ARTIST
Riley Woodford

SENIOR
Larry McArdle

ARTFORM
Literary Arts (Poem)

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

I Don’t fear the Fog

I tell the tales or those long gone
Stitch together lives they’ve sown
But before the clouds roll in
I have a story of my own

I came some way over the cold salt sea
In the summer of fifty-eight
Slinging pots and pans like art
A chef at an air force base

Worked at the base until sixty-four
Six years flew by in an instant
Moved on, I did
Knowing I would miss it

Up I left from Anzac
To McMurray I would land
Now without the friends and base
On my own two feet I’d stand

A short time fueling monsters
Although it paid me well
Found my new home in town
Working for a hotel

The first room rented out
On a frigid day in Jan
“Welcome to the Black Cat Lounge
The manager? I’m your man”

Down the road, five years or so
I thought it would be best
Move on from my beloved Cat
And work for GC West

Worked hard I did
Saved up what I could
Bought my home in sixty-four
Nestled in Thickwood

Worked away, two decades past
Became a man to be admired
Then in 1994
My working hands retired

I thought I would be done
Kick back with the rum of spice
Just a short time later
Dragged back to manage ice

Given a handsome salary
and ten percent on top
Owner gave me an offer
So the ice business I bought

I took what was small
And put it in fast-track
Found myself having all
The oil sands site contracts

2002, approached to sell the business
But still was asked to stay
Finally in 2004
I put my working boots away

I’ve worked hard to build this life
To the knuckle every day
But the year was 1990
It was almost taken away

I fought it hard
Two surgeries on the mend
Eight years later the colon cancer
Returned to attack again

I was lucky in this life
To have someone I hold dear
I met an angel in sixty-one
That angel’s name was Clare

We built our love so solid
By putting pen to page
And that love has only grown
As we moved on in age

Love for her never-ending
As sure as the sky is blue
I put a ring on her finger
Married, the summer of sixty-two

You gave me my daughter
My forever pride and joy
She gave me three grandkids
Two girls and a boy

I would take the bus each day
To visit my darling Clare
I was informed of her progress
So I moved here to Willow Square

Inward I turn my eyes
To ponder and remiss
As the clouds start rolling
It’ll bring with it the mist

I know one day he’ll call me
Back where I belong
Don’t worry child, I trust him true
That’s why I don’t fear the fog

Drip

Drip
Drip
Drip
Evil to battle evil
Off to war
A battlefield encased in flesh and bone
To grow and destroy the host
The Cure?
Scorched Earth
To Scar
Burn
But the body is a resilient beast
Drip
Drip
Drip
Lost in thought
The future?
To be granted that grace
The past
With its peaks and valleys
Broken from thought
A painful sight
Long golden locks
A weakened face
Weary of the battle fought
The one ahead
Drip
Drip
Drip
What evil is this
To attack the young
The innocent
Tears fill the eyes
I make my plea
“Please give that pain to me
I’ve lived a life

Felt love
Fulfillment
Spare the child
Let her walk the stage
Adorned in cap and gown
Proud parents watching
Feel the extra squeeze
The one a father gives his little girl
As she walks the aisle
For her to grow old
Watch her children bloom
Hold the hand of her partner as they age
Face this world together
You blessed me with a full life
One to be admired
I am grateful
I’ve looked to you for answers
Guidance
Meaning
Now I ask a favor
I have the fight
You built me this way
Give me her affliction
Let her have her day
If this ends with us meeting
It was meant to be
Take the cancer out of her
And pass it onto me
Free her form this slow decay
Release this hateful grip
Spare her the terror
Of the soul destroying
Drip
Drip
Drip”

ARTIST
Sorina Doiculescu

SENIOR OR ELDER
Mirjami Seppanen

ARTFORM
Craft

ABOUT THE ARTWORK
This piece depicts the green lush fields in Finland with poppy flowers as a cultural ornament. Also the poppy here represents the youthful blood that runs along the Finnish lands. The snowy owl is apart of Mirjami story’s of her childhood. She was amazed by this remarkable creature, representing the white silent snow in the Finnish winters. It is a sense of joy and longevity of Mirjami’s spirit that I am illustrating in my artwork.

ARTIST
Sherry Duncan

SENIOR OR ELDER
Elder Alice Martin

ARTFORM
Craft

ABOUT THE ARTWORK
My work of art for ACWB represents nature, joy, peace and grace. All the things I hope for Elder Alice Martin. At this time, I was inspired to create something filled with natural elements as I understand that Alice loves to be outside. I picture her surrounded by children, flowers, rocks and grasses on the shores of Lake Athabasca. I wrote a poem that I hope resonates with her. I imagined her dreaming these kinds of dreams when she was a child. Children often say, “When I am older”. Now that Alice is a senior and a respected Elder, I hope that she is old enough to have had the experiences represented in the poem and on the artwork.

ARTIST
Trevor Snook

SENIOR
Elspeth

ARTFORM
Visual Arts

ABOUT THE ARTWORK
Through our conversation over two days, I learned that Elspeth always loved to paint when she was younger. She told me that she was from Scotland. I asked her what she loved about Scotland and she said she loved the big grassy cattle fields that were along the oceans edge. She loved watching the cattle grazing on them. Another inspiration for the painting was her lover for Heather flowers that grow in Scotland. She brought a packet of Heather seeds with her to our meetings so that she could paint the picture on the packet. Her painting turned out fantastic and she had so much fun. I decided to add some Heather flowers to my painting as well seeing she loved them so much. I really enjoyed painting with her at Willow Square. I was able to chat with a few other residents as well as they stopped by to check out her paint and watch her progression.

ARTIST
Ruth Perry

SENIOR OR ELDER
The Deweys

ARTFORM
Visual Art

ABOUT THE ARTWORK
I decided to crate a portrait of the Deweys in recognition of their efforts as community members. Larry and Donna Dewey are known on their street as Grandpa and Grandma Dewey and the children on their street enjoy the winter ice rink that Larry builds for them to enjoy. Larry also assists with bike tune-ups for those who need them. Larry and Donna have mentioned many community organizations that they have volunteered with. Since the flood and the pandemic they have been missing their volunteer activities, and the rough times of the flood and pandemic have affected them deeply. Larry and Donna both have positive outlooks on life and remain a positive influence on the community and people around them. The portrait is for their efforts to be community members to look up to. I appreciate and respect Larry and Donna very much.

ARTIST
Shruti Shah

SENIOR
Domadar & Basanti Pradham

ARTFORM
Visual Arts

ABOUT THE ARTWORK
The couple I was paired up with are from Nepal, they really wanted something with natural landscape. So I have painting a landscape for them from Nepal. I got inspiration from a painting I found online as well as some pictures they sent me. I wanted it to be open and inviting because they had lots of joyful memories from there!

ARTIST
Liam Renner

SENIOR
Rose Pratt

ARTFORM
Multimedia Collage

ABOUT THE ARTWORK
This piece is a multimedia collage that was created after a couple thoughtful and introspective conversations with Rose about arts and the current state of the world.

During our conversation, we covered so much I had to pull it back layer by layer and really think about what stuck out. What stuck out? Her wisdom regarding life, arts and culture. We very much agreed that our youngest artists are the future and they need to be treated accordingly, as our future. Picasso famously said, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up”. Our collective opinion was that this burden shouldn’t be the child’s, but spoke to the need for adults, mentors and parents to be creative themselves and not box a child’s thoughts but open them up to all possibilities.

This led me to create a thought provoking and colourful piece centred around a deconstructed Greek sculpture and a skull set as window blinds. The eyeless centrepiece with flowers elevating from within the skull represents free thought. The eyeless character shows that without perspective you may be unaware if the viewer is truly living. Are you alive or walking through life blind?

– Liam Renner

ARTIST
T.J. Carabeo

SENIOR
Don

ARTFORM
Acrylic on Wooden Slav

This painting was inspired by stories from a local senior, Don, who spoke of his days in Fort Chipewayan as a child. Dog sledding was a normal activity for Don, which he learned from his family. Don loved the animals, and TJ wanted to capture the beauty of Northern Alberta with its colourful background and the luminescent white snow that covers it. The natural texture of the wood slab adds to the feeling and inspiration of this piece.

ARTIST
Elizabeth Matte

SENIOR
Betty Samaroden

ARTFORM
Visual Arts

ABOUT THE ARTWORK
This painting was inspired by the stories that Betty told shared with me, incl her love for doves and gardening.

ARTIST
Jacob Kruger

SENIOR
Glen

ARTFORM
Visual Arts (Photography)

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Glen is a very interesting man who has lived and worked in Ft McMurray for decades in the
hospitality industry. It was very clear that he is rightly very proud of his achievements and
service to the community that range from chef to management in the industry. I found
myself wondering how many of our city’s great successes and achievements have been
celebrated around a great meal prepared by Glen.

His memories of our city span decades more than my own, and it was very interesting to
hear how we have changed, and how we have stayed the same. We both feel that this is a
great city to live, and both want to live out our lives here.

