YORKTON – A documentary featuring the artists of "Belong Where You Find Yourself" screened at the Yorkton Public Library June 15.
The film, directed by Adrienne "Sunny" Adams, documents the "journey of making art work for the exhibition and also the project overall which was a multi-year community art project," told Amber Phelps-Bondaroff and Alana Moore, lead artists with Belong Where You Find Yourself, in an interview with SASKTODAY.ca
"From January 2022 – May 2023, lead Artists Alana Moore and Amber Phelps Bondaroff worked closely with a community of 12 artists from Yorkton and surrounding areas whose lives have been impacted by dementia. The project culminated in a major gallery exhibition at the Godfrey Dean Art Gallery that showcased a range of multigenerational and multidisciplinary artworks including drawing, painting, photography, filmmaking, storytelling, music, musical theatre, woodworking, sculpture, and fabric art," read a description of the project on the Godfrey Dean's website.
"I think it will be a really nice way to continue this work beyond the parameters of our time coming out here," said Phelps-Bondaroff, adding that she visited Yorkton monthly for almost two years to see the project through.
Phelps-Bondaroff said it felt like the project was over after the exhibition ended in May of 2023.
"But then there was a way to continue the relationships we had already formed over the year-and-a-half of working together. The film can continue to help spread awareness of the work that we did and dementia awareness and just reducing stigma around dementia," added Phelps-Bondaroff.
"That was one of the big goals that we had with this work overall," said Phelps-Bondaroff.
The film runs at 54 minutes and the two said they are happy with how it came together.
"The film has come together amazingly. I think it features all the artists and honours all the artists throughout the project and summarizes the last two years in a really beautiful way showing examples of artwork. Time at the gallery. Time working together," added Moore.
With Yorkton being a hub for filmmakers in the month of May, the two said submitting to the Yorkton Film Festival is a possibility.
"It will be a conversation that we'll have for sure with everybody — with the group, all the artists and the Godfrey Dean," said Moore, adding, "the hope is that it can be something submitted. It would be really special to be submitted to the festival."
"Today some of our artists are seeing it for the first time. We want people to see the film now and have some time to reflect and send some feedback," said Moore.
For more information on the documentary visit their page on the Godfrey Dean's website.
