Sarah Rennie –
Local artist John Ryan is preparing to unveil his latest mural, created in collaboration with the Federation of Quebec Alzheimer Societies and with the help of a collection of exceptional artists all living with the disease. The mural, which will include superposed canvasses representing each of the twenty Alzheimer Societies across the province, will be unveiled next month in Montreal as part of a national awareness campaign.
Fresh off his experience creating a collaborative mural with Akwesasne artist Natasha Smoke Santiago, renowned artist John Ryan found himself in a friendly conversation on the golf course during the annual tournament to raise funds for the Suroit Alzheimers Society. “They wanted to try and get away from the negatives and concentrate on the services offered to patients and their loved ones.” In short, the Societies were looking for a way to change the conversation.
A few months later, Mr. Ryan received a call which led to a brainstorming session that ultimately resulted in the launch of a collaborative project to create a mural to honour not only the resilience but also the many talents of people with Alzheimer’s disease as well as the efforts made for more than 30 years by the 20 Alzheimer Societies in Quebec.
The finished project will include 5 large mural canvases around 4 ft by 7 ft each painted by John Ryan, with the 20 12 x 16 canvasses mounted on top and on the bottom of the larger pieces. The smaller canvases will portray the particularities of each society and the different geographic regions where they are located, while the larger mural pieces will focus on the different services and therapy offered by the Alzheimers Societies.
A provincial tour
He has been touring the province since late October to work with the artists at the different societies, while those societies that are less accessible, especially on a tight schedule, will be sending their own canvas to the project. The canvases should be completed by early December, while Ryan works out of his home studio to complete the larger pieces.
Working with acrylic paints, he would set up a table easel with a canvas with an outline of the image already drawn. He then sat with the artists as they added the colour. “I encourage them a lot,” says Ryan, noting he is very careful to ensure no-one feels anxious or agitated. “I talk them through it – There’s no stress and everything is kept very positive.”
This is his first experience with art therapy. “It is a very rich experience sitting with these artists,” he says. “It’s kind of exciting,” he adds, in thinking about the final product as well as the possibility this project will help to raise awareness of the incredible work being done at the Alzheimers society in Quebec. “They give the individuals a chance to put Alzheimers away and just be who they are. For some, their identity now includes budding artist.
