DYLAN M. HOLLIDAY
Healing through art: Bringing a grieving community together with art
Wednesday, April 20, 2016 - Dylan Holliday
In the small college town of Blacksburg, Virginia, there is no date more important than April 16.
Marking the anniversary of the tragic mass murder that happened just nine years ago, that date is a time for the community to come together and grieve. However, using this time of sadness to help the community come together with positivity has become the trend for this college town. With events like the 3.2 for 32 race, this day is becoming more about smiles than tears. Even the local art community is getting in on the fun, using art as a way for the community to heal.
Blacksburg, Va April 16, 2016 -- At the XYZ gallery on North Main Street, artists and community members alike gather to see what healing through art means.
Held at the student-run XYZ art gallery and curated by Victoria Javier, a senior Art History and Psychology major at Virginia Tech, artists from around the city gathered to showcase their art for the community.
“Art has a very healing property,” said Javier.
“By showing people this art, I was hoping that it would touch someone in an emotional way and they could maybe build on a connection like that.”
For the artists that were able to showcase their work at the show, bringing together the community – especially between artists – is an important step in healing the town.
“It brought artists together who wouldn’t normally be together and it brought people that wouldn’t normally experience art on a daily basis together,” said Danny Darnell, a photographer and student at Virginia Tech.
Even in recent studies, using art as a healing process is happening and can bring together whole communities in times of tragedies.