Connected While Apart is a collective collage art project created by participants in a Between Friends counseling support group, led by our art therapist Farah.
In June, Farah recognized how survivors within our community have handled the separation that has come with COVID-19. In the absence of the communal in-person gatherings previously offered by Between Friends, survivors have found creative ways to maintain connections.
Farah wanted to help highlight the hope that clients are finding through the creative process of artmaking. She invited clients to create an individual collage that will be joined into a collective tapestry reflecting our community’s connection and healing despite being apart due to COVID-19. The goal was to highlight how resilient survivors are when they engage their creative voices in their process of healing and growth, while also staying connected to one another and supporting other survivors within the community.
Participants joined a remote art workshop session to create these collages alongside one another. Farah guided their process with inspirational questions such as “What vision do you have for your healing and growth this year?” and “What have the connections in our group community inspired you to create in your life?” Additionally, participants were invited to set their collages as their screen backgrounds to serve as a reminder of their creativity, hopes, dreams, and communal togetherness. Participants submitted their collages to be connected into a tapestry that will serve as a tangible testament to the fact that they have maintained a strong connection through these times of uncertainty.
Our participants had this to say about the project:
“It was fun to work on my collage while others worked on their own at the same time via a remote platform. It was wonderful to see people’s art as they completed it as well!”
“I enjoyed working on this collage project! I don’t have a clear image of my future plans, however this project helped me meditate on it.”
“I thought about how our community helps me move from the grey into the more colorful parts of my life.”
“I felt like I was a part of a greater community, a larger whole; even my collage reflected this concept. I liked that we were making our own creative collages in our own spaces then sharing it within the group remotely. I liked this project so much that I plan to continue making more!”
“There was no limit to our creativity!!! Everyone produced very creative and meaningful collages. I can’t wait to see the Connected While Apart communal tapestry with all of our artistic and creative expressions connected as one!”
See more images from the tapestry in this gallery.