The St Vincent de Paul Society has last week held a special art exhibition to celebrate the artistic expression of its service users and the staff who support them.
The Art + Soul exhibition was held at City Farm in East Perth on Friday, 28 and Saturday, 29 August, with a number of artistic pieces also being made available for purchase.
The Art + Soul program began in February 2015 with a series of workshops taking place at three of Vinnies’ Services; Vincentian Village, Passages Resource Centre and Tom Fisher House. The exhibition included a mixture of street art, music, poetry and writing, pottery, painting and drawing.
Vinnies service users are people the organisation is assisting to transition out of homelessness and/or struggling with an enduring mental illness.
Vincentcare Executive Manager Adele Stewart said the project was a way of bringing staff and service users together as one collective community.
“The project is about celebrating social inclusion whereby all people feel valued, their differences are respected, and their basic needs are met so they can live in dignity,” Ms Stewart said.
“It’s about connecting local communities, workmates, family and friends in order to build and strengthen relationships and networks, addressing isolation and exclusion by supporting people who may be unable to help themselves.
“This project has provided a valuable opportunity for our clients to explore their artistic talents and work together in a supportive and positive environment,” Ms Stewart said.
The workshops undertaken have been run by local artists; Steve Browne (street art), Anna Dunnil (poetry and writing), Sheryl Chant (pottery), and Jo Darvall (painting and drawing). Jo Darvall is also curating the exhibition.