March 9 - April 2, 2023

Opening Reception: Saturday March 25 from 1-4PM

Celebrating our ABILITY to fly, sing and SOAR through the ARTS

Gallery exhibition March 9 – April 2, 2023

Among the 10,000 species of birds, there is a bird to express each of us and our desires to FLY, to SING, to SPEAK, to NEST, to MIGRATE, to LIVE FREE, and to SOAR!

Our SUPPORTIVE ARTS groups have filled the gallery with their interpretations of our avian friends:  migrating birds, land birds, sea birds, birds of prey, sparrows, swallows and songbirds – they all have unique traits and skills that make them powerful.

As we explore flight, song, and soaring, we are also invited to consider the metaphors within. We can consider how we explore and appreciate unknown places and unknown ways of being. How to see things from a new perspective, (a “birds-eye view”), and how to navigate the challenges of diversity as part of a larger group (or flock). In art, as in life, when we are celebrated for who we are, we can find courage to express ourselves creatively and connect with the world around us.

In this exhibition, artists from the Supportive Arts program at the Elora Centre for the Arts engaged with ideas collectivity and individuality. Working with various materials, they explored different ways to represent our theme of TAKING FLIGHT. Working within a theme allowed these artists to explore a range of ideas and to find their own unique voice. Each artist was able to engage their individual creativity and self-expression with each of the three art projects in the gallery, while supporting the diverse approaches of others.

Being able to make art together and appreciate the many ways we each experience the world is fundamental to being an artist. The group of artists in this exhibition have developed representational and material skills over time.  Using mindfulness, reflection and positive group critiquing, they have also grown their art making into a powerful practice. THINKING, FEELING, and MAKING together is what makes these artists fly. We hope that you will be uplifted by their work and be inspired to find the things in your life that uplift you and help you SOAR!

Background

This exhibition celebrates the work of the Elora Centre for the Arts’ SUPPORTIVE ARTS program for adults with (dis)abilities.

SUPPORTIVE ARTS welcomes individuals and their caregivers from Wellington County to a weekly program offering mindfulness, arts-based learning, and compelling artistic experiences at the Elora Centre for the Arts. This unique program aims to enhance the life of participants through creativity and connection.

The Supportive Arts program here at the Centre has grown thanks to a generous 3 year ‘Grow’ grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation.  Together with our community of participants, partner day programs, caregivers, our team of dedicated volunteers, guest artists, and arts educators, this program has nurtured our community.   With such an expansive team, we are able to bring a diversity of challenging projects to our program participants four times a week.

Supportive Arts began as a once-a -week program, and over the last 3 years has grown to 4 times a week.   By the Spring of 2023, we will have provided 321 classes to 3,248 participants.  The funding from OTF has assured much needed programming and support for adults with (dis)abilities; inspiring engagement with the arts and compelling experiences for everyone involved.

Our heartfelt thanks to the Ontario Trillium Foundation for enabling the program to SOAR and expand each year since 2019 to serve the growing demand for inclusive arts programming in our community.  We are so grateful for their support!