On March 30, a crowd packed the gallery at the Nina Haggerty Centre for the Arts. They were there to see 19 short videos, each under five minutes, the result of the year-long Digital Storytelling project initiated by writer-in-residence Jocelyn Brown.
“I was working here with the artists individually on storytelling, but for a few of the artists at the Nina, telling a story in the traditional way just didn’t work for them. They might’ve not been able to speak or the stories they wanted to tell weren’t always linear in the traditional way. And they’re here as visual artists, so I was really looking for a way where we didn’t have to rely on text as much,” Brown said.
The Nina (n-eye-na) is an art-making centre for adults with developmental disabilities. If you have ever walked by and looked through our windows during the week, you likely saw a room full of people drawing and painting. If you came through the doors to visit, you probably saw our textile, ceramics, and printing studios bursting with activity. Over 170 people belong to the Nina’s collective of artists.
At the Nina, we love being part of Alberta Avenue’s thriving art scene and we offer free drop-in Community Art Nights on Tuesdays and Family Art Nights on Wednesdays for anyone wanting to create art. In the Stollery Gallery, we host 15 or more exhibits a year from other groups and individuals as well as Nina artists.
Now there’s a new project that’s all about community, and we’d like to invite you to join us.
