By Emma Bynes
@emma_bynes4
On Monday, Nov. 3 Springfield College hosted a grand opening for an art installation from Rick’s Place — an organization that helps children who lost a parent or loved one cope with loss. Hosted on the second floor of Blake Hall, this event was part of Springfield College’s William Simpson Fine Arts series and is run every November to commemorate National Children’s Grief Awareness Month.
The gallery is described on the series’ website as “an intimate, heartfelt narrative of personal journeys through grief.” With a subject as human and emotional as the loss of a loved one, the gallery showed just how strong the human spirit is.
One of the pieces in the installation was a memory wall — where attendees were encouraged to place a picture of a loved one who has passed on and write a message in their memory. The wall was painted as a tree where guests could place the heartfelt messages.
Betsy Flores, a Springfield College graduate in 2006 and a program director at Rick’s Place, recognizes how art tells different stories and shares experiences.
“All of the programs we do are centered around a theme of grief and loss,” Flores said. “It’s really powerful because oftentimes kids don’t have the words to express what they’re feeling after they’ve had a death. Art is a really great tool for them to share their personal experience.”
The art from Rick’s Place and the children who attended the opening Monday evening were very moving. The gallery serves as a reminder of perseverance and compassion and is worth the trip across campus. Visitors can enjoy a moment of quiet reflection and read descriptions of the different types of artwork displayed such as “Faces of Grief” and the memory wall, among others.
The installation will be up in Blake Hall until Nov. 21 and is open on all weekdays from 9:30-4:00. The next event in the William Simpson Fine Arts Series is the CommUnity Dance Concert on Dec. 5 in the Fuller Arts Center.
Photo by Emma Bynes/The Student