The photo I have produced is an abstract image that I recently took in Jasper national park
specifically with this project in mind. It represents something of a reminder and history for
both of us at this stage in our lives. It uses a technique called Intentional camera
movement (ICM – but I personally dislike acronyms, so I prefer to write it out.). I also used
a bit of PhotoShop acrobatics to put some “Glow” into the tree trunks, road surface, and
fall colors.

As I drove back from Jasper I thought about a caption for this photo and came up with the
following.

“Glen, we are both in what people call the autumn of our lives, and that is what this image
is about. Our road through this life looks a bit fuzzy now, it has curves, and there are dark
areas around it, but just look at all the bright spots we left in peoples lives. There are times
we stood proud and tall along the way, and lots of colorful experiences too. In the distance it curves, and then just disappears completely, but that is also where we shine at our brightest. Remember the bright and colorful times, and forget the dark spots, they already have no
detail left in them.”

ARTIST
Jessica McIntosh

SENIOR
Olive Wooden

ARTFORM
Literary Arts (Short Story)

ABOUT THE ARTWORK
This short story was created based on conversations with Olive Wooden as part of the Art of Conversation initiative, sponsored by Arts Council Wood Buffalo and St. Aidan’s Society. The character of Olive is based on Olive Wooden, along with relayed details of the Duck Inn she operated in the hamlet of Anzac over the course of a decade. In the fall of 2001, a team of workers did stay at her inn to build a church in Anzac. The other characters, however, are fictional. They are composites of characters and themes of Olive’s favourite work of fiction, Moby Dick by Herman Melville, and of many personalities that enjoyed the hospitality of the Duck Inn over the years.

ARTIST
Tineesha McKay

SENIOR
Tara Sauter

ARTFORM
Line Art and Macrame

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

The macramé plant-hanger and line art piece that I created for Tara Sauter was inspired by her appreciation of plants and meaningful connections. Tara’s mother fostered her love of plants at a young age, by using them for cooking and decorating the home. Captivated by her admiration of plants from our conversations, I created a macramé plant hanger for Tara’s home, and one in the illustration.

 The word “family” in Hindi (her native language) is engraved on the plant’s pot, because Tara expressed that family is the most important thing to her in the world. Family celebrations are some of Tara’s fondest memories; which sometimes involved wearing colourful and unique cultural gowns and jewelry. The colours used in the clothing and other elements of the line art are Tara’s favorite colours: green, pink, and red.

 Along with her family, connecting to others is very important to Tara because she is a social and friendly person, whom misses the days when she could simply go out for coffee with her friends. The coffee cup symbolizes the joy she experiences by getting to engage with others over coffee dates. To further tie the piece all together, the macramé material and coffee, are both derived from plants.

I am extremely grateful to the Art of Conversation project for the opportunity, and to Tara, for allowing me to create an art piece that reflects and connects the things she values most.

ARTIST
Emmalyn Soriano

SENIOR
Denise Brideau

ARTFORM
2D Visual Arts

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Love and appreciation of nature and acrylic paintings, is a shared passion during the
conversation, which led to the concept of wood slices and landscape scenery. Each detail on
the painting emphasizes love and life experiences of a very talented woman-Denise.
Snowman is one of the subjects in her acrylic paintings, which I adapt, as a representation of
Arts Council Wood Buffalo and Saint Aidan’s Society. A good relationship between artist and a
senior, which started through a phone conversation.

I learned an important lesson upon completion of this program. “Life is busy, but, it is never too
late to discover and work on your talent.” Her mother started painting at the age of 75, as she
has 10 kids to nurture. Denise started painting last year, since she is occupied with her family
and her business. They are both self-taught artist, a challenging, yet rewarding gift.

ARTIST
Colleen Cameron

SENIOR
Mardell Olsen

ARTFORM
Visual Arts

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

When Mardell and I spoke for the Art of Conversation program, she mentioned that she was from Oklahoma, USA. She grew up in “Tornado Alley.” We also talked about her love for thunder and lightning storms. 

While I was musing about what theme I would use to represent Mardell and our conversation in paint, the concept of a thunder and lightning storm kept reoccurring. 

I started researching archived photographs of thunder and lightning storms from Oklahoma. It was fascinating to see the majesty and breadth of the prairie sky overrun by the big storm clouds. Frequently, the clouds would be illuminated by shining flashes of brilliant lightning. I was reminded of growing up and sitting on our covered porch to watch the skies during the thunder and lightning storms of late summer. We frequently curled up under blankets to keep warm while the storm rolled over the old mountains and across the valley below.

My painting for Mardell is an effort to capture the awesome and majestic power of storms, particularly of a thunder and lightning storm. – Colleen Cameron

ARTIST
Dawn Booth

SENIOR
Betty Woodward

ARTFORM
Poetry

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Maskihkiwapoy with the Trees is a poem written for Elder Betty Woodward. The presentation shows the poem, along with a photograph captured by Betty of the sun through the trees.

Through our conversations, I learned we have much in common. Betty loves taking photos and writing. I believe she’s a poet, too. Though, she seemed humbly surprised when I told her. I discovered this through her Facebook posts titled: “Good Morning, World” and “Good Evening, World.

Her poetic affirmations on social media are her way of putting positivity out to others. She shared with me that she wants to remind people that there are always things in life to look forward to — the simple everyday things

This ties into the poem I wrote for her because she told me she enjoys spending time in the bush. She said it’s her place to get away from the noise, all the hustle and bustle. 

And when she heads out on Highway 63 to visit her frequent spot, she brings her camera and kettle to make tea.

It inspired me to write because I could imagine her in this place. I also learned Maskihkiwapoy is the Cree word for “medicine water” or “tea.” So, I included it in the poem’s title.

I told Betty I would like to join her in the forest someday to take photos and share tea with her and take in the silence.

Until time places us together, I will continue reading Betty’s daily messages; be enlightened by her wisdom, uplifted by her words.

ARTIST:

Tineesha McKay

SENIOR:

Rose Pratt

ARTFORM:

Visual Arts

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

The Heart of Rose

I created this art piece for Rose Pratt, in hopes to reflect her love of nature, growth, and her love for the community. Rose has lived in Anzac for most of her life, and has assisted many developments; always helping others grow. 

Pink roses and blue flowers are Rose’s favorite so I found little wildflowers that included and reflected these colour tones. As well, I used wild raspberries to paint the accents around the vase to keep things as natural as possible.

The composition was done intentionally, with the flowers framing the center pink rose. Further, directly under the rose was a leafy natural heart shape with blue accents’ demonstrating how important Rose is in the community. 

I am very thankful for the time I got to spend with, and create this piece for Rose; she is truly an inspiration. & Thanks again to the Art of Conversation, sponsored by Arts Council Wood Buffalo, for giving me the opportunity to connect and create meaningful art. 

 “Roses that are pink, 

wildflowers that are deep blue, 

the heart of community lives

on, because of people like you.”

ARTIST:

Sorina Doiculescu

SENIOR:

Alexandra Tarasenco

ARTFORM:

Visual Arts

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

It is a commemoration of symbols depicting Evghenia’s life path on this earth. A collaboration between her early life culture from East Europe, with the new grandmother life she had on the indigenous native lands of Canada. 

Native Indigenous Art side:

Her creation from the land, a pure spirit a white dove, growing through the streams of life finding her way around, blossoming and giving life to her children and caring her heart and spirit through the journey. In the later years she become one with the land; the old wise grandmother, the one that carries her children and grandchildren through the path, bestowing her knowledge and wisdom on to them. At the end she was called in the sky by her ancestors  looking over with love and protection toward her offsprings. 

Native Rusian art:

Again the little bird is present here to announce her birth. The two little matryoshka dolls are her parents that gave birth to her and she grew strong for her family of her own. Her heart is full of love, compassion and  wisdom, the elephant becoming as a matriarch of the family tree. The birds are representing her honor and charisma that she bestowed in her presence. At the end she become a star on the sky shining proudly every night and always sending light to guide her family to brightness.

ARTIST:

Elizabeth Matte

SENIOR:

Brenda Rye

ARTFORM:

Visual Arts

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

The picture is of the joining point of the Athabasca River with the Clearwater River

at the point by McDonald Island.  It is a place of decision, of which way you could go.

Brenda enjoys nature and loves the color green, and wanted a scene around Fort McMurray.

So I decided to do a nature scene of a place in Fort McMurray.

Artist

Vera Fustic

SENIOR:

Yalem Sebhat

ARTFORM:

Visual Arts

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

This painting is my visual and emotional response to Yalem’s life story. It was an honor and a pleasure to speak with this wise, bold, loving and caring woman.

Through our conversation I learned that Yalem was born, raised and established her family in Tigray region of Ethiopia, where her parents were wealthy merchants in the beautiful city of Mek’ele.

She arrived in Canada more than 10 years ago and brought the spirit and tradition of her homeland in her heart.

After a rich conversation with this amazing woman, I felt inspired to create a painting for her that invokes the colors, lights and shadows of Ethiopia.

