Ron Walton, Abstract Dominos (close up), matboard on wood, 2022
Belong Where You Find Yourself is an exhibition that brings together the work of Elaine Berrard and Herb Elder, Leon and Bonnie Jones, Merle and Dean Wiley, Ron and Pat Walton, Verna Off and Amanda Babey, and Jeanette Haberstock and Twila Napoleoni. The work on display was supported and encouraged by lead artists Alana Moore and Amber Phelps Bondaroff. Much of the work in the exhibition was created over the past year, while some was started many years ago and revisited under the umbrella of this project and of our shared time together.
We embarked on this journey in March of 2022. Some of the artists participating knew each other prior, while others met through their involvement in the project. All of the artists have a number of things in common. They all call southeastern Saskatchewan home and are navigating the challenges of dementia, either for themselves or for a loved one.
Dementia is an umbrella term for the loss of memory, language, problem-solving, and other cognitive capabilities. Alzheimer’s is the most common among many forms of dementia, and symptoms may present themselves in a variety of ways. Although Alzheimer’s is at the forefront of biomedical research there is, as yet, no cure, and much is still unknown about its causes and prevention. Currently, over 18,000 people in Saskatchewan are impacted by dementia although there may be many more as the disease often goes undiagnosed.
From March 2022 – 2023, Amber and Alana visited Yorkton and surrounding communities on a monthly basis. Sometimes we met as a group at the Godfrey Dean Art Gallery, on other occasions, we met individually, sitting in kitchens, living rooms, and workshops to share stories, family photos, and cups of tea. We drew, sang songs, sewed, and shared skills. Often we laughed, and sometimes we cried but most importantly, we got to know each other, through shared creative explorations.
_ PARTICIPATING ARTISTS:
Elaine Berrard and Herb Elder Leon and Bonnie Jones Merle and Dean Wiley Ron and Pat Walton Verna Off and Amanda Babey Jeanette Haberstock and Twila Napoleoni
Belong Where You Find Yourself was overseen by lead artists Alana Moore & Amber Phelps Bondaroff, with further support from Jeff Morton, Director/Curator at Godfrey Dean Art Gallery, Yorkton, Saskatchewan, Canada.
The project included a gallery exhibition at GDAG April 5 – May 23, 2023. Belong Where You Find Yourself is one of eight interventions supported by the Dementia Supports in Rural Saskatchewan (DSRS) initiative. DSRS is a five-year (2019-2024) Collective Impact initiative undertaken by the Saskatchewan Population Health and Evaluation Research Unit (SPHERU), University of Regina, and funded in part by the Government of Canada’s New Horizons for Seniors Program. The DSRS initiative seeks to improve public awareness of the stigma and social isolation experienced by people living with dementia and their care partners in rural communities.
Follow the menu links above to learn more about this exciting project, read stories from all of the artists involved, and view documentation.
Dean Wiley, Beaver Logs, mixed media sculpture with found wood, 2022-23
*The opinions and interpretations in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Government of Canada.
