Niagara Health, along with the Indigenous Health Services and Reconciliation team, is excited to announce the selection of three Indigenous artists to create artworks for our Outpatient Mental Health Units in St. Catharines, Niagara Falls and Welland. These pieces aim to enhance the experience of clients seeking mental health care, fostering a welcoming and culturally safe environment where everyone feels valued and understood.
With nine beautiful art submissions received and more than 400 staff and community member responses, the results were closely contested. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all artists for sharing their talent and being part of this important initiative. Each submission brought unique perspectives and creativity, underscoring the incredible talent within our community.
The selected artists and their respective locations are as follows:
Alicia-Lynn Morin
Morin is an independent self-taught artist raised in Welland. Her passion for art has been a path to healing and wellness from generational traumas experienced throughout her life. Embracing her culture daily, Morin takes pride in her sobriety.
“Having been chosen to do a mural for clients to feel safe and to have my artwork in a health system is an honour of its own,” she says. “I appreciate this opportunity more than I could ever express. Tiniki from the bottom of my heart.”
Morin’s interpretation of the three bears represents the three sisters—corn, squash, and beans—which support each other's growth when planted together. Her artwork will be displayed in the Outpatient Mental Health Unit at the Marotta Family Hospital in St. Catharines.
Richard Langlois
Residing in the Niagara region, Langlois has connected deeply with his Indigenous roots for more than 35 years. His work reflects this connection, drawing on cultural elements for direction and purpose in their art and healing. “My art has kept me grounded and in touch with my roots as an Anishinaabe artist,” says Langlois.
The design features a bear, symbolizing the medicine it brings, an eagle representing love, and a medicine wheel illustrating traditional medicines and wellness. Langlois’ art will be displayed in the Outpatient Mental Health Unit at the Niagara Falls Hospital.
Delbert JayR Jonathan
Delbert JayR Jonathan, a Mohawk artist from the Turtle clan who belongs to the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory is familiar to Niagara Health, having previously worked with the Indigenous Health Services and Reconciliation team to create an art piece which is displayed in our Emergency Departments across our hospital sites. Jonathan learned from, and was mentored by, a long generational line of artists within his family.
Jonathan’s design features plant life, emphasizing the role of people as life teachers and offering a sense of grounding and connection to the land and its guardians. Jonathan says our existence as beings on this land is deeply interconnected with each other, the animals, and the plants. "The plant life gives us so much – sight, smells, food, and of course, medicine for our bodies, minds, spirits, and emotions," he says. Jonathan’s artwork will be displayed in the Outpatient Mental Health Unit at the Welland Hospital.
We are grateful for the community’s active participation in the selection process, which ensures that the selected art pieces resonate deeply with both our clients and the community, contributing to a culturally safe and welcoming environment.
All of the artists have started working to bring their submissions to life, and we anticipate the finished pieces to be unveiled in late-2024. We look forward to celebrating these important additions to our hospital spaces.
For more information about the Indigenous Health Services and Reconciliation team, please visit Niagara Health’s website.
