2016

The 2016 Showcase celebrated the creative work of the 10 year span of the Arts & Health Project. From many cultural backgrounds, Elder and senior artists made their way to their local community centres, sometimes on canes, in the Handy Dart, using wheelchairs, walkers, and their own two feet.  They came together because they wanted to dance, draw, write, sing, paint, sew, create videos, or make puppets. In other words, they wanted to make art.

The Arts & Health Project began in 2006 as a three-year pilot, developed as a partnership between the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation and Vancouver Coastal Health, in collaboration with other community organizations and associations who share mandates focused on health, community recreation, and the arts. The 2016 Exhibition and Showcase was a joyful testament to the fact that the project has more than survived, it is thriving.  The creative process was fueled by snacks and laughter, hard work and deep conversation, and constant openness to the delightfulness of life’s capacity to surprise.