I spoke to her after she was given the painting. She said that it reminds her of the happy, peaceful time when she was a young girl and favorite part of the day was the evening; she used to sit and watch a sunset for a long time, until the gold sky turned dark.

ARTIST:

Dianne Perry & Heggie family

SENIOR:

Barbara Chamberline

ARTFORM:

Music/Theater

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Barber Shop for Barbara
Imagine you are only ten years old. You are on the train with your Dad to the big city. He says
you are going to see a show, but you have no idea what to expect. On that day, you watch
your very first Musical LIVE. Barbara’s story starts there. She described her journey into town,
the smells, the people, and witnessing first hand the magic on stage, and feeling the energy in
the audience. Barbara described it as “captivating”. So when young performers Noah, Jack,
Vaughn, and Quinn discovered this, they wanted to make a number just for her.

We spent time learning to prepare our voices for singing, then we learnt a special song from
one of Barbara’s favorite musicals, and everyone worked together to come up with a cool
dance routine to go along with it. We practiced at home over several weeks, and just when we
thought it was all done Ms. Dianne added kazoo and slide whistle!
When Mom and Dad saw how much fun the boys were having they could not help but want to
join in. Then Ms. Dianne’s Doggie Choir joined in. Then the Ravens joined in. Before you could
say “Whistle” everyone within earshot was singing for Barbara – although the pooches were
slightly out of tune.

Barbara our senior inspired us to learn a song and dance, but she also inspired another thing –
the birth of “The Von Heggie Family Singers”.
Thank you for inspiring us to learn ‘I Whistle A Happy Tune” from the Musical “The King and I”!
Enjoy the outtake video below, and for the full routine click here:
https://youtu.be/rxQxq24U-ME

ARTIST:
Dianne Perry & The Reed Family

SENIOR:

Florence Hynes

ARTFORM:

Visual Arts

ABOUT THE ARTWORK
 

Florence Plays Ball
When Florence met the young artists, she inspired us to create theatre, and an art project – so
that’s what we did! Florence was matched with the Reed Family, Katelyn, Andrew, Jared and
Bryan, guided by teaching artist Dianne Perry. There were so many ideas after talking to
Florence that we could not decide what to do, so we did a little bit of everything! In our piece
we tell the story of Florences life in a small play inspired by the stories she shared with us when
she was little, and created an art project to gift her as a keepsake too.

We created a Newfoundland in wood, combining the colors of her original painting “Memories
of Home” by Shauna Darbyshire. We learned how to transfer a picture via a grid system, how
to use a Dremel, and experimented with color theory. We created the Steel Alberta Rose with
the help of Jeremy Gillespie and his welding machine. Our script for “Florence Plays Ball” cast
the whole family in a play that commemorates her journey across Canada as a young woman
adorned with some funny moments she experienced. The play ends with a real life baseball
game with Florence hitting it out of the park!

The gift we presented to her is of her beloved Newfoundland, but with a little twist; a Steel
Alberta Wild Rose mounted at the top. Florence often said “Home is where the Heart is” and
we chose the Alberta Wild Rose as a reflection of how we saw her – A delicate and beautiful
flower that had a will of steel. We also wanted to gift her a bit of Alberta, because after all,
Home is where the Heart is, and right now we are very happy that you call Fort McMurray
Home

Artist:

Fran Beausoleil

SENIOR:

Marilyn Schulz

ARTFORM:

Visual Arts

ABOUT THE ARTWORK
When we moved to Fort McMurray in late summer, I had pondered the question about how cold winter would be. When I was talking about this project with my senior, I had a lot of visions of blue. Mostly relating to ice and chilly temperatures. Although there was many cold nights where the temperature was -50, I kept holding onto the idea of spring. This is the hope. Things will bloom again soon. I had to envision the light at the end of the tunnel. The skirt has blues, related to ice/cold, and the pinks and greens represent spring. 

Artist:
Samson Nand

SENIOR:
Jeff O’Reilly

ARTFORM:
Music

ABOUT THE ARTWORK
Regarding the lyrics, I tried my best to summarize the essence of Jeff highlighting how positive he is and try to illustrate his travels, his wonderful parents and his amazing woodworking skills. In regards to the choice I made with the music Jeff let me know he’s a big B.B. King fan so I did my best to write a blues style song for him.

Lyrics

More than just a master carpenter

Well let me tell you about my friend who’s got mad skills

And he’s not just a cool, kind, cat that plays mean drum fills

He’s a master carpenter that always kills (at everything he does!)

He’s got a heart of gold and he’s originally from the rock

He’s just one of the b’ys that’s seen his fair share of docks

But he’s also a townie that knows all the folk on the block

Now his mom and dad were truly the salt of the earth

Serving tours with the USO and the Korean War

Good and honest compassionate folk god rest their souls (and that’s the truth!)

And so, the master carpenter eventually came west

To the land of milk and honey, yeah, I’m talking about Fort Mac

He’s lived a life so full of joy and no regrets

He’s live a life so full of joy and no regrets

This one’s for you Jeff!

ARTIST:

Amanda Rivers

SENIOR:

Rudy Loy

ARTFORM:

Visual Arts

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Rudy is an unforgettable human. He shared so many memories and life experiences with me.  I visited with him for about an hour and in that hour it felt like I had met 7 people.

 Rudy is a naturally gifted mechanic. He told me a friend of his had a brand new red Massey Harris tractor that had stopped working. This friend had tried everything he could to get the tractor up and running again. His dad told him to get Rudy. “Rudy can fix anything.” The stubborn friend refused. If the mechanic couldn’t fix it there’s no way Rudy would be able to figure it out. Eventually they needed the tractor and were willing to try anything even to get Rudy to come take a look. Rudy told me he stood 10 feet away from the tractor looking at it and knew almost immediately what the problem was. He was able to get parts from broken down cars on the farm and as the sun was setting Rudy told his friend to start the tractor. It started! And Rudy remembers hearing his friend’s dad say “I told you Rudy could fix it!” While jumping around on his front porch. 

After hearing that story I knew immediately I wanted to paint that moment for Rudy. I’ve made the sun resemble some of Rudy’s woodworking pieces. In our visit Rudy showed me some songs he recorded and mixed. They were beautiful to experience with my synesthesia. Those colors are reflected in the colors of the sunset. 

Anytime Rudy would tell a story I would write a few notes down as to not forget. He would stop and wait for me to finish and then would say “can I finish telling my story now?” One story would end and another would start. There’s no way he could ever really finish telling his story because he continues to create memories that will last a life time and beyond. 

ARTIST:

Melanie Budgell

SENIOR:

Deidre Allen

ARTFORM:

Crafts

ABOUT THE ARTWORK
Quilt : This is a unisex baby quilt that was requested, she thinks the gentleman who drives her to and from Church will make a great father. She wanted the blanket to be mainly yellow and as colorful as possible. 

The Pillow:  This is a Fiber Arts creation using black and white embroidered silhouettes that displays the important stories in her life.  Her career as a bus driver, bringing workers to and from various sites here in town. Her two boys, and her golden retriever Marshall.   It was originally intended to be a wall hanging; however, she would find the pillow much more practical. 

ARTIST
Kiran Malik-Khan

SENIOR
Sajida Hassan

ARTFORM
Poetry

ABOUT THE ARTWORK
But why?
But why should anyone know of that which ails my heart…?
She asks with a smile
Contentment – a gift from Above
Her choice, her gift, her habit
She – an ocean of kindness for all
her pearl-soft words, that velvet tone
Forgive and forget – her policy – followed by action
She – an ocean of calm
Blessed with contentment
Always.

ARTIST
Shannon Whitbread

SENIOR
Effie Pope

ARTFORM
Painting

ABOUT THE ARTWORK
Growing up in Botwood Newfoundland, Effie described some of her warmest memories of her childhood being of her mother sewing and knitting pajamas and mittens for her to wear.  Now, living in Alberta, Effie knits for her grandchildren and reflects on the time spent with family in Newfoundland.

The image depicted in my painting is of Killick Island just off the coast of Botwood. I chose to paint on a knitted shawl to signify the knitting of Effie’s mother as well as the warmth felt by Effie, when reflecting on those memories.

ARTIST
Sorina Doiculescu

SENIOR OR ELDER
Doreen Berresford

ARTFORM
Craft

ABOUT THE ARTWORK
Family bond is very strong for Doreen so I made her this heart representing the love for them, the blue pieces represent the memories and nostalgia. This piece itself depicts time passing through family generations. Starting from her being a child and her mother holding hands, then her as a mother with her girl and finally her as a grandmother and her grandchild. The motherhood side is fall leaves, autumn change, passing time, maturity. The right side of the child is spring new beginning in life, new energy and hope. Both of them wearing the iconic red dress that is an important part in Doreen’s memories and it represents long lasting love for her family.

