A big dose of art might have health benefits
New exhibits opening at Art Gallery of Peterborough
Did you know that visiting an art gallery might be good for your health? So good, in fact, that some health-care providers can now write prescriptions for free admission to a variety of galleries, including the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.
These social prescriptions, which are quite different than the traditional drug and medical therapies, are thought to promote social connections and strengthen community bonds, which can assist in the treatment of depression, anxiety, and loneliness, as well as other illnesses. The Art Gallery of Peterborough (AGP), always has free admission, so why not do something good for your health and wellbeing, and go for a visit?
There are two new exhibitions opening this weekend at the AGP, Shelley Niro: Women, Land,
River and Arnold Zageris: Antarctica. An Opening Reception for these exhibitions takes places Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m. Both exhibitions will be on display until March 31.
Shelley Niro is a member of the Turtle Clan of the Kanien’kehaka Nation and her work examines experiences from a Mohawk woman’s perspective. In this exhibition, Niro makes connections between the land, the river and the women in her life. Her work includes painting, sculpture, beadwork, installation, photography and film and in 2017 she was awarded the Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts.
Canadian artist Arnold Zageris has travelled to Antarctica five times and is fascinated with the challenging opportunity to digitally capture its beauty on 4 x 5 film. Zageris has won many awards for his work and has exhibited in public and private galleries across Canada, including the Canadian Museum of Nature and the National Gallery.
The AGP is located at 250 Crescent St. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Tuesday to Sunday. If you have any questions or requests about your visit or need to discuss an accessibility accommodation, please contact Sarah Mackillican at 705-743-9179 ext. 2024 or smackillican@peterborough.ca. More information is also available at www.agp.on.ca.
Trent Film Society
A free screening of the movie Akira (1988) is presented by the Trent Film Society on Wednesday at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre, 140 Charlotte St. Akira is a Japanese animated post-apocalyptic film directed by Katsuhiro Otomo. The film screening begins at 8:30 p.m. and all are welcome.
Book Launch
Smokii Sumac will be reading from a new poetry collection titled You Are Enough – Love Poems for the End of the World, Monday Jan. 21 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Artspace, 378 Aylmer St. Sumac is a member of the Ktunaxa nation of British Columbia and a PhD candidate in Indigenous Studies at Trent University. All are welcome. For more information, please contact smokiisumac@gmail.com.
Neuropathy Support
The meeting of the Peripheral Neuropathy Support Group scheduled for Monday Jan. 21 has been cancelled due to lack of meeting space.