Multimedia installation, Fort York Visitors Centre, Toronto History Museums, 2023
The Redwood offers safety, healing and opportunities for growth for women and their children fleeing abuse. I’ve been a long-time volunteer at The Redwood. This installation was developed over a period of 6 months, in collaboration wih the staff and residents at the Redwood for the exhibition, Transforming Grief: Loss and Togetherness in COVID-19, at the Toronto History Museums. Youth from The Redwood’s art program created a beautiful painting about their experience living at the shelter during the pandemic. An animated video documents iDetermine, an app that The Redwood developed and launched during lock down to provide live counseling and safety planning to thousands of women. There is also a sculptural display of the tools used by participants in The Redwood’s HVAC Staffing Program, a program that began at the start of the pandemic, helping survivors obtain their G2 Gas Technician license and begin careers in the trades. Thanks to Armando Perla and Raven Spiratos for their vision and curation. Click here, for the CBC Radio interview about the exhibition.