Virtual Art Gallery Tour - Room 1

Putting Ourselves Back Together Again


At Peace	After The Therapy	Walk a Mile in My Shoes - by Julie 1994 Wooden shoes, broken mirror, glue
This work was done by a woman who attended many wakes with her father. He told her that people who are dead are at peace and she wished for this peace. The moth represents “The Silence of the Lambs”, a movie, in which the murderer left a moth on each victim. She had been silenced after her abuse.	These shoes were painted by Peggy to contrast the shoes painted by Julie. They represent Peggy’s outlook after years of delving into her own caves and helping others to discover theirs. They are meant to be hopeful. These shoes show the happier side of life after the telling. The primary yellow represents small growth appearing inside.	This piece was first presented by an immigrant woman who lived in an abusive relationship for 35 years. When she realized through English Second Language classes at NBCC that she did not have to live like this, she moved out. She now lives in a senior complex where she works with her hands sewing crafts and doing odd jobs for the other residents to put money in her own bank account.

Trying To Fit In - by Peggy Holt	Wallpaper - by Sarah Morrison 1996 Mixed media	The Healing Desk – by Various NBCC Students
This piece represents my youth. People were always telling me I spoke too much, but no one ever heard what I was saying. The little figure has “bells on her fingers and bells on her toes”, trying desperately to attract attention. I realize now that many of my crazy fashions were an attempt to be loved by my friends and family.	When Sarah was abused as a child by a babysitter, she began to feel that she could escape by allowing herself to become part of the wallpaper. Sarah wrote the following: Big flowers on the wall Not too big, but not too small “Don’t touch”, my mom would say to me “The wallpaper is nice and clean” A safe warm place where I would hide When evil came into my mind The flowers wrapped around my face And pulled me back into my place Where evil could not touch or tease My mind was totally at ease Inside my flowers I was fine My body then was totally mine.	These pieces were created by students at the community college. The chair was painted by a student, John, who told about the abuse at the hands of his father. It was carried by Her Honour, Margaret McCain, former Lieutenant Governor, as she traveled in every city, town and village throughout New Brunswick talking about child abuse.