When Christine Hager looks at the array of art on the walls at the Meeting Place, she gets emotional.
“It makes me want to cry because I see joy,” she said. “It’s a wide variety because it’s things that are important in people’s lives and they’re sharing it with us. That’s a humbling moment.”
Hager is the secretary with the Orillia and District Arts Council (ODAC), which partnered with the Meeting Place to showcase the work of its members as part of Culture Days.
Each Friday during October, the Meeting Place held an art and mental health open house.
The Meeting Place, located in the former Sharing Place Food Centre building on West Street South, is sponsored by Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital’s community mental health services. Members attend for a variety of reasons, from meeting with counsellors to socializing and watching TV.
When Dave Hewitt, who works with the hospital’s community mental health services, approached ODAC with the idea of partnering for Culture Days, the organization was “over the moon,” Hager said.
“The Orillia and District Arts Council is trying to prove to the community that art is for everyone. You don’t have to be rich. You can be anybody to appreciate art and make your own art,” she said.
“It develops a community within here. They can show their peers how they appreciate different things in their life because it’s expressive art.”
Denis Tessier, Meeting Place co-ordinator, said the art and mental health program has been a welcome addition to the facility.
“Art is like music,” said Tessier, a musician himself. “It’s a relaxation. It takes your mind off of things. It’s a good way to communicate together.”
“You can see how good they are,” he continued. “We have some amazing artists in here.”
Culture Days will wrap up Saturday with a concert by the Ronnie Douglas Blues Band at St. James’ Anglican Church at 8 p.m. Admission is free.
