Daily Archive

I am happy to be participating in the Connect show sponsored by the City of Vancouver, the Gathering Place and Coast Mental Health. I consider downtown Vancouver a part of my community as well as inspiration for my personal social advocacy. There is amazing physical beauty in the city, however amongst the sea, mountain and skyskrapers are personal stories of survival that are truly inspiring. These stories aren’t likely to make the front page of mass media, or have the provocative nature for a viral exposure.

Astonishingly, many of the artists in this show are either still homeless, or have been at one point, accounting for almost half the artists in the exhibition. The expression of individual struggles requires courage but the opportunity for the public to see it takes a community to make it happen.

Jeanne Krabbendam, artist and one of the organizers of the show states, “I am excited about combining artists and art from people who use social services in the Downtown South with residents, small business employees and others connected to the Downtown South of Vancouver,” If you are in town for the Winter games in Vancouver, the exhibit is open February 6th to 28th, daily 1pm-8pm and March 1st to 20th, Wednesday to Saturday 1pm-6pm.

http://coastmentalhealth.com/artshow.html