Community Articles (listed by posting date)
General News · 22nd July 2026
Christann Kennedy
There is a very special exhibition on display at the Old Schoolhouse Art Gallery right now. "The Shape of Solace," which features an eclectic and thought-provoking collection of artworks by Melanie Boyle, Karen McDiarmid and Jane Newman, continues for one more weekend. If you have not yet had a chance to visit the show, you may find the trip to Whaletown well worth your time. The exhibition hinges on the premise that artworks and other kinds of special objects can play a role in our attempts to find solace in times of uncertainty.
Solace is a nuanced concept. It can be a verb or a noun, something one does for another, or the result of a quest, as in the phrase "I found solace in nature." The Cambridge online dictionary defines solace as "help and comfort when you are feeling sad or worried" and the Mirriam-Webster adds "comfort in grief, alleviation of anxiety, a source of relief or consolation." By any definition, solace is an aspect of the inner life, an emotional or psychological state. But for Melanie, Karen and Jane, solace is also something with a shape; it can be made manifest as something we can see or touch. It is a subjective condition emerging into the specific and material, taking the shape of an artwork or other meaningful object.
The artworks and objects brought together in this exhibition demonstrate that solace can be as varied and individual as the people who seek it. It can be found in whimsy, in humour, and in tenderness. It can be found in the plants and animals who share this planet, in everyday materials reconfigured and imbued with meaning, and in the act of making visible the worst-case scenarios that we dread. It can be found in the contemplation of objects that reconnect us to our personal and cultural roots. It can be found by making and viewing art.
I was visiting with an artist friend a few weeks ago, and they said something that I have been turning over in my mind ever since. We were talking about the general state of things, and my friend was expressing doubt about spending time in the studio, working on artistic technique when there must be more important work to do because the world is in trouble. I think this is an anxiety that many artists experience. We ask ourselves if our work has any real value, or if it is just a self-indulgent distraction to make painting or sculpture or music or film. It is a question I have asked myself many times, and here is my conclusion:
If events of the larger world are manifestations of the inner lives of human groups, and if warfare can only occur because there are humans who feel threatened, then solace has the potential to be a real force for change. If environmental destruction hinges on the insecurity of the powerful who feel the need to acquire more, and more, and more to fill an inner emptiness, then solace is worth cultivating where we can. Even though we may feel powerless to influence the inner lives of those who pull the strings, we can seek our own solace and share the peace we find with those closest to us. I think this is what Melanie Boyle, Karen McDiarmid and Jane Newman have done with their beautiful exhibition, and I think it is wonderful.
"The Shape of Solace" continues this weekend with gallery open hours on Friday 6-9pm, Saturday and Sunday from 2-6pm both days, and with a special event called "Solace Show and Tell" on Friday July 24th at 7pm. We hope to see you there.
Solace is a nuanced concept. It can be a verb or a noun, something one does for another, or the result of a quest, as in the phrase "I found solace in nature." The Cambridge online dictionary defines solace as "help and comfort when you are feeling sad or worried" and the Mirriam-Webster adds "comfort in grief, alleviation of anxiety, a source of relief or consolation." By any definition, solace is an aspect of the inner life, an emotional or psychological state. But for Melanie, Karen and Jane, solace is also something with a shape; it can be made manifest as something we can see or touch. It is a subjective condition emerging into the specific and material, taking the shape of an artwork or other meaningful object.
The artworks and objects brought together in this exhibition demonstrate that solace can be as varied and individual as the people who seek it. It can be found in whimsy, in humour, and in tenderness. It can be found in the plants and animals who share this planet, in everyday materials reconfigured and imbued with meaning, and in the act of making visible the worst-case scenarios that we dread. It can be found in the contemplation of objects that reconnect us to our personal and cultural roots. It can be found by making and viewing art.
I was visiting with an artist friend a few weeks ago, and they said something that I have been turning over in my mind ever since. We were talking about the general state of things, and my friend was expressing doubt about spending time in the studio, working on artistic technique when there must be more important work to do because the world is in trouble. I think this is an anxiety that many artists experience. We ask ourselves if our work has any real value, or if it is just a self-indulgent distraction to make painting or sculpture or music or film. It is a question I have asked myself many times, and here is my conclusion:
If events of the larger world are manifestations of the inner lives of human groups, and if warfare can only occur because there are humans who feel threatened, then solace has the potential to be a real force for change. If environmental destruction hinges on the insecurity of the powerful who feel the need to acquire more, and more, and more to fill an inner emptiness, then solace is worth cultivating where we can. Even though we may feel powerless to influence the inner lives of those who pull the strings, we can seek our own solace and share the peace we find with those closest to us. I think this is what Melanie Boyle, Karen McDiarmid and Jane Newman have done with their beautiful exhibition, and I think it is wonderful.
"The Shape of Solace" continues this weekend with gallery open hours on Friday 6-9pm, Saturday and Sunday from 2-6pm both days, and with a special event called "Solace Show and Tell" on Friday July 24th at 7pm. We hope to see you there.
