Creativity and community are two key areas that an upcoming conference on women’s wellness will explore.
The one-day conference, organized by Powell River Women’s Health Network, is called The Art of Health and will be held on Saturday, March 9 at the Powell River campus of Vancouver Island University.
Sandy McCartie is a social worker and chairs the network which she describes as, “a grassroots meeting of the minds.” Each month, women in the community gather to discuss health issues and host events to promote concerns like women’s heart health and testing for cervical cancer with female doctors.
A variety of seminars are being planned throughout the day. Participants are able to attend all the sessions or just one.
Sessions will include topics such as mindfulness, the medicine wheel, expressive arts therapy, improvisation and a mandala workshop.
Yoga, developing core strength, dance and a roundtable discussion about community women’s health issues will also be included in the conference.
McCartie hopes the conference will foster discussion and conversations throughout the community about women’s health issues.
Conference organizers have joined a global art movement called Inside Out to promote discussion in the community. The movement was started 10 years ago when French graffiti artist and photographer “JR” started taking portraits and pasting them up as public art. He won the TED prize in 2011, which aims to support collaborative initiatives that reach across borders. Since then, he has promoted the idea into a global art movement to change the world. Photographers send in portraits to a studio in New York and the pictures are printed on 36 inch by 53 inch pieces of paper and sent back to the photographer to be pasted up.
Last week Jennifer Dodd, who is a professional portrait photographer in Powell River, took 40 portraits of women in the community, said McCartie.
“I interviewed the women and asked a couple of questions around health,” she said. “The quotes will be attached to the portraits and displayed at the conference and at a display at the mall. It’ll get the conversation going among women. It’s empowering to be able to exchange ideas.”
The exhibit of community portraits will be shown from March 2 to 8 at Powell River Town Centre Mall.
The conference cost is by donation and lunch will be provided. Organizers are asking women who are interested in attending to pre-register either online or through Powell River Public Health at 604.485.3310.
