Artist Sara Sniderhan wanted to honour the elders in her adopted village.
A year in the making, the idea evolved into a series of portraits and a limited edition book that included the life stories of the portrait subjects.
The portraits were created in various media by Sara, Peter Adams, Martha Bull, Juliet Jancso, David Bruce Johnson, Andrej Kovacs, Peter Mitchell, Jim Paget and Christopher Roberts.
The life stories were written by Rina Barone, Andy Barrie, Trina Berlo, Catherine Gildiner, Kristi-Ly Green, Julie Pollock, Cecily Ross, Stephen Smith and Emily Worts. The foreword was written by adopted local son, Dan Needles.
The subjects of the book are:
- Dorothy (Timmons) Shropshire
- Maurice Weatherall … an excerpt was published in In the Hills Magazine.
- Gerry Blackburn
- Helen (Emmett) Blackburn
- Gertie (Montgomery) Gowan
- Jerry Jordan
- Donna (Millsap) Lowe
- Noel van Walleghem
- Neil Metheral
- Barb (Rowbotham) Cudmore
- Norma (Rowbotham) Johnston
The project was a feature of the 2015 arts festival. Following a launch that turned into one of the parties of the season, the installation was presented in the Creemore Log Cabin during the festival.
Sara’s project was also supported by a Robert G Kemp Arts Award, from the Blue Mountain Foundation for the Arts, and The Creemore Echo. The Village and I: Ten Life Stories, edited by Rina Barone, is published by Curiosity House Books.
Sara Sniderhan is a local artist who is represented by Ingram Gallery (Yorkville, ON).