ARTIST
Nicole Davis

SENIOR OR ELDER
Mabel Laviolette

ARTFORM
Sculpture

ABOUT THE ARTWORK
Mabel and I really connected about finding solace in nature during the pandemic. This piece shows the journey of grief and how we connect to our departed loved ones through signs in nature. The base of the sculpture is exposed wood showing the tree’s rings of age and time; making no effort to hide the beauty that age and experience can bring. The hands are extending from an inverted clay turtle shell. Mabel has her own spiritual views that acknowledge tradition, but also include her own personal twist. Mabel is the grounded bird at the base of the sculpture. The hands open up to a blue bowl symbolic of Lake Athabasca. The hands are helping release the spirits that need to finish their transition, and her late husband sits prominently as the red bird on top of moss. The moss is symbolic of the earth where Mabel has made many tobacco offerings to show her gratitude. Beside the bowl sits a bird’s nest with an egg symbolizing her children whom she holds so dear. As an artist, I hope that I am able to show the beauty, inspiration, and wisdom of Mabel and her life experience through this sculpture.

ARTIST
Marina Francis

SENIOR OR ELDER
Astrid Dézèntjé

ARTFORM
Acrylic Painting on 12 x 16 Wood Panel

ABOUT THE ARTWORK
I created this acrylic painting on a 12 x 16 wood panel. “Scheveningen Beach” came to life through a series of conversations I had with a local resident, Astrid Dézèntjé. The painting was a collaborative effort, in which I used many conversations with Astrid to draw inspiration for the painting. Astrid and I share a love for vibrant colours and expressive brushstrokes. I wanted to create a landscape that would act as a snapshot into Astrid’s past. Astrid grew up in the Hague and shared many happy memories of spending time by the North Sea. “Scheveningen Beach” is a tribute to Astrid. Like the North Sea, Astrid’s spirit is formidable, resolved, and beautiful. I hope “Scheveningen Beach” brings her joy whenever she sees it.

ARTIST
Kiran Khan

SENIOR OR ELDER
Elder Pollyanna McBain

ARTFORM
Poetry

ABOUT THE ARTWORK
Not a thing about her is chaotic
She calls her friends “beautiful nation”
A luminous soul
Her confetti kindness –
Everywhere, for everyone
Our Elder – A river of wisdom
Love, humility, courage – personified
A nurturer, a teacher
The Whirlwind Woman of
confetti kindness

ARTIST
Nelly Wati

SENIOR OR ELDER
Wanda Smith

ARTFORM
Balloon Art

ABOUT THE ARTWORK
This piece highlights the things that Wanda is passionate about. Once upon a time, she was a nurse. She grew up in New Brunswick (lobster), she lived in Paris (Eiffel Tower at the back), she loved travelling and has traveled to many places (plane).

ARTIST
Riley Woodford

SENIOR OR ELDER
Denise

ARTFORM
Poetry

ABOUT THE ARTWORK
When I spoke with Denise, she spoke most about her father and how much she missed him. She was also dispatch at a cab stand for a number of years. My idea for Denise was “what if someone called for a cab, but it was her dad.” That idea bounced around for a while, and first started out as a dream that she was having, where she wakes up and it was all over, but I didn’t like the loneliness of that ending. In its current form, I have the poem printed onto a canvas attached to a whiteboard, so that she could write messages to her dad. The idea was that reading the poem would transport her to heaven’s gates, so that she could converse with her father. This is paralleled in the poem’s title: “Final Say”, where she gets to have the final words to this piece.

POEM
Another slow somber night
Not a soul seen
Just a creak of the walls
As the frost bites at its timbers

A gentle hum of the radio
Dead air.
But enough to cut the silence
Not enough to free my mind
Free it from boredom’s chatter

It’s the moments like these
The silence
The calm

The rolodex of thought
Some coherent
Others junk
Let me focus in on you

Your strength
Your struggle
Your sacrifice
Your pain

The conversations we had
The time we shared
All flicker like the flame of a candle
As it glows in the dark

Shhhhhhhh

Then the silence is cut
By the chill in my bone
A strong sensation
That I’m not alone

I was scared at first
But from fright it went calm
By the feeling, the tingle
A hug that’s long gone

Just like it was on purpose
The phone screams on its base
When I looked at the ID
The color left my face

“Dear Old Dad”

Snatched the phone
Like a bullet, no lie
Put the receiver to my face
Sheepishly, I said “Hi”

Inside I know it’s a lie
Just a trick of the brain
How could it be anything else?

“Is this my little girl?
If so, I need a ride.”
With that my stomach filled
One hundred butterflies inside

“Dad, is that you?”
Not knowing what I’d hear
Then with a laugh
“Of course, my dear”

“I need a ride, my girl
I can even pay
God let me out of hoeaven
But only for a day”

I run to the car
Pull it out of the drive
The smile I have
Impossible to hide

I drive until I see a light
That’s blinding me
I push forward for I know
Beyond that the man I long to see

I drive and I drive and just like that
I’m at the pearly gate
Excitement sets in
And I start to shake

I’ve waited so long
To have this day
Now I can se ehim
Here’s what I’ll say…

ARTIST
Sharon Heading

SENIOR OR ELDER
Elder Rita Marten

ARTFORM
Visual Arts — 8″ x 8″ birch on birch panel

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Seasons For Rita is a mixed media piece on birch bark mounted on a birch panel. When I spoke to Rita she had a very positive attitude about her life and her love of the land was clear in every conversation. She loves the seasons and the different activities that come from the land with each season. She talked about living in large white tent that was made by her mother. They stayed there until it was too cold and her family then moved into a winter cabin. When she attended the residential school in Fort Chipewyan, her mum would make her a new pair of moccasins to start each school year. They would be taken from her when she arrived at school and locked in a cupboard until the end of the school year.

Each year she proudly makes a pair of moccasins for her grandson to wear for the Rock your Mocs program at his school. It is a wonderful way to keep him in touch with his heritage.

After listening to Rita’s story and her love of the land and the seasons, I created Seasons for Rita. The background is the familiar view of the Athabasca Delta that can be seen from the shore in Fort Chipewyan. The four birch bark cut-outs represent the four seasons. The beads represent Rita’s life through the seasons. The tiny moccasins represent her culture that can now be proudly on display.

It was an absolute pleasure meeting Rita on the phone. I look forward to meeting her in person and continuing to get to know her once this pandemic is over.

ARTIST
Colleen Cameron

SENIOR OR ELDER
Mildred (Milli) Gosse

ARTFORM
Visual Arts — 16″ x 20″ Acrylic on Canvas

ABOUT THE ARTWORK
This painting depicts several of the oldest historic buildings in the beautiful outport village of Trinity on the magnificent Bonavista Peninsula in Newfoundland. The village’s blend of new and restored historic buildings reflects the hardy and determine snature of the early settlers and the people who call Newfoundland their home.

This art piece was inspired by conversations with Senior Millie Gosse. She is a wonderfully friendly, resourceful and upbeat person. Millie was born and raised in Trinity Bay, Newfoundland. The values she learned translated into her connectedness with Nature and her deep caring for others. Her life story ranges across decades filled with helping others, and across Canada from Trinity Bay to Carbonear; to Ontario and on to Fort McMurray, Alberta. Millie embodies the strength and resiliency of East Coasters… if life gives you lemons, you make Lemonade.

Summertime on the East Coast is full of colourful flowers and plants, all crowding together to bloom and grow during the short, intense period of warmth. Flowering Yellow Forsythia; Lupins in purples, yellows and pinks; cheerful yellow Buttercups and Dandelions compete with white wild Strawberry and Blueberry blossoms to provide a lush carpet of Mother Nature’s best colours. Millie dances with the joy of flowers in the breeze.

Trinity, which boasts one of the best safe and spacious harbours, perhaps in the world, has been a shelter from the sea conditions of The North Atlantic Ocean for hundreds of years. Trinity faces Iceberg Alley and frequently hosts gigantic icebergs that run aground in the shallow waters near the harbour on their way south from the Greenland iceberg calving grounds.

The bright colours of the historic houses and the wildflowers beautifully reflect the cheerful, humourous attitude of traditional hardworking Newfoundlanders. Millie and her hometown embody the best of those who live by The Sea.

ARTIST
Caitlin Wilson

SENIOR OR ELDER
Norman Cree

ARTFORM
Music

ABOUT THE ARTWORK
I wrote this song for a man named Norm. I only talked to him once or twice, but what I learned about him is he’s worked a lot of different jobs, he likes animals, has two daughters, and he’s lived in Fort McMurray his whole life. I moved here in January of this year, so I was new to everything, and while Norm was telling me what this city was like back when it was a small town, all I could think about was how much it has changed. A few minutes after that call, it hit me, I figured out what I wanted to write about. So when you hear this song, don’t think about the girl who wrote it, instead think about the man who lived it.

LYRICS
It all started in a small town
Called Fort McMurray
Surrounded by trees and a lake or two
Its got one store and a small cafe

And I say

Through the ups, and all the downs
We all grow and change a bit
Through the ups and all the downs
You’ll never forget this town
You’ll never forget this town.

