Brandy Bloxom has earned critical acclaim for a project she started as a labour of love.
After obtaining a spot at the provincial Rural and Northern Juried Art Show in Winnipeg, the Denare Beach photographer snagged a second-place honour.
“I’m super excited to even have the chance to have something on display down there in the art gallery. I never expected to place. I was just so ecstatic that it got out there,” she said.
Her piece, a photo compilation called “A Century Lost,” depicts three indigenous children sitting at desks in front of an abandoned church, recalling the dark legacy of Canada’s residential school system. The picture, which was compiled using 12 separate photos, also incorporates indigenous imagery.
“With the ongoing Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the residential schools and all the impact it has on the culture, I wanted to tell a story with the image,” she said.
“I wanted something with impact, so when you look at it and get that feeling, your stomach clenching in a knot, getting somewhat of a feeling of what those kids were going through.”
Before being entered in the Winnipeg show, Bloxom entered her work in A Northern Juried Art Exhibition, a show in Flin Flon held during the summer. Bloxom’s piece not only received the People’s Choice honour and second place in the show’s photography category, it earned a spot in the prestigious Winnipeg gallery exhibition – the first time Bloxom’s work had ever been shown at a major provincial event. Five other area artists were also entered in the Winnipeg show.
In the final show, Bloxom said she had received a positive reaction from showgoers.
“They were touched by it. I could tell – people said thank you for doing something like that. It was very emotional,” she said.
“I wanted to give a voice to people whose voices weren’t heard.”
Bloxom said the three children featured in the image are actually just one child – Bloxom took three photos of him and added in other photos, including an abandoned Ukrainian church in Meath Park, Sask. in the background. Bloxom said the child will receive the cash proceeds the image brings in.
“It’s just a really close child to me, I see him every day. All the proceeds, everything I make off of this, I’ll give to him. I’ve sold some t-shirts and I sold a couple of prints,” she said.
“I’m just glad that we can share this with somebody and that people enjoy it.”
