GerryFest celebration paints pictures of racial justice in honour of late Winnipeg arts icon
GerryFest guests were invited to paint their messages about systemic racism, with Gerry Atwell in mind
A celebration in memory of the late Winnipeg musician Gerry Atwell has created a powerful legacy: a gallery of original, personal, and sometimes painful paintings that demand racial justice.
And now those paintings are on public display until further notice, delivering a message that Atwell would have approved of, his sister says.
"He was trying to take a stance for things to change for years now," said Judy Williams. "So this is something that he would probably be saying 'finally' to."
Williams was the co-organizer of "GerryFest" — a festival of music, speeches and painting workshops in honour of her late brother that took place at the St. Norbert Arts Centre on Aug. 14.
Atwell was an icon in Canada's music, arts and human rights communities, and has been called "an elder statesman for the Black community" in Winnipeg. The 60-year-old died suddenly last November.
Within hours of his death, Williams and his close friends began to plan GerryFest (an event that Atwell himself envisioned while he was alive, Williams said).
The goal was simple — to celebrate artists who Atwell himself supported, inspired and encouraged, and to raise funds for a memorial mentorship program to support artists still waiting in the wings.
But the world changed after Atwell died. And so, therefore, did GerryFest.
The COVID-19 pandemic broke out, leaving organizers to re-envision the day, with public safety in mind.
The deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, both Black people killed by police, then cemented their commitment to the theme of racial justice.
Invited guests — wearing masks and seated in bubbles — were urged to paint their own messages about systemic racism, but with Gerry in mind.
"'What would Gerry say?' We've asked that a lot," said Louise May, who worked closely with Atwell at the St. Norbert Arts Centre, or SNAC.
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The results were powerful. More than 75 original paintings, made with (donated) house paint and canvas on wood, now reside on a long fence along the grounds of the SNAC.
There's Nadia Thompson's painting: an image of a Black man hunched over, the weight of the world on him.
"The world's sometimes on the backs of our people, so that's what I put on canvas," Thompson said.
There's the painting of an elephant (one of Atwell's favourite animals, his sister says).
"I often refer to racism as the elephant in the room, as it is there, bigger than life and people see it, but it is not often acknowledged," Williams said.
And there's the painting with a message that Williams said makes her smile, and remember her brother in a world of ugly and pain:
"Keep calm and GerryFest on."
The painting workshop was so successful, the organizers plan to continue holding them.
GerryFest itself, meanwhile, was so successful, they hope to make that an annual event, to further support both the fight for racial justice and the dreams of aspiring artists.
"We hope that the synergy created by our annual GerryFest event and the arts mentorship program will create and fulfil an endearing legacy and continue the work that Gerry Atwell has done in the community," Williams said.
For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.
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