Sabrina Curtis

I am incredibly honoured to be continuing my creative journey in Fernie this July (and the word nerd in me particularly loves how rhythmic that sounds)!

Art caught me completely off guard, as did the life-changing event that eventually led me to art. In 2019, a crash during a mountain bike race quite literally brought my 20-year career in community development in this region to a halt. That event may have forever altered my path, but I feel very fortunate that along the way I discovered art. And ironically, art is now bringing me full circle back to engaging with communities.

I am a self-taught acrylic artist and a self-propelled adventure enthusiast. Painting has been my unexpected silver lining while recovering from my traumatic brain injury. About a year after my accident, I put brush to canvas for the first time in my life as a therapeutic outlet and I have not stopped since. Initially, I was struggling to not be out adventuring like I was accustomed to, and via my brushstrokes I felt I could still “be” in the mountainous places that I love. That continues to be the ultimate goal of my realistic landscape paintings, to immerse us all in the vastness and vibrancy that we experience by exploring our treasured natural environments.

I firmly believe that the powerful influence of neuroplasticity has helped my brain overcome damage and emerge artistically. This concept of cognitive “rewiring” is the basis of my REWIRED collection that will be showing at Fernie Arts Station. It is a symbolic collection of work that expresses my transformative journey through brain injury recovery and discovery of my creative self, and it relays my conviction that the ability to adapt through any type of adversity is within us.

My work is also intended as a creative invitation to connect with and share experiences of transformation. For three years now, art has been helping me reinvent myself and helping me tell my story – a story that I hope can resonate with many as we all experience great change. As part of my exhibit, I will be hosting a casual community conversation where we can connect around adversity and adaptation, all in the good company of art! 

I am so grateful that art has given me another means to engage with others and build a supportive network, creatively and otherwise. The REWIRED exhibit will continue to tour around the Kootenays over the next year – the collection will keep expanding, the storyline will keep evolving, and the community conversations and connections will hopefully enrich all of our ongoing journeys. I hope you will join along in my #artventure.

Sabrina’s work will be exhibited at Fernie Arts Station from June 29 to July 25. The opening reception will be Thursday June 29 from 7-9pm and the community conversation will be hosted near the end of the exhibit on Monday July 24 at 7pm. You can also join Sab’s creative journey via Instagram @sabcurtis or her website sabcurtis.com.