David Busby Street Centre

Visibly Unseen 2011

A Creative Collaboration In conjunction with Georgian College & Cole Bennett Photography

David Busby Street Centre

Simcoe County has had an increase in homelessness and poverty over the past few years. For many people it’s due to mental illness. For others, physical ailments have resulted in unemployment. For some, dependency on opiates or alcohol has brought them to where they are.  The reasons are unique to each individual.

 But this project is not about the reasons.

 Visibly Unseen 2011is an artistic collaboration designed to share the stories of a few people from here with others who are there. What has resulted is a tapestry of glimpses into the lives of unique individuals who live in Barrie. Some glimpses are beautiful and some are heart wrenching.  I hope we have succeeded in extending the reach of their voices – not to send a message through a megaphone — but to simply share some stories to anyone wanting to and willing to listen.

 This year’s exhibition of Visibly Unseen will be launched at Barrie City Hall Rotunda, beginning Tuesday May 10th, 2011 and will be on display until Tuesday May 31st. It will include printed images paired with an audio/visual presentation including voice recordings, still images, and video.

 As a result of this creative endeavor, our hope and desire is that more individuals will become interested in hearing, interested in searching and interested in finding the value in another person’s story.

Cole Bennett, Creative Director