to show improvement especially regarding cohesion. By focusing on collage and mixed media, our group created an experience not only for the eyes but also inviting people to touch the work. We had a group of blind people come in to appreciate te art, I don’t know how it went but I hope that they noticed the presence of brail paper in the work.

Not all seniors are fun to be around but for some reason, the ones who make the time for our beautiful community centers are open and lovely as can be. They give me life with their vibrant energy and help me fulfill a sense of purpose. This first week of June was to celebrate them for who they are, wonderful people.

There he is, my lovely Travis, showing how fun it can be when art is interactive. Susan Carr’s composition: The Crow was the centerpiece of what we had to offer. So much care was put into weaving the delicate wire which served as a see through enveloppe to the panels. The result is an organic mesh suspended off the wall gently casting a shadow onto it.

It is deconstructionism at its best. What an ability to take her experience of the class and to litterally sculpt it into something else. A much needed pop of colour Brightens the composition and breaks up the formality of the rectangular shapes.

One of the things I really enjoy about collage is its effortless use of colour. Often painting can get technical but with collage, I find my students can unleash colour stories of their subconscious.

As you can see the art is pretty low. François, our lead curator last year, impressed upon me the idea to make art accessible to shorter people. It’s something I never though about but given that this is the Roundhouse community center, inclusion is definitely important.

Here it is, The whole wall! My piece is cropped out to the right. Oh no!

Thanks for joining me on this adventure. I litterally live to be able to use this coveted space and I am ever so grateful to my students and colleagues.

We even made a video of Seniors Week, Older and Creating It for you to enjoy!

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