It all started in this small town
Which grew and grew so fast
New jobs came up everywhere
But they didn’t last

But still I say,

Through the ups and all the downs
We all grow and change a bit
Through the ups and all the downs
You’ll never forget this town

Day by day
Week by week
Month by month
Year by year

ARTIST
Sorina Doiculescu

SENIOR OR ELDER
Peggy Bourke

ARTFORM
Visual Arts

ABOUT THE ARTWORK
This painting is a representation of life worth living. I had the distinct pleasure of chatting over the phone with an Elder from Fort Chipewyan in Northern Alberta, Canada. Through this conversation, we remind ourselves how nature is reviving every spring, as a circle of life that we are all a part of. Flowers are the symbol of living fully and blossoming every day, in any moment that you come across in your path.

ARTIST
Shauna Darbyshire

SENIOR OR ELDER
Libby Farrell

ARTFORM
Visual Arts

ABOUT THE ARTWORK
As a young child Libby felt certain with her whole heart that she would one day join the circus and become the lady who rides the elephant. This vision did not come to pass, but her many spontaneous journeys to places such as Greece, Spain, India, Thailand, and Egypt proved to be just as colourful and breathtaking as any circus. Also featured: her beloved dog, Lucy. – Shauna Darbyshire

FROM LIBBY
“I’m honoured to have taken part with Shauna in this project from Arts Council. I’m overwhelmed with your creation. Thank you so very much.”

ARTIST
Matthew Marcel

SENIOR OR ELDER
Beverly Tourangeau

ARTFORM
Visual Arts

ABOUT THE ARTWORK
I was inspired by how Beverly is always putting others ahead of herself and trying to help others, because she knows what it is like. – Matthew Marcel

ARTIST
Éva LaPrairie

SENIOR OR ELDER
Patsy Gabriel

ARTFORM
Music

ABOUT THE ARTWORK
For my Art Piece, after speaking with Patsy, I decided to write a song about her life, from childhood to now. I decided to keep it simplistic, just vocals and acoustic guitar, with echo effects on guitar, and reverb on vocals.

Patsy told me many details about her life: She moved from Newfoundland
to Fort McMurray in 1976 with her ex-husband. She came from a very large family of 21 siblings in a small town. A place where everyone knew each other, and everyone would help each other out.

She learned important values from her mother growing up: always lend a helping hand, treat others with respect, look out for one another, help one another when at all possible, come together as a community and that we are all equal.

She’s a very social type of person and would love to go out on the weekends to socialize and go dancing. Her favourite places were The Legion and The Newfie Club. She always had a blast dancing with her friends on the weekend. She also told me one of her favourite artist’s is Johnny Reid who she has seen a couple times in Fort McMurray. She enjoys a lot of country music, some newer country music but mostly the classics.

Patsy feels as though the world is quite different from how she grew up. She finds people are more materialistic now, self-centered, and less empathetic. “People used to be outside all the time,” she recalls. There was nothing else to do really, and no technology, so she was always outside and playing with her siblings. “I had a really good childhood,” she recalls, “no complaints.”

Arts Council decided to team Patsy up with myself, because she is blind, and they thought it would be a good match, since I am a songwriter. She can listen to my art piece once it is created.

After talking to Patsy, I instantly felt positive, happy-go-lucky vibes from her. She knows the true meaning of life and values the people greatly in her life. She always takes the opportunity to socialize, has good values and appreciates all of life’s moments.

During quarantine, she has found it hard not to go socialize with friends or go on outings, she says she has been keeping herself busy by chatting to friends on the phone.

I wanted to write a song for her that had a nice, uplifting melody, while keeping it simplistic. An almost classic, country, pop sounding song. The main message of the song is that we should all be more like Patsy, enjoy life, dance in the moment, keep it simple, help one another; that is the secret to happiness.

I will include the lyrics for Patsy’s Song in this description, it will showcase the reflection of her life and life values. I will also be attaching the MP3 recording so you can hear the melody and overall creation of vocals and acoustic guitar together.

I am mostly a live performer, and this is my first time recording and producing music on my own with The Logic Pro X technology. I am still learning and getting used to this program; however, I tried my best to record the song in a raw, live-room type of setting. Thank you for asking me to be a part of this project, it was an honour to interview and create an art piece uniquely for Patsy.

– Éva LaPrairie

LYRICS
In ’76, I came up from Newfoundland
My mama taught me good values, always lend a helping hand
My siblings (all 21) say I’m a social butterfly
You can always find me outside or dancing into the night

Oh Patsy
Take me dancing on the weekend
At the legion
See all my good, good friends
Cause Good times never end
And Patsy
Keep on smiling, Keep on spinning
Keep on winning….
Have a good, good time
cause we can dance all night
Keep on dancing all night
Keep on smiling so bright
Keep on, keeping on…

Patsy you say the secret to life is simple
Respect one another, we are all so equal
Growing up in a small town, I’ll take this with me
Helping each other is the only way to be free

And Patsy Take me dancing on the weekend
At the legion
See all my good, good friends
Cause Good times never end
And Patsy
Keep on smiling, Keep on spinning
Keep on winning….
Have a good, good time
cause we can dance all night
Keep on smiling so bright
Keep on dancing all night
Keep on, keeping on

In the middle of the night
You may think of where you’re from
A small friendly town
Never stop being who you really are
You bring love everywhere you go

And Patsy
Take me dancing on the weekend
At the legion
See all our good, good friends
Cause good times never end
And patsy keep on laughing
Keep on dreaming
Keep on scheming
Have a good, good time
Just you and I

Keep on smiling so bright
And keep on dancing all night
And Keep on, keeping on
And keep on, keeping on
(Repeat) Keep on dancing all night.

LISTEN TO “PATSY’S SONG” BY CLICKING ON THE LINK BELOW

ARTIST
Caius Hubris (Cory Huber)

SENIOR
Rudy Loy

ARTFORM
Craft & Music

LISTEN TO RUDY’S SONG
Apple Music
Spotify

ABOUT THE ARTFORM
I made this song for an 84-year-old gentleman named Rudy. Rudy, like me, is a hobby-woodworker, except I have two years of experience and he has like 30 or 40. After an hour and a half on the phone, we ended up spending almost the entire day together. I went over to his house and he showed me his workshop. He showed me how he set up many individual workstations that accomplished basically one very specific task in the construction of heirloom, ornate, in-laid wooden boxes.

Rudy can’t sell these boxes, because it would mess with his pension, but he does donate them to charities and has raised something like tens or thousands of dollars for children’s charities from around the world. As he was taking me around his house, it became very obvious that he had a hand in the construction of everything around there from shelves to beautiful picture frames that were custom-made for the art or photograph inside them.

He was telling me about his living room. When Rudy retired with his wife, he said that he wanted to build (custom) every piece of furniture in the living room. Unfortunately, after he finished the first piece (a coffee table), his wife died early. That part hit me the hardest about his life story. The idea that you have this unfinished business. It stuck out as a very powerful detail about his life for me.

After he showed me all of his really detailed and good work around his house, he took me downstairs and showed me some of his instruments. That’s when I realized that this gentleman that I’m having a conversation with is almost like talking to myself from the future. We go downstairs and he shows me his guitars and his records of him playing some songs that he loves from when he was growing up. Many of them were waltzes. I thought I need to make a song about this man’s life. And it has to be in the style that he would have chose.

I usually make very experimental hip-hop and that just didn’t fit. This time, I knew that it had to be a waltz. So I chose a 3/4 waltz format. I had the hook on the car-ride home from his house, based on the conversation that we had, and I fleshed it out from there, to an entire song.

– Caius Hubris (Cory Huber)

Cory also crafted a small wooden box, reminiscent of the boxes that Rudy creates, and gifted it to Rudy with a USB containing his custom-composition.

WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ARTFORM

ARTIST
Shauna Darbyshire

SENIOR OR ELDER
Florence Hynes

ARTFORM
Visual Arts

ABOUT THE ARTWORK
Whether she is visiting in her memories or enjoying a special trip home to Newfoundland, Florence likes to pick up her shoes, head to the water, and experience the ocean she loves so much.
– Shauna Darbyshire

ARTIST
Sherry Duncan

SENIOR OR ELDER
Norman Cree

ARTFORM
Craft

ABOUT THE ARTWORK
Mr. Cree and I had a lovely conversation over FaceTime. I feel so honoured to have been invited to have this conversation with him. Mr. Cree was born on the Clearwater River in a log home. He was one of 16 children. I tried to imagine what it might have been like living in Fort McMurray all those years ago. Mr. Cree is an experienced hunter and trapper. I understand that his trapline covered 70 miles. He shared with me that he had 3 very faithful dogs emphasizing that they were “good, fast dogs.” He talked about his beautiful daughters, Sally, Norma, Paulette and Nancy. I asked Mr. Cree what his favourite song was and he mentioned “You are my Sunshine.” I sang the first verse and encouraged him to sing along. I sang it again and to my absolute joy and delight when he sang with me. Music has a timeless quality. I knew that I wanted to paint a guitar for Mr. Cree. I asked my local friends and a young 17 year-old lad had this guitar that he no longer played. He donated it to me for this project. Acrylic paints, pens, modge-podge and spray varnish were used to create the story on the guitar.
– Sherry Duncan

ARTIST
Sharon Heading

SENIOR OR ELDER
Alan Reeve

ARTFORM
Visual Arts

ABOUT THE ARTWORK
When Alan was a Police Officer, he was handed a camera by his boss and told that it was his job to do the crime scene photography. A daunting task in my mind.

