Little art gallery pandemic-friendly

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This article was published 31/05/2021 (1952 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Free little libraries have graced Westman for some time, but Errin Witherspoon and husband Clint took the idea in a new direction.

Installed outside their house along a public walking path on the south side of Braecrest Drive is a free little art gallery.

Inside is a collection of art for people to take home or contribute toward, alongside sidewalk chalk to create their own masterpieces on the path.

The turnaround, Errin said, has been fantastic.

“It absolutely fills my heart that all of the pieces people are putting in there are being claimed, and that’s the purpose — to share the art around.

“Especially right now, with so few ways to connect with people, to be able to share some images and ideas just going about your day, walking by, to be able to reach in and take a piece home that reminds you of something or someone or another time, I hope that’s what people get out of this.”

The visual arts first came into Errin’s life in a serious way a few years ago.

She’d entered treatment for an eating disorder and was encouraged by a therapist to begin compiling a journal, which she did.

Along the way, she found herself drawing on the pages, and while they started out as doodles, she said they helped portray how she was feeling at the time.

“Eventually, some patterns emerged in my doodles and I embraced the idea I could express myself with art rather than just use words,” she said.

“It helps me so much with my own recovery, and it taught me a whole lot, from trusting myself to allowing myself to be seen in terms of letting people see my work — it’s kind of like showing a little piece of myself.”

Ever the perfectionist, she said releasing art to the public has helped her let go of the idea everything needs to be perfect.

“You could paint and paint and paint and never be finished a painting,” she said, adding there are countless master artists who died with hundreds of fantastic pieces stashed in storage facilities because they didn’t think they were ever done.

Breaking into the local art scene is difficult in the midst of a pandemic, so when she saw online that a woman in Seattle had started a free little art gallery, she enlisted Clint to build one.

While Errin has found solace in art during the pandemic, Clint has thrown himself into construction projects.

A fabricator by trade, he rigged up a free little art gallery that can be cranked up and down, making it accessible to passersby regardless of their height or mobility.

This, Errin said, taps into the idea that art should be accessible to everyone.

The free little art gallery was constructed with permission on city land and includes a solar light so its contents are visible at any time.

Errin has been submitting one piece of art per day, and said she has been thrilled to see other area artists contribute.

Some of the art has been posted online on the Instagram page “freelittleartgallerybrandon,” while other pieces are submitted and claimed for personal collections right away.

The public reaction, Errin said, is everything she’d hoped it would be, with parents sharing stories of their kids excitedly creating art for the gallery and at least one community steward dropping off buckets of sidewalk chalk for kids to create art on the path.

The reaction has been a good reminder of community, she said, which has become especially important during the semi-lockdown Manitobans currently find themselves in.

“We’re all still out here,” she said. “Even though we feel on our own, everyone’s still all out here.”

The free little art gallery is located at 1130 Braecrest Dr., across the street from the North Hill Inn.

The City of Brandon has requested people not park along Braecrest Drive to visit the gallery, and to instead park on side streets and walk over to the box.

Errin has also published a book called “The Reflections Journal,” which is a tool to be used to help establish a daily journaling practice. It’s available on amazon.ca.

» tclarke@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @TylerClarkeMB