There are a lot of myths surrounding people with disabilities, whether they're physical or mental.
A new exhibit at Port Coquitlam's Leigh Square aims to debunk those myths by showcasing the talent and inspiration behind artworks by a wide variety of artists with a range of disabilities.
Coquitlam's Lelainia Lloyd was a full-time artist and teacher when she lost the feeling in her hands five years ago.
In 2008 she learned it was multiple sclerosis; the disease had damaged her spinal cord and caused her to lose feeling in other areas of her body as well.
Her work had included intricate, hand-quilted textiles and mixed-media works combining paint and collage elements. Lloyd also created design work for art companies around the world and taught mixed-media art courses.
"Being an artist and losing the feeling in your hands is quite devastating," said Lloyd. "I struggled with the dexterity I needed for the works I had been doing all along."
But Lloyd persevered, learning how to use her hands all over again. She can't feel what's in her hands, but relies on her brain to register what her hands are doing based on what she sees.
About a year ago she took a digital photography class, and everything changed.
"I started off on a really cheap point-and-shoot camera that does all the work for you," Lloyd said.
In the process, however, Lloyd discovered a new world of artistic possibilities that she hadn't previously considered when snapping family photos.
She took more classes, one after another, finding new inspiration with each step. A few months in she started experimenting with a digital SLR camera and hasn't looked back.
"I've really fallen in love with the medium," she said. "Photography has really opened new doors for me."
Lloyd is showing a collection of her photos in Leigh Square's exhibit Challenging the Myths: Arts & Disability. The show honours Rick Hansen's 25th anniversary relay through Port Coquitlam.
Ironically, when Lloyd looked back at her earlier photos she noticed many of them featured her hands.
"I'd been so angry... but when I started looking at my pictures it gave me a different appreciation of my body," Lloyd said. "I realized that even though my hands aren't compatible with doing everything I used to do before the damage from MS, they still serve me in a lot of ways I'm grateful for.
"Photography gave me a deeper appreciation of my hands, and a way to see myself through a different lens."
Two of the photos Lloyd is showing demonstrate the way she digitally manipulates photographs, often layering several together. Some pieces are drawn from pictures of her earlier paintings, giving Lloyd a chance to mix her old and new artistic worlds.
"I've been able to take the skills and ability I have, and translate it into a new medium in a way other people aren't," Lloyd said.
It's a process that has also played out in the lives of other artists with disabilities.
In 1993 Kevin Priebe was 18 years old, an athletic high school student riding his bike home from school before a rugby game, when he was struck by a car and made a paraplegic.
The Maple Ridge resident later found work in the film industry, crafting special effects and prosthetic props, and discovered a talent for figurative sculpture.
"I made my own seats quite a long time ago to make it possible for me to work, and it's really helped me move forward," Priebe said.
For the Leigh Square exhibit Priebe is showing a sit-ski he built last year, as well as a 20-minute video detailing how he got into crafting adaptive seating products.
Priebe, who is an ambassador for the Rick Hansen Foundation, is also taking part in the medal relay through Maple Ridge.
"When you have a [spinal cord] injury art is a main part of your rehabilitation, and so are sports," Priebe said. "Part of getting well again is you gotta express yourself."
Challenging the Myths also features art by Marney Smithies, works by artists in the Cascadia Society for people with Down's syndrome as well as art by New View Society members.
Challenging the Myths: Arts & Disability is at Leigh Square until June 11. The opening reception, with artists in attendance, is tomorrow (Thursday) at 4 p.m. to coincide with Port Coquitlam's Rick Hansen relay day.