The interesting thing is that his boss told him “You’re not just taking a picture; you have to tell a story.” That resonated with me, because Alan tells stories in the photography that he does now (which are not crime-scene-related), but it made me think of the magpies I battle in my yard, and how they are kind of like thieves. It made me think of how Alan might handle that battle or share that story.

For this particular project, I used pastel pencils. I do a lot of pastel work, but pencils were new for me, inspired by another artist in our community.

“The Scene of the Crime” is a depiction of magpies being essentially thieves. They are taking things from other places and incorporating them into the nest. In the nest, I have some “scene-of-the-crime” tape, you’ll see keys and visa cards — all marvellous things that they have collected from the community.
– Sharon Heading

ARTIST
Kiran Malik-Khan

SENIOR OR ELDER
Aunty Reena: Chandip Kaur

ARTFORM
Poetry

POEM
I’ve chosen joy
I’ve chosen peace
With the passage of years
These choices of ease
have made me who I am
I am — wisdom
I am — power
I am — sacrifice
I am — an ever-present smile
I am — a lover of words
I am — these choices
And so much more
I am — that which you don’t know
I am — that which you will know
I’ve chosen joy
I’ve chosen peace
With the passage of years
These choices of ease

ARTIST
Ryan McCann

SENIOR OR ELDER
Miriam Kesselring

ARTFORM
Poetry

POEM
I talked to someone today, that I didn’t even know
We chatted for an hour, in the end there was a glow
On my face as I hung up the phone, she was so very nice
Her name is Miriam, a golden conversation isn’t worth any price
She had a sweet accent, she’s from the land of the Fins
How she spoke about her family coming to Canada, just gave me the grins
Herself and Daniel, who was her husband, travelled to Ontario
In November 3rd, 1970, in the end as a strong couple would show
How 2 young kids from Europe, could make it on their own together
For fun she would read good books, and enjoy the nice weather
Those warm summer night with all the stars in the sky
It was kind of dark, but she felt safe, and didn’t ask the question why
Mother Nature was there to protect her from anything that was bad
In the winter walks home, snow brightened her smile and she was always far from being sad
She has a son, Andreas, and from what I heard, she’s really proud of that
You’re a good mother, and I respect you, and I take off my hat
To understand that sometimes things can be really rough
But in the end our experiences make us really tough
I enjoyed talking to you today, Mrs. Miriam Kesselring
I wish nothing for the best for you, hoping you wake up each morning and hear the birds sing
To appreciate life, every minute, each day, and every year
And feel confident and beautiful when you look into that mirror
Like you said to me, sometimes life’s fate is beyond our personal powers
I hope you continue to garden again, planting tasty veggies and colourful flowers.

ARTIST
Liam Renner

SENIOR OR ELDER
Brenda Rye

ARTFORM
Visual Arts Collage

ABOUT THE ARTWORK
This piece is a multimedia collage that was created after a wild conversation with Brenda about arts and the current state of the world. This led me to create a very vibrant and colourful piece that matched her personality which inspired me to go back to my early days of art and graffiti in the era of the 90s and early 2000s. The centrepiece of the faceless person in “Amerycan Graffiti” is symbolic of the artists that pushed the boundaries of illegal art to where the culture currently exists. – Liam Renner

ARTISTS
Drums: Glen Miller
Bass: Chris Pottie
Keys, Guitars: Brandon Bryson
Spoken Word Poetry & Artwork: Meghan Whitmore
Design, Guitars, Vocals: Xach Edward
Recorded and Produced: Xach Edward, Glen Miller, Chris Pottie and Brandon Bryson

SENIOR OR ELDER
Krystina Poltorak

ARTFORM
Visual Arts & Music

ABOUT THE ARTWORK
In conversation with Krystina we got a little bit of insight into where she is in her life, where she’s been, and how she feels in her current situation. Krystina was very honest and forthright about what she’s thankful for, and some of the obstacles she faces, making it easy for us to connect with her and relate to her experience.

We wanted our piece to express the feelings of isolation, self doubt and neglect that we commonly associate with our elderly community members, but that many of us feel regardless of what period of our lives we’re currently experiencing. By using samples of our actual conversation and letting the listener hear Krystina’s voice, her creativity, her charm, her cheerfulness and some of her sadness, we’re attempting to help make it easier for listeners to connect with her and her experience through her own words. The overall sentiment is echoed in the last line of the last verse: “don’t wait for them, come and find us.” The hope being that our subject can find the motivation to seek out others who feel the same and find comfort in their company. Much easier said than done, of course.

LYRICS
“Not important” on your forehead
“Worthless, lost and oft forgotten”
Words you tattoo on your back to
Read when you look at your rear view

Words you repeat in your deep sleep
Keep you deceived and you believe
You’re not loved and you’re alone
You feel unwelcome when you’re home

Tired eyes and suffocating, under the weather
Just need more sunshine and I’ll be fine
I’m just boring and forgotten
Nothing wild, nothing normal
We are not alone, they are coming
They are here, I know it to be true
Liberation, freedom for you all
For me, I am perfect, I am sane
I am brilliant, not in vain
Wild emptiness inside my head
That’s what the doctors said and
Lights are flashing in the background
Waves are crashing on the pavement
I am not alone, I am coming home

All your meds and words unsaid
Regrets and dead ends in your head

You’ve been lost but now you’re found
Don’t let voices push you around
You’re not alone, shake off the rust
Don’t wait for them… come and find us

All your meds and words unsaid
Regrets and dead ends in your head
Best days passed you, sunsets last few
Curtains drawn turn royal light blue

ARTIST
Terri Mort

SENIOR OR ELDER
Francia Panopolis

ARTFORM
Visual Arts — Acrylic Painting, 24″ x 30″

ABOUT THE ARTWORK
FINDING FRANCIA’S STORY
I created this piece after several conversations with ninety-four-year-old Francia Panopolis with the help of facilitator, Krysta Villenueve. Francia, a French-Canadian, grew up in Montreal and moved to Fort McMurray twenty years ago. Pockets of our conversations went back to her relationship with her husband, Alexander. Alexander’s Greek family owned a chain of restaurants. Francia would play Greek music on the piano along with travelling to Greece several times and learning the language.

PAINTING THE BRIDE
Inspired by her wedding photo, in the painting I have aimed to capture the spirit of Francia as a bride. The many colours represent the richness of her life and embracing of Greek heritage It made me realize that when a person embraces the life of another, they will often take on the traditions of their spouse; through food, family, language, and culture. My painting is an illustrative style. I love pop art and vivid hues, so used typical print making colours; magenta, cyan, yellow and turquoise with a fusion of blue found in Greek architecture and Mediterranean seascapes.

ABOUT THE ARTIST
I grew up in South Wales, United Kingdom, moving to Canada when I was in grade twelve. I studied Graphic and Environmental Design at Grant MacEwan College and graduated in Fine Arts and Education from the University of Lethbridge. I like painting landscapes and portraits, primarily working in watercolour, ink and acrylic. I’m a high school Art and Drama teacher, who enjoys mask making, being an actor and director. When not on stage or in the art room, I can be found relaxing at home with partner Ben, skiing and cycling the Fort McMurray trails or travelling abroad.
– Terri Mort

ARTIST
Elizabeth Matte

SENIOR OR ELDER
Marlene Hall

ARTFORM
Visual Arts

ABOUT THE ARTWORK
The inspiration for this piece was conveyed to me, during our conversation on a phone visit. As per The Art in Conversation Project, sponsored by Arts Council Wood Buffalo and the St. Aidan’s Society.

Marlene Hall described to me her love for cabin life and respect for nature, and decided to call the piece, Peace Be Still. To inspire slowing down and enjoying nature and all its beauty in the area that she lives.
– Elizabeth Matte

ARTIST
Enya Dange

SENIOR OR ELDER
Freida Reid

ARTFORM
Visual Arts

ABOUT THE ARTWORK
When you first look at the painting, you’re greeted with a plain scenic landscape with a some hills and boat, but I like to think of it as something more. The main elements inspired by my conversation are hidden beneath the paint, which cannot be identified at first glance. It has a picnic basket and blanket to signify my partner enjoyed picnics. She also is originally from Newfoundland, so I wanted to illustrate the wonders of living in such a province in a simple and endearing manner.
– Enya Dange

ARTIST
Delaney Dalheim

SENIOR OR ELDER
Frank

ARTFORM
Visual Arts

ABOUT THE ARTWORK
My final piece for the Art of Conversion project with Arts Council Wood Buffalo is a portrait of a grey wolf, which not only presents the facial structure and definitive features of this breed of wolf, but also demonstrates human characteristics, particularly its large, hyper-realistic blue eyes that that make you feel more connected to the piece. I chose to do this as me and my senior I was paired with for the project named Frank discussed wolves during our call, and I observed he also had these dark blue eyes, as that is the most definitive facial feature when I am first introduced to a new person. I modelled the wolf to have these blue eyes that struck you when you first look at the art so you would feel more connected and the piece would make you think. – Delaney Dalheim

ARTIST
Colleen Cameron

SENIOR OR ELDER
Elder George Vermillion

ARTFORM
Visual Arts — Acrylic on Canvas

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

The Fort Chipewyan Delta, 2020; 16″ x 20″

The Fort Chipewyan Delta was inspired by the positive reaction of Elder George Vermillion to a small study painting I had completed of the Athabasca River Delta in Northern Alberta, Canada. Elder George grew up in Fort Chipewyan on the shores of the Athabasca River and Lake Athabasca. He has seen a lot of changes in the landscape and the peoples who inhabit those lands during his 87 years of treading lightly on The Great Mother.

