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<\/a>Hilchie says that the exhibit features exceptionally colourful and thoughtful works that are stunning but bleak because of their honesty. She says they capture the visitor\u2019s attention and prod at their mind, prompting a deeper look at our contribution to the earth\u2019s state.<\/p>\n
\u201cA common theme is our artists took time to draw our attention to these issues and not ignore them,\u201d she says. \u201cThey\u2019re calling out to the viewer to stand up and pay attention. There\u2019s a lot of blues and greens in this exhibit and I think that\u2019s obviously because it\u2019s an environmental exhibit. But there\u2019s also a lot of browns and greys and blacks and I think in contrast those are the colours of our impact on the planet.\u201d<\/p>\n
The exhibit includes paintings and photos looking at a variety of issues, such as oil spills, decreasing water resources, and the endangerment of certain species. One of Hilchie\u2019s favourite pieces is a 14-foot drawing called Bees Cairn <\/i>by Britt Freda. It shows a stack of stones with bees crawling all over it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe bees are drawn with a pen that has a bit of a sheen, so they\u2019re glowing and sparkling,\u201d says Hilchie. \u201cAnd balanced underneath the step of stones is a very delicate bee hive. It relates to that message that we need to save the bees, because so much of our ecosystem relies on tiny little insects. [It] comes to a point that everything is balancing on the point of this one hive. It\u2019s a good reminder that our environment is so delicate and our ecosystems and food chains are so delicate as well.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The piece evokes a lot of emotions; it\u2019s very pleasing and whimsical. However, upon further examination it\u2019s truly sorrowful under its layers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cInitially at first it\u2019s a quite charming image with the bees sparkling and the colouring that the artist chose and then, upon further reflection, you get the delicate nature of the message,\u201d says Hilchie.<\/p>\n Hilchie says that she had concerns about having an exhibit that could potentially elicit depressing feelings in those viewing it. She and her team worked together to find a solution, to help visitors leave with a new perspective on their own impact of the environment without any negative emotions.<\/p>\n \u201cMy concern with the exhibit was that I didn\u2019t want my visitors leaving feeling sad, or there\u2019s this term called \u2018eco grief,\u2019 concern or anxiety for the state of our planet… I worked closely with one of my staff and our art therapist on site to create a response portion of the exhibit, where we invite visitors to do an art-therapy activity to reflect on their emotions and their feelings on the state of our Earth. We also have a resource list we put together of actionable items of what we can do.\u201d<\/p>\n