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Prince Albert artist showcases the marginalized

Dec 2, 2018 | 11:00 AM

Kathie Bird was born and raised in Prince Albert, and to this day she calls the city home.

Bird is a mental health therapist by trade but finds her true passion in painting. Her most recent work serves to tell the story of those who have been marginalized by society, something Bird said she first noticed in Prince Albert.

“As a social worker and an artist … what I wanted to get across is that everyone comes with a story,” said Bird. “In my life, growing up in Prince Albert, I started working with people when I was quite young. I started working with what we might call street people … and I got to know them, and in a lot of ways love them.

Bird’s series delves into the lives of individuals from across the province who live a life that has left them marginalized by typical members of society.

She added how her hope for the show is to inspire compassion with those who may differ from the norm and to look for beauty where it may be hidden.

The inspiration for Bird’s gallery came to her at a young age. Her father worked with inmates, some of which Bird would meet. Through the empathy and respect her father showed to these incarcerated individuals, Bird was inspired to learn the stories of others who may be looked down on.

“This show was put together two years ago … I worked with four students at the time from across Saskatchewan. It’s a collection of largely portraits of people who self-identify as marginalized by society.”

Bird said she approaches not only her subjects, but all people in life with a motto of respect and compassion, and believes it brings out the best in people which has allowed her to create these pieces.

The gallery, In the Margins, is available for viewing at the John V. Hicks Gallery located inside the Prince Albert Arts Centre until Dec. 23.