Elder George and I had engaged in a wonderful hour-long conversation during the Art of Conversation Series. As we shared our stories with each other, I had taken a few minutes to show Elder George some of my recent paintings. His face and voice became very animated as he exclaimed over one painting that he felt looked like the area around Fort Chipewyan. Interestingly enough, before I met Elder George, while working on that study painting, I had felt it depicted the area around Fort Chipewyan and that was going to become a larger painting in the future.

Elder George and I spoke of our recollections of the northern land and the peoples who call the area their home as well as his family connections with the land. In preparation for the final painting, I researched archived photographs of the Fort Chipewyan community and surrounding landscape to understand the land formations near the Fort Chipewyan Delta and the nearby Athabasca Lake and River Delta. The completed painting showcases the Fort Chipewyan Delta on Lake Athabasca, Alberta, Canada. – Colleen Cameron

ARTIST
Nelly Wati (Balloon Moose Studio)

SENIOR OR ELDER
Alan Reeve

ARTFORM
Balloon Art

ABOUT THE ARTWORK
Through our conversation, I found out that Alan really loved his job as a policeman in Ontario. He moved to Fort McMurray after he retired and found another passion, which is photography.
– Nelly Wati

ARTIST
Nabeela Rumi

SENIOR OR ELDER
JoAnn Harley

ARTFORM
Visual Arts

ABOUT THE ARTWORK
The canvas is 24 by 18 inches and I have used acrylic paint and embroidery thread to add details to it.

I’d like to number what all I have brought in based on our conversation.

1. JoAnn said she could never get up in the morning and go about her work without a cup of coffee. It’s important, it’s essential and something that she is grateful for — the cup.

2. She is proud about her lineage and that fact that she shares Canada’s original blood in her veins thrills her, and is depicted with three feathers. The details of the feathers are with thread. She did speak a little about her grandmother and was very thankful for her.

3. Those three feathers also are her children to whom she has passed this lineage to. She considers them her greatest blessing.

4. JoAnn said she had a tough childhood and there are not many good memories. She had to assume responsibilities of an adult as early as 9 years of age. But there is this one thing that brings back good childhood memories of playing in the backyard with her siblings. The memory of it usually gives a good feeling and comes to her when she walks past a lavender bush. They had it in their backyard when they were young. The smell of the flowers is what helps her relive the good times.

5. About her creative side, she stated anything and everything that involves art and design puts her heart at peace. That’s the ‘me’ time she has. I can’t tell you how many things she has done, it’s a very long list. But I know she is very giving. All that she had made with her hands has been given out as gifts. She particularly mentioned she loves decorating cakes and her house during Christmas – the details on the cup is all about that.

6. When I asked about what she would want to advise me about, she said the only way to live without regrets is to live a happy life. Doing what we love, saying the things that don’t hurt anyone, behaving in a way that is pleasant gives us happiness.
– Nabeela Rumi

ARTIST
Mitchell Steeves

SENIOR OR ELDER
Julia

ARTFORM
Visual Arts Collage

ABOUT THE ARTWORK
Inspired by conversation, this piece represents the stories we shared and the things we love most. Julia enjoys the outdoors and spends her time reading newspapers and watching movies. Even if we don’t have much in common, we can find friendship in our mutual love for the outdoors, friends, and family.
– Mitchell Steeves

ARTIST
Alexander Bai

SENIOR OR ELDER
Linda Matychuk

ARTFORM
Music

ABOUT THE ARTWORK
In these past two months, I had the opportunity to talk with a great person, Ms. Linda Matychuk. I learned many things from her. She helped me view things differently in life; instead of focusing on the sad and depressing things that are sometimes thrown at you, I now look at the more positive things. I learned life lessons from our phone chats and she really knew how to start conversations. Ms. Matychuk shared many of her memories growing up, which is why I have decided to name my composition, inspired by our chats, “Cherished Memories.”

At the start of the piece, a simple and delicate melody is introduced. This theme is all of the happy memories the subject of the song has had. A second melody is then introduced; it is the same melody, however, it is in the relative minor key. After, the time signature is changed and a more virtuosic melody is written. The melody flows smoothly and creates a feeling of gracefulness, symbolizing yet another happy memory. Finally, the theme returns, and the subject is now reminiscing about their past experiences, some uplifting, some sad.
– Alexander Bai

ARTIST
Preesha Patel

SENIOR OR ELDER
Albina

ARTFORM:
Visual Art Collage

ABOUT THE ARTWORK
Inspired by a new friend, this art piece summarizes and accentuates her love for nature and all the things that make her special. Her culture, hobbies and passions are distributed throughout the collage creating a sense of unity and beauty. I choose this art form because it represents an identity. An identity is not made of one uniform medium and is not comprised of one moment, it is a jigsaw of memories, relationships and life’s beauties waiting to come together to create an identity that is unique to every person. – Preesha Patel

ARTIST
Riley Woodford

SENIOR OR ELDER
Hope Moffatt

ARTFORM
Poetry

“PAPER TRAIL“
It’s been some time so long ago
That led me down this path
There I was in a one room school
Helping kids with math

Didn’t know where this would lead
Or the journey I was startin’
All I know, I was grabbed
by a teacher named Mrs. Barton

Up next was a challenge
Off to teacher’s school I’d go
Same one as my Mom and Nan
I was another in a row

After a year of studying
And two out on the grind
Earned myself a certificate
Framed it up in pine

This would be the start
Of my teaching journey
I still had lots to do
No one would do it for me

Back to school, the U of C
Summer courses in the seventies
Nice warm sun pouring down
These studies felt like enemies

Following that I did
Two and a half years in the eighties
Fueled by Mrs. Barton, Mom, and Nan
For that I thank you ladies

My work, it paid off
My sacrifice and patience
I walked out one proud girl
with a Bachelor of Education

Finished at the U of C
Class of 85
But I am not one to slow down
Further I would strive

Fast forward a few years
Successful career aside
On the web I go
More education for me to find

Three and a half years later
Studying part time
With intensive summer courses
A masters in development was mine

This one was extra special
Just the time it dates
For when I got my masters
My baby graduated

I hope you’re all still with me
To listen to my tale
This is what I built
This is my paper trail

“THANK YOU FROM THE CLOUDS”
My life was a quick beam of light
Snuffed out much too soon
The little time I had down there
Was made beautiful by you

I remember songs you’d sing
They jingle in my head
I would sing them to myself
While I snuggled in my bed

I loved the guitar you had
When you’d start to strum
Before you gave me words
I’d try my best to hum

Oh, the gifts you gave to me
Of music and of word
Without having you in my life
My voice would never be heard

I remember running to you
And asking for a hug
Having you there in my life
Made it a life to love

God said he could fix me
I didn’t know what to say
So I responded “leave me be”
Cause you remember me this way

I was perfect to Mom and Dad
and it also led to you
I am fine the way I am
I know this to be true

God looked down and smiled
Asked me what I would like
I looked up, with a tear in eye
And asked to borrow his sight

He thought, but for a minute
As I waited for his reply
“If I were to give you this
how would you use my eyes?”

First I’d see my Mom and Dad
To help them with their pain
Tell them to live their
We will meet again

Next I’d listen into you
I’m like your biggest fan
I’ll watch from up above
As often as I can

I know that how I left you
On your soul did pull
Know that even though it stopped
My little heart was full

Just stop and listen
You might hear a sound
That was just me whispering
Thank you from the clouds.

