People with mental health diagnoses have an opportunity to explore their passion through the Arts Immersion program with North Simcoe Arts.
Arts Immersion pairs a professional artist with a student in a one-to-one ratio. Artists are paid for their time and students get the program free of charge as it is funded through United Way Simcoe Muskoka for three years.
"The Arts Immersion initiative focuses on using art as a means to foster community integration and support mental wellness," said co-ordinator Sukhi Kaur. "We are creating meaningful, personalized experiences for our participants."
One of the strong mentor/mentee partnerships from Year 1 is participant Jacqueline (Jackie) Van Wieringen and stained-glass artist Jessica Wisniewski, who has a studio, Flux Glass Co., in Creative Nomad Studios in downtown Orillia. The program runs out of Creative Nomad Studios.
Van Wieringen found out about the program through The Meeting Place. It's a program run as a partnership between Community Mental Health Services and Orillia Soldiers' Memorial Hospital for people with a mental health diagnosis. Van Wieringen had an interest in stained glass but had never tried it. She was encouraged by her community support worker to start.
"I was a little anxious about it, but I'm really glad I did it," she said.
When she came into the program last fall, Van Wieringen said she didn't feel like she was participating in anything meaningful in her life. Now she's found she has talent making stained-glass art.
"I got so inspired. It has leap-frogged into all areas of my life and has greatly improved my life and has been an amazing experience. I feel productive. I feel valued. I feel like I have something to offer," she said.
Even from her first creation of a feather, Van Wieringen showed skill.
"You couldn't tell the difference between hers and mine," said Winiewski.
The two have now made many stained-glass items together, including a 3D jewelry box.
"Jackie has challenged my skills," said Wisniewski, who has been a stained-glass artist for 20 years and a teacher for nine. "Jackie is very much a go-getter and very creative, and she's pushed my limits."
Wisniewski had always wanted to make stained-glass hearts for Green Haven Shelter for Women.
"I mentioned it to Jackie in January and she jumped at the opportunity. Before I'd even heard back from the shelter, she was well through making 20 hearts," said Wisniewski.
The shelter wanted 12. Wisniewski and Van Wieringen made 20 more for the 20 people living in supportive housing at The Lighthouse, donating 32 altogether before Valentine's Day.
One of the residents said, "The stained-glass hearts are both beautiful and uplifting — their whimsical qualities bring me much joy whenever I look out the window."
Van Wieringen has taken to stained-glass art so much, she's set up a home studio and wants to continue doing it for herself, as gifts and to sell.
"I have a real passion for it. I want to take it as far as I can. I have some really big ideas of things to make," she said.
Kaur said Wisniewski has done a wonderful job transferring her skills and building a relationship with Van Wieringen.
"Arts Immersion was always about more than just mentorship ... Watching Jess and Jackie's mentorship connection grow that is now giving back to others is more than we could have hoped for," Kaur said.
With the program now in its second year, Kaur wants to expand partnerships by attracting more artists and participants.
"The first year, we wanted to see what works and get a framework in place that we could replicate for the years after. We feel it's really important for the participants to plan their own experience instead of us deciding for them," she said.
Other artists in the program offer mentorship in mediums including sketching, painting, collage, fibre art, needle felting, watercolour, photography, and creative writing, and the list is growing.
Artists looking to become mentors, or organizations seeking to offer the program to their clients, can reach out to Kaur at [email protected].
More information about North Simcoe Arts can be found on its Facebook page or by emailing [email protected].