To help people navigate mental health and well-being, the Cowichan Valley Regional District is unveiling a new art exhibit with free viewing to encourage reflection and connection.
According to the district, Recognition and Recollection will explore themes including personal relationships, depression, memory and cognitive decline through visual art and offer viewers the chance to consider the impact of art on mental health.
Laura Stephenson, administrative supervisor for the CVRD Arts and Culture Division, said most artists know how to connect with their audience through visual stimuli, but art remains open to the viewer’s interpretation. “The subjective human experience is made universal through the creation of art, for both its makers and the viewers who perceive it,” she said. “Visual art, music, film, literature and theatre help people connect and understand each other.”
Cowichan Valley Arts Council president Elizabeth Croft said the exhibit was themed to highlight the importance of well-being and the role art plays in mental health.
“We wanted to profile how important art is to mental health, and we know being part of the creative process brings a lot of joy, focus and can be intuitive for social skills,” she said. “We also find those who like art tend to have more friends, healthier lives, and become more engaged in civic responsibilities.”
The CVRD Arts and Culture Division developed the initiative with five regional arts councils, selecting 55 diverse pieces for the exhibit.
The councils include the Cowichan Valley Arts Council, South Cowichan Arts Guild, Arts at Cowichan Lake, the Chemainus Valley Cultural Arts Society and the Arts Council of Ladysmith & District.
The exhibit opens Jan. 8 with a free reception from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Cowichan Performing Arts Centre and runs through Feb. 28
