May 13, 2024
A new art exhibition, on now at the Galerie Buhler Gallery in St. Boniface Hospital, looks at grief from an elderly woman’s perspective.
Draw we are together is by local artists Natalie Baird and Toby Gillies. The duo based the exhibition on their animated documentary short film Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying (2024), produced by the National Film Board of Canada.
Natalie Baird and Toby Gillies.
St. Boniface Hospital Foundation donors like you continue to play a part in the success of exhibitions such as Draw we are together. Through your generosity, the Foundation supports the annual operations of the Galerie Buhler Gallery.
The exhibition features hand-drawn animation stills and other drawings from the documentary short film, which tells the story of Edith Almadi, of Winnipeg.
Almadi is a mother, elder, and narrates the film. She worked with Baird and Gillies at her care home residence to navigate the grief of losing her son by following his request to “draw we are together.”
“Natalie and Toby were drawn to Edith’s story,” said hannah_g, Curator of the Galerie Buhler Gallery. “She had a son she sadly lost quite recently, and she was doing some drawings and talking with them about him. It’s a story of grief; it’s poignant. Edith has a sweet way of talking about her loss.”
The resulting documentary and exhibition are relatable to many, she added. “After seeing Natalie and Toby’s drawings and the short film, I thought these images would be amazing to have in our gallery setting. It’s sort of sad, but it’s also,” she paused. “It’s not exactly uplifting, but…love is really grounded.”
From the exhibition Draw we are together by Natalie Baird and Toby Gillies.
Baird and Gillies are the new Directors of the Hospital’s Art at the Bedside program which promotes healing through the arts and creativity throughout the facility. They previously collaborated with other local artists in December of 2023 to paint a 300-foot-long mural, titled Outside Light, on the concrete tunnel wall leading from the Hospital to the McEwen Building, where mental health services are provided.
Draw we are together is presented with the generous support of St. Boniface Hospital Foundation donors like you, the Manitoba Arts Council, and the Winnipeg Arts Council.
The exhibition will remain open at the Galerie Buhler Gallery until July 20. Admission is free. Learn more at galeriebuhlergallery.ca.