The Voices Project premiered a juried art show that brought awareness to the topic of how people’s lives are affected by the use of drugs and alcohol. The art show stimulated discussion about the relationship alcohol abuse and drugs have on our lives as individuals, a community and a society.
A prospectus and an entry form were developed and artists of any age from Haines, Klukwan, and Skagway were encouraged to submit work that addressed the impact of alcohol and drugs on our lives. Ten (10) artists submitted artwork along with a statement about their creation. During the opening artists and those attending this special event took time to share thoughts on and experiences with substance abuse, art and the community. This discussion provided an open forum for enhancing communication and building relationships among the participants. It was incredibly powerful and moving.
Viewers of the artwork were invited to help create a collage related to substance abuse. This process resulted in pain for some residents as articles from old newspapers were cut up and headlines used by some of those helping to create the collage. Parents of young adults who had lost their lives or had their lives totally changed by an accident relating to substance abuse were grieved by the use of these headlines and names. Their response could have spiraled into a negative place, but one parent, who is a recovering alcoholic herself and had entered two art pieces in the show, took positive action and encouraged other parents to join here in creating a healing collage in memory of their loved ones. A few parents came to the library and worked with the artist to express their grief, agony and pain. Through this process they also saw the caring and sense of loss that other community members were feeling in relation to the death of the young people. This could have been an enormous setback for the Voices Project, but ended up being a healing process for some.
The Voices in the Visual Arts exhibit was a huge success in many ways. Response from artists and those who viewed the artwork have been incredibly powerful. We’ve learned lessons from the intensity of the emotions that were generated and from the generosity of artists and collaborators. The value of communication, sympathy and respect for the grief and pain of others were brought sharply into focus. Project partners are currently discussing ideas and making plans on how to share this exhibit with other communities during the second year of the grant.