Heather Goldminc’s latest art project pays tribute to those on the front lines of the COVID-19 fight, raises money for charity and provides an activity for those who are self-isolating.
Inspired by the public displays appreciation for health-care workers, including the 7 p.m. noise-making and displaying hearts in windows, this week the Lantzville ceramic artist began offering packages of ceramic hearts to be decorated and hung in trees.
“If you’re going to wear your hearts on your sleeves, how about we hang our hearts on our trees?” Goldminc said.
Each package includes six hearts of varying sizes, paints, paintbrushes, sparkles, weatherproof sealing gloss, ribbons and wires to hang the hearts and colour theory instructions. The packages are available by contactless pickup or dropoff and $5 from each $20 kit goes to the Loaves and Fishes Community Food Bank, a cause Goldminc has long supported.
“I am so thrilled to finally have something that’s going to help to give me a rudder and give me some good direction and be useful at this time,” she said.
The COVID-19 mitigation effort is personal for Goldminc. She’s currently caring for two vulnerable relatives: her brother, who’s recovering from his third heart surgery, and her octogenarian mother. She also has family members in essential roles as her daughter is a nurse and her husband makes deliveries for Thrifty’s. Goldminc said she has to “basically put him through a car wash” when he gets home.
“I admire them and I just think the world that they’re doing this and I know what a value that they’re bringing and it does bring it really close to home,” she said. “We’re just one person away from having this virus in our own home and we want to be able to bring some comfort and be part of this in the most positive way we can.”
For more information on the Hearts on Our Trees packages and Goldminc’s other clay kits, click here.
arts@nanaimobulletin.com
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