For Lorraine Morgan, painting is more than a hobby – it’s therapy.

Ms. Morgan suffers from depression. Picking up a paintbrush, she says, has been a form of healing for her.

She’s just donated a series of artwork to the School of Social Work, focused on new beginnings, and hopes her story helps raise awareness around mental health issues.

“These paintings were a journey for me,” said Ms. Morgan, who is originally from Clarke’s Beach and now lives in St. John’s. “They evoke memories and emotion for me. It was through my depression that I found my art.”

She’s titled the six paintings Journey through darkness to find the light. They include scenes from her travels around the world, including Austria, Paris and Quebec City, as well as areas closer to home including Whiteway, Trinity Bay and two of Cape Spear. In each piece, she sees “hope and prosperity."

“For me, painting is a means of expression and healing,” said Ms. Morgan, a longtime Memorial donor who has scholarships set in the faculties of arts and education, as well as the School of Social Work.

“I was sick for a long time and didn’t even know what was wrong. But I found I could express my feelings best in these paintings.”

Ms. Morgan was at the Office of Alumni Affairs and Development to officially donate her art on March 19. She placed the six pieces into a large wooden frame that she built to resemble an old fashioned window.

“It’s my view of my world and how I’ve experienced it.”

Social justice open house
The art will be on display during a special open house the School of Social Work is hosting on Monday, March 23, in the Junior Common Room on the St. John’s campus as part of Social Work Month.

The theme of the event is exploring social justice through creative expression. Art ranging from short films, posters, music and paintings will be on display. Members of the university community are invited to attend the free event, which runs from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. 

‘Glimmer of hope’
Ms. Morgan says she’s found personal healing through art.

She says that after much counselling and one-on-one meetings with health-care and spiritual professionals, she was diagnosed with depression several years ago.

“At the start of my journey, I was told I should try and write down my emotions and feelings in a journal but I couldn’t,” she said. “It just wasn’t my style. Instead, I took up painting.”

Since then, she’s painted a variety of scenes and images – everything from tangled tree branches to ocean vistas to quaint city parks. Her pieces, she says, each contain a “glimmer of hope.”

Dr. Donna Hardy Cox, dean, School of Social Work, says Ms. Morgan’s donation speaks to the important elements embraced in the School of Social Work’s mission – respect for the inherent dignity and worth of people, the pursuit of social justice and service to humanity.

“After meeting with Lorraine and sharing her interpretation of her artwork, she found a home in the school for her art, which shares her experiences with depression,” said Dr. Hardy Cox. “Social work students, faculty and visitors to the school will benefit from this visual perspective and based upon this, increased knowledge about mental health issues will better serve the people of the province.” 

‘Out on a limb’
Ms. Morgan says she is proud to have her art featured during the open house and to have her pieces hang in the School of Social Work.

She thanks Memorial employees Jillian Gibson and Rebecca Dutton, both development officers with the Office of Alumni Affairs and Development, for helping see her donation come to fruition.

“By making this donation, I hope it helps get rid of the stigma of mental health,” she said. “It takes a lot to put yourself out there on a limb and talk about depression. But I hope this does open people’s eyes. People do still judge those suffering from depression. I hope I can help inspire people to get the help they need instead of letting depression take you down. Even if this helps just one person, it will have done its job.”

More information about the School of Social Work’s open house is available online.