“KEYS”
Sit and stare blankly
At an open computer page
May wear a somber mask
While under it there’s rage

Here I was just thinking
We were close to shore
Little did I know
You didn’t love me anymore

Upon the rocks we crashed
I didn’t see it through the fog
The fact that you betrayed me
Is what hurt me most of all

You should have used your words
Said you needed space
But no, you went and gave me
A stiff backhand to the face

No, you didn’t hit me
But I felt it in the gut
In it slid so clean
Oh, how deep the cut

But no matter how much anger
My own sense of loss
I have to do the right thing
No matter what the cost

My little one didn’t ask for this
I’ll keep her suffering light
She’ll never feel the burn of this
All pain stays out of sight

All she’ll ever think of this
Is that we caught a hitch
I will mend my broken heart
Slowly, stitch by stitch

I’m not sure what to do right now
But one thing is crystal clear
My little daughter needs me
And I will always be here

No matter all the sticks and stones
No matter what the fight
As long as Mommy is ok
Baby will be alright

Take one in, a good deep haul
Let the breathing help me heal
On the exhale, push away
All the hatred that I feel

As I stand up from this chair
I feel a weight come off
It’s not I who’s losing
It’s he who’s at a loss

This will not inject itself
And poison me with anger
When it’s all said an done
It’s he who’ll be the stranger

I will raise my baby right
In everything she will strive
She will get my everything
I feel young at forty-five

For anyone who reads this
I just needed to vent
Spitting hate and insults
Not what I represent

Many things seem cloudy now
My future kinda blurry
Don’t know where life will take me next
Might be Fort McMurray

ARTIST
Dorothy Bentley

SENIOR OR ELDER
Astrid Dézèntjé

ARTFORM
Short Story

ABOUT THE ARTWORK
This story was inspired by the true adventures of Astrid Dézèntjé as conveyed to Dorothy Bentley during several lively phone visits within the Art of Conversation Project, sponsored by Arts Council Wood Buffalo and St. Aidan’s Society. All of the elements in the story are true; however, some have been altered, emphasized, or embellished for literary affect. Astrid’s first penny in the corner is very real, as is the Fort McMurray flood of 2020 with its ensuing devastation, and her found crystal. Moreover, her reasons for emigrating are true, and our efforts to resist and counter discrimination must persist. Degas, a real raven, may be seen dancing near the Clearwater River
– Dorothy Bentley

READ “THE PENNY” SHORT STORY BY CLICKING BELOW.

ARTIST
Ryan McCann

SENIOR
Michelin Crowe

ARTFORM
Poetry

ABOUT THE ARTWORK
The hungry obsession for poetry is within each and everyone of us as human beings. To connect with another person and share your story is not only fascinating and intriguing, but it also brings more meaning to a piece such as Art of Conversation.

Working with Michelin was a great experience. As she spoke about how her family migrated to Fort McMurray from Ontario, I couldn’t help but have a smile on my face. Only meeting with Michelin for a short period of time, it was impressive to hear her positivity and optimism about life. It is a trait that we need more of in this world.

Each day if we are lucky enough to wake up from our beds, we grow a day older. Days turn into months, and months into years. The important message that must be heard is no matter where are lives take us or how long we live, we should never shy away from a good conversation. – Ryan McCann

POEM
I met with a beautiful lady today, her name was Michelin Crowe
I found out through our conversation, she’s from Timmins, Ontario
I asked her many things, like what brought you to Fort McMurray?
She answered, “my husband found work as a Millwright,” so the family did not have to worry

He landed a job at Syncrude, while she supported their three kids at home
Seemed like only yesterday she was a child playing hide and seek with her friends and with that would freely roam
Into the woods to find a place, so they would not be found
Times were so simpler then, eventually she’d be Alberta bound

I asked her about advice in life, and this is what she had to say
“Be in a good mood when you can, take care of your family and try and enjoy life each day.”

She seemed so wise, so intelligent, in the past she was a ski instructor
I bet she was really good at it too, down the steep hill like a train conductor
Steering the skis, her hair blowing cool, through the cold winter days
I am sure she taught others well, not only on the skis but in the maze

The maze of life has its ups and downs, but Michelin seems so positive about life
She said in the end it’s what you make of it, I am sure she made a really good wife

I have to agree with her on this one, while I work with my gardening kit
A passion of hers is planting flowers as well, digging deep in the soil with her hand full of grit

Thank you so much for chatting with me, I hope for you to tower
Over negative thinking or thoughts that can sometimes seem quite sour
It’s true what you say about life, we just have to stay optimistic about it
Keep trucking through with a smile and not think twice about wanting to quit.

ARTIST
Lori Wiseman

SENIOR OR ELDER
Joan

ARTFORM
Poetry

ABOUT THE ARTWORK
I was inspired by all the stories she told, especially about the road trips she’s been on. It seemed like travelling was one of her greatest memories. I was like “Wow, you’ve had an interesting life!” – Lori Wiseman

POEM
I’ve travelled from coast to coast
with the ones I love the most
I’ve had an amazing life
and gone for terrific drives
it’s better to give than receive
and sometimes vacation in the Caribbean Sea
live for the moment
because things can change fast, just like that
hold loves ones dear
enjoy music and traveling, with no fear

ARTIST
Melissa Redden

SENIOR OR ELDER
Mary Ann Carruthers

ARTFORM
Combination Visual Arts and Poetry

ABOUT THE ARTWORK
Watercolour painting inspired by the life of Mary Anne Carruthers. Bursting Forth seeks to capture Mary Anne’s adventurous, vibrant spirit as a much loved friend and community member in Fort McMurray, Alberta. – Melissa Redden

Bursting forth,
not holding onto plans,
but taking a leap,
crossing the ocean.

“There’s a fresh one off the boat!”

Looking
for wide open spaces.
“We’ll take the first bus from Toronto, wherever it’s going!”
To small towns
where everyone knows each other.

Who knew
all those people wore rubber boots.
Have you seen the mud?

“Can you start right now?”
An immediate connection,
then time
and growth
through the hard times.

It sure wasn’t easy.
A listening ear for others
And so stubborn,
learning to accept help.

Release
Friends leave,
Loved ones soar,
and the adventure continues on.

ARTIST
Sherry Duncan

SENIOR OR ELDER
Brenda Wilm

ARTFORM
Craft

ABOUT THE ARTWORK
My conversations with Brenda occurred over two different phone calls. The first call was really an opportunity to connect and the second was a rich conversation about her life. It was during this second conversation that I took notes and asked clarifying questions.

Brenda talked about her Saskatchewan roots. It turns out that my dad used to run the train right passed where her dad worked on the grain elevators in a small rural town in Saskatchewan. I began to think of the roots of a tree (strong, enduring, grounded) and the golden wheat sheaves of the prairie.

We talked about the love of her life, her husband Robin, and their unique matching birthdays in January. I thought of a red robin and the garnet
birthstone. Then as she talked about her children I could see a family tree in my mind’s eye.

We also talked about being a grandma. She has the little love of her life right here in Fort McMurray. This made me think about a “precious jewel.” Brenda has travelled with her granddaughter and especially loves Mexico. I thought of the blue and purple waves and all of the memories that her granddaughter has because of this lovely deep relationship.

We talked a bit about the wildfire of 2016 and I thought of the red and orange glow in the sky on the night we all evacuated. We talked a bit about what kinds of crafts/art she enjoyed.

She shared with me that in the past she has used macramé as a way to express her artistic side. I thought about weaving and how I have never done this before. I suggested that we have another conversation in the following week. I was so inspired that once I started planning the ideas just flowed. I wanted to use several different art processes to bring our conversation to life. Here is a bit more of a detailed look at each section of the piece I created.
– Sherry Duncan

ARTIST
Barbara Madden

SENIOR OR ELDER
Marilyn Schulz

ARTFORM
Visual Arts

ABOUT THE ARTWORK
The inspiration for the painting was circuitous. We talked about Marilyn’s childhood, off the grid in rural Saskatchewan. Bits about her journey from there to a master’s degree in social work, and then a career in teaching and helping others. Some about her kids and grandkids and her creative outlets of writing and painting. We talked about subject matters that she likes in paintings: flowers and oceans. After viewing some of my anatomy-focused art she told me about her recent struggles with an infection that led to paralysis, from which she was not expected to recover, and the amazing ductility of the brain and the healing powers of sleep and dreams. I made some preparatory sketches of the spine and brain, but once we understood that the painting was intended to be gifted to Marilyn, I wanted her to have something she’d enjoy. I also wanted it to reflect her spirit. Throughout the conversations, I got a sense of a resilient, empathetic and pragmatic person. The painting is called Seam Foam, something that is always rising, regenerating and providing a sense of calm for those that are nearby.
– Barbara Madden

FROM THE SENIOR OR ELDER
“Thank you for dropping off Barbara’s beautiful piece. I must admit, I teared up. They were good tears, so all is well. Barbara is also helping me with my art project, which if it turns out well, will be gifted to my figure-skating granddaughter!”

ARTIST
Margie Cunningham

SENIOR OR ELDER
Lorraine Cardinal Corrigan

ARTFORM
Visual Arts

ABOUT THE ARTWORK
The symbols in the portrait represent many important elements in Lorraine’s life, for example, her dogs who are very precious to her, as well as the Métis sash and symbol of infinity. Lorraine said the eagle would be her spirit animal, and so I chose to paint it as her necklace. Alberta’s national flower, the wild rose, represents native beadwork, and I also painted the tiny cardinal looking up to her which as part of her proud heritage. The radiating leaves represent the many generations of her family.
– Margie Cunningham