Art and music will be woven into a “multimedia concert/mini workshop” on the theme of mental illness, on Friday.
Ponoka-based musician donjswift will kick off a CD release party at 7 p.m. at The Hub in Red Deer. His pop/roots recording is dedicated to people living with mental illness.
Also on the program are the family musicians Lucille and Michelle Laliberte, and Dave Ashworth, a musician and survivor of bipolar disorder. Doug Cridland, who won the national “courage to come back award,” will talk briefly on the same disorder.
Artist Ria Vanlie will be exhibiting her paintings, which combine reflective quotations about forgiveness and overcoming tragedy with nature-scapes. While Vanlie’s Eccentic Embraces of Landscapes Expressed exhibit is on for the rest of the month, painter Robin Byrnes will be showing her works, based on her own mental health experiences, on Friday only.
Ceramicist Lydia Woolrich will also be selling her handmade mugs at the concert, with half the proceeds going towards mental health programs.
While the musical event at 4936 Ross St. is free, any donations made at the door will go towards mental health services.