Work on the first doors to be transformed into pieces of art by participants in the Art’porte Moi project initiated by Melissa’s Sunshine Camp has begun, thanks in no small part to a sizable grant from the Ministry of Culture and Communications through the Culture and Inclusion program.
The project is a collaboration between the non-profit organization for people with special needs and artist Line Desrochers. Since February, the participants have been learning various techniques in contemporary art by way of creative workshops. The budding artists are now using their new skills to create and paint door designs for ten local organizations and businesses. These partners include The Little Green Library, le Marché du Vieux Bois, the municipalities of Hinchinbrooke and Franklin, the Montérégie West Community Network (MWCN), Micro-ferme Retour aux sources, Une Affaire de Famille, and mental health support groups Ancre et Ailes and Le Dahlia, as well as Gosselin Courtiers.
“They really appreciated the workshops,” says educator Sonia Viau of the participants. “They are very interested in the project and really like working with Lyne,” she adds, though she admits the participants are finding it difficult to wait to see the results. The doors are being painted in multiple layers using techniques suited to each member of the group, so everyone can add their own touch to each door.
“Congratulations to Melissa’s Sunshine Camp for this excellent project,” says Huntingdon MNA Claire IsaBelle, who recently announced a grant of $20,000 for the project on behalf of Culture and Communications Minister Nathalie Roy. “Encouraging our young people living with an intellectual disability to discover and learn different art techniques is a beautiful initiative,” she adds.
The project will be capped with an exhibit at the Alfred Langevin Cultural Hall in Huntingdon from November 6 to December 4. There will also be “art days” with teenagers in May, in collaboration with the New Frontiers School Board and the Centre de services scolaire de la Vallée-des-Tisserands. The owners of the various doors involved in the project will also participate in the workshops, which are expected to continue into October. To follow the project’s progress, visit the Facebook page, Art’porte-moi 2022.
