Media Release – Launch of Ode’imin – Art Experiences for the Young at Heart

January 13, 2020

SUBJECT: Launch of Ode’imin – Art Experiences for the Young at Heart
WHEN: Tuesday, January 14 from 4 – 6 pm
WHERE: Thunder Bay Art Gallery, 1080 Keewatin St

YOU’RE INVITED

The Thunder Bay Art Gallery invites community groups and individuals working with older Indigenous people to learn more at the Information & Launch Reception for Ode’imin – Art Experiences for the Young at Heart.

Winter is the time to nurture art from the heart. From January through March 2020, the Thunder Bay Art Gallery is launching Ode’imin – Art Experiences for the Young at Heart, a free and accessible guided tour and workshop series for Indigenous seniors and older adults.

Art has the capacity to receive, give, embrace, and transform while providing opportunities to nurture relationships with others in our community. Ode’imin, the strawberry or heart berry carries many teachings through its use as a food and medicine in Indigenous culture. As a way of building relationships through art and art making, the strawberry with its system of leaves, runners, and roots, exemplifies the Thunder Bay Art Gallery’s Ode’imin – Art Experiences for the Young at Heart initiative.

Generously funded by the Ontario Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility, Ode’imin is guided by Betty Carpick, the Gallery’s Public Programming Coordinator and Caitlyn Bird, the Ode’imin Assistant. Together, they will support art experiences inspired by the current exhibitions to promote the sharing of ideas and knowledge between generations. Programming will take place at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery and in facilities that support Indigenous seniors in the community.

“The Thunder Bay Art Gallery values these connections within the community. Wonderful stories about the art can emerge when Elders are able to visit the exhibitions. Creating opportunities for older adults to share those memories and experience new things is at the heart of this program,” says Sharon Godwin, Director of Thunder Bay Art Gallery. “We hope community groups will participate in this special opportunity.”

The Thunder Bay Art Gallery is Northwestern Ontario’s primary art gallery specializing in the work of contemporary Indigenous artists and Northwestern Ontario artists. Through its permanent collection, exhibitions, activities, and events the Gallery provides many exceptional opportunities for the community and visitors to learn about, and appreciate, artistic expression.