By Laura Churchill Duke

These days, walking into the Acadia Art Gallery is like stepping into a magical storybook world. That’s all thanks to the current exhibit by Holly Carr, Light in the Forest: Coming Home.

Light in the Forest is a multifaceted art installation that was first presented at the Acadia University Art Gallery in 2013 that explored the role of nostalgia and childhood memories. At that time, the installation comprised of large-scale paintings on silk that created an illustrated environment of immersive storybooks.  

The original inspiration was her then young son who was struggling with anxiety, says Carr who created the exhibit to explore childhood fears and safe places.

“We are so pleased to have this ‘coming home’ of the project a decade later,” explains gallery curator, Dr. Laurie Dalton.

Since that first exhibit over a decade ago, Carr says the work has since evolved into the intersection of art, nature and mental wellness. This is why it was important to come home to where it all began, to re-exhibit.

Besides, much has happened in the world since then.

“Pre-covid we lost some young folks from mental health concerns from our community, and since covid, even more so,” says Carr. “We are sharing the message that you are not alone.”

The first exhibit was an installation of original silk paintings depicting an outside that was dark with a colourful welcoming when you entered the centre, explains Carr. Today, the installation has evolved to use animation and sound to create the narrative that there is always light - you just have to look for it.

It is also accompanied by a series of interactive self-care stations that present possible ways to assist mental wellness. These opportunities encourage people to reflect on their own mental wellness by getting them to create their own art, to fill out a gratitude leaf, and to practice guided stretching and breathing exercises.

Besides the exhibit itself, Carr has also created an accompanying storybook called the Comfort Tree, illustrating how comfort and restoration of mental health can be found in nature and how animals find comfort in different ways. In 2021 this book was selected as one of the top children’s books by the Canadian Children’s Book Centre in Toronto.

Another component of the exhibit is an app, also entitled Light in the Forest. This app was developed and piloted at Acadia with the help of Professor Jamie Symonds and computer science students Shelby Pink, Errol DaRocha and app developer Andrew Burke.

“The intention of the app is to provide a simple calming interface consisting of interactive animations of my original art, forest sounds and music,” says Carr.

Additionally, the app works on geolocation, allowing people to quickly access mental wellness support in their location. These supports may be as immediate as emergency mental health services or a list of hiking trails, explains Carr.

The accompanying music to the exhibition also has Acadia connections. For the exhibit, Carr wrote a song reminiscent of a nature hymn, with the help of Acadia’s music instructor Paula Rockwell who put it to paper and arranged it for the local Canta Mara choir to sing.

Despite its magical and storybook quality, Dalton says the exhibition is geared towards a diverse audience of all ages. She notes how classes from both Acadia and Wolfville School have already or will visit the installation.

“Carr’s work is visually accessible,” says Dalton. “It reaches a diverse audience in different ways, speaking to everyone on a variety of levels.”

Dalton is pleased the exhibition is having a ‘coming home’ to the gallery a decade later, and expresses how it is important, especially at a liberal arts university for people to critically engage with and understand the visual world around us.

“This exhibit shows that the gallery is a place where both artists and the community can come to learn and grow,” says Dalton.

In the end, Carr says she hopes visitors will show that nature, communication, self reflection and self expression can all offer a sense of peace so that you know you are not alone.

The Light in the Forest exhibit is free to visit at the Acadia Art Gallery until December 4, 2025. For more information about the exhibit, visit lightintheforest.ca.

Visiting the Gallery

Monday – Closed
Tuesday – 12 – 4
Wednesday – 12 – 4
Thursday – 12 – 4
Friday – 12 – 4
Saturday – 12 – 4
Sunday – 12 – 4

Gallery can also be opened for tours at other times by appointment.

The Acadia Art Gallery is located on the ground floor of the Beveridge Arts Centre.