'Crow a Day' exhibit honors memory of artist's mother

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - If you can imagine the stages of grief while watching a loved on battle a debilitating disease, then you know what artist Karen Bondarchuk was going through with her mother. 

When her mother was diagnosed with dementia in 2010, Bondarchuk began to mark the passing of each day in her own unique way as an artist. That collection of work became an exhibit to honor her mother's memory, called ‘Ergo Sum, A Crow a Day.’

"She decided to produce a crow a day," shared Emily Kapes, the curator of art at the James Museum of Western and Wildlife Art. "This exhibition is 365 paintings of crows as a deliberate way to mark time."

Of Bondarchuk, Kapes recalled, "Her mother had lost her sense of time."

While the topic seems daunting and fearful, the artwork is not.

"The works are sometimes really bright and sunny," said Kapes, "She wanted to remember her [mother] as she once was. She wanted this to be a celebration of life."

Bondarchuk put different parts of the experience into the artwork conveying different parts of the loss of her mother.

"Some of the panels include text, some of them are words and some are jumbled letters," stated Kapes, "Language became broken down for the artist's mother over time, she eventually was non-verbal."

In the end, the celebration of her mother's life is evident in the 365 panels of the exhibit.

Visitors of the James Museum can see that celebration and reflect on the journey Bondarchuk went through.

"I think it was helpful to her," added Kapes, "And I think it has resonated for so many people over the years because so many people have been affected by a loved one with dementia."

Ergo Sum: A Crow a Day is currently showing at the James Museum of Western and Wildlife Art until Sep. 6.

LINK: To find out more about the exhibit visit: https://thejamesmuseum.org/crow/

LINK: To plan a visit to the museum, visit their website: https://thejamesmuseum.org/visit/