kettlebook

"First Person Singular" by Winter Hammell
PHOTOGRAPHED BY GREG MASUDA
PACIFICA PHOTOGRAPHY
RSVP to 604.251.7633
or cchristensen@
thekettle.ca
1725 Venables Street
at Commercial Drive
Friday, November 26, 5 - 10pm
Saturday, November 27,11 - 6pm
Sunday, November 28,11 - 6pm
350+ pieces of multi-media art by
Kettle Members
Art
Against
stigma
The show designed to shaer the preconcepons
that people have with “mental health disability”
You are
invited to
VIP Opening
Reception
Friday, Nov. 26,
5 - 7 pm
Eastside
Culture
Crawl
Art & Artists that
Fight Stigma Against
Mental Illness
Art Raffle for exciting
artwork – funds supporting
art supplies for artists living
with mental illness
What immediately
struck me was the
quality of the art.
Several mes a new
piece would be placed in
front of my lens and I
would think “wow, that
would look good on my
wall.”
Greg Masuda,
Freelance Photographer
The following is an excerpt that appeared in the Vancouver Courier,
November 7, 2007
Marj Kidd, an arst showing at the Kele Friendship Society during
the Eastside Culture Crawl, says she somemes senses condescension
toward arsts diagnosed with mental illness. But the work that will be
displayed at the Art Against Sgma show at the mental health society
is nothing to sneer at. Art cards lled with poetry, abstract
expressionist mulmedia painngs rich with texture, landscape and
portrait painngs, photographs, intricate drawings and
thought-provoking sketches--up to 150 works by as many as 30
arsts--will be on display at the non-prot at 1725 Venables.
Jackie Novik, who helps coordinate the exhibit and has a background
in art, says arsts price their works from $10 to $450 for the event.
She said typically half of the works sell--and one arst sells out every
year--with all of the money going to the arst.
Norm Chodirker showed a stack of yet to be framed eight-and-a-half
by 11-inch acrylic and mixed media works. A vibrant mixture of
colour, form, metal and fabric, the works by the 54-year-old Emily Carr
College of Art and Design grad beg to be touched.
Kelley Montgomery showed the Courier the sketches he did while he
was living on the street, when the 35-year-old, who was diagnosed
with schizophrenia eight years ago, would sneak paper from the
library for his art materials. He's proud he has substanal work to
show for the me he spent living outdoors. He previously studied
photography and lm and will show his drawings and photos--social
commentaries and nature shots--at the exhibit.
While Montgomery and Chodirker have professional aspiraons,
Novik has had to persuade some amateur arsts--some of whom are
homeless--to submit works to the show.
"For some people it's a big deal just to see someone cares enough
about their work to put a frame on it," Novik said.
Aer Kele member and poet John Watson died, his mother, an arst,
gave the society $1,500 for a memorial fund. Since 1995, the Kele
has used the fund for grants of up to $100 for members to spend on
creave endeavours.
The Kele has given $20,000 in memorial bursaries for theatre
workshop fees, piano lessons, recording studio fees, instruments and
kning supplies.