Jessica A. McVicker will be sharing her story of childhood abuse SA国际影视传媒� and how painting helped her heal - for the first time on the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre stage Thursday night.
The painter spent her early years up until her 20s in a world of chronic sexual, physical and emotional abuse. When she finally escaped, she told Yellowknifer she felt extremely alone, isolated and rejected.
Now an accomplished working artist, McVicker wants to share a message of hope through her chosen artistic medium of acrylics on pine board.
SA国际影视传媒淧eople do emerge from these situations, they can emerge whole and as people who have grown from these experiences,SA国际影视传媒� she said.
Thursday, she plans to guide the audience through what she calls a visual tour of her life, through the paintings she has been creating since the beginning of the year.
It is a way of sharing a story she has only done once before through poetry. Back then, sharing was a way to protect herself from abusers she had recently escaped.
Now, 15 years later, sharing her story takes on a new meaning. Healing, closure, forgiveness and building confidence are all ongoing processes for McVicker.
SA国际影视传媒淚 didnSA国际影视传媒檛 want it to be overwhelmingly dark for people,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淚 wanted it to talk to people instead of make them cringe.SA国际影视传媒�
The pieces are metaphorical, painted in different styles and depicting aspects of her experience including spirituality, thoughts of suicide, hopes and dreams.
SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 not just about dealing with the darkness, you have to also deal with the light in life to really feel like itSA国际影视传媒檚 not all dark,SA国际影视传媒� she said.
When she started the project earlier this year, she imagined it being a therapeutic experience. What she found was a much more difficult process than she had originally imagined.
SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 been super painful to work on it and ISA国际影视传媒檝e gone through bouts of depression, bouts of doubt,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淒o people really want to hear about this? Is this something that's good for me to talk about? Is this going to be disruptive for me or is this going to be beneficial for me? And these are questions that ISA国际影视传媒檝e talked about with my partner and my friends and myself.SA国际影视传媒�
One positive outcome for McVicker is the ability to speak more openly about her life. Many of the pieces were painted in front of visitors at her JAMmed Studio, allowing her to test out how it felt to speak openly about the abuse she faced.
SA国际影视传媒淎 big thing about, especially sexual abuse, is that itSA国际影视传媒檚 a big secret and itSA国际影视传媒檚 something that you feel incredible shame about,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淓ven in later parts of your life that shame follows you and itSA国际影视传媒檚 something that is taboo to talk about. And itSA国际影视传媒檚 something that also you need to talk about to heal from.SA国际影视传媒�
Thursday night's show is a test run for McVicker, after which she will decide whether to display the paintings elsewhere.
McVicker is a multi-platform visual artist who has worked in printmaking, illustration, graphic novels and stone sculpture before leaning towards what she is perhaps most well known for - her acrylic Northern landscapes.
McVicker studied at the Alberta College of Art and Design before relocating to Yellowknife from B.C.
