Spotlight on Our Creative Home: Gillams Artist Residency with Robyn Love

In the small west coast community of Gillams, on the North Shore of the Bay of Islands, artist Robyn Love has created something extraordinary — a project that captures the heart and history of a community through the voices of the women who live and have lived there.

"In my current work, probably for the last six years or so, I've been working on projects that really focus on the stories of women in Newfoundland," Love explains. This project was also deeply personal. When she moved to Gillams from New York City in 2002 and purchased her current home, Love had a vision of creating a space that would give voice to those often overlooked in traditional historical narratives, opening the House Museum in 2005.

"It was about exploring tourism in the way culture and tourism intersect," she explains.

"One of the ways that I always wished (the House Museum) would be successful...was to engage the women here in Gillams in a really substantial way," Love adds. It took time, however, to cultivate the relationships and trust needed to bring this project to life.

Twenty years later, she had cultivated enough trust to bring her project, titled Frolic, to fruition.

Artist Robyn Love (left) met with local women in the community of Gillams to collect their stories as part of her project “Frolic.” It’s all part of the Our Creative Home initiative, delivered by Municipalities NL and Business & Arts NL.

Frolic brought Gillams women of all ages together for bi-weekly needlework gatherings, rekindling the tradition of “spinning frolics” when women gathered to prepare wool for winter knitting. Over the course of these sessions, the women shared stories about their lives, and the lives of their mothers and grandmothers, which were recorded for an audio and photographic archive, preserving and amplifying their voices.

It's all part of the Our Creative Home Project — supported by the Government of NL for Year of the Arts and delivered by Municipalities NL and Business & Arts NL.

As part of her project, Love interviewed 18 women, ranging in age from 9 to 93, and asked each of them the same six questions, creating a powerful archive of local experiences and memories. The result was a rich tapestry of stories that went far beyond simple recollections. (Click here to meet the participants and click here to read the Frolic interview transcripts.) Love points out a critical context for the project, noting some accounts that suggest only about 0.5 per cent of recorded history focuses on women.

The project's impact was profound. Love provided each interviewee with a copy of the transcript of their conversation, which became a treasured document and a way for participants to share their stories and get to know one another better. "I think people just felt very touched by that and enjoyed reading everybody else's stories," Love says.

For Love, the project was also transformative. "It was so meaningful, it's almost hard to put into words. I get almost emotional about it. For me, it really was the first time I really felt like, 'Oh yeah, I am part of this town'" she says.

"I was so honoured that people would bring me into their life. I asked the same six questions and often, as soon as the recorder went off, we would have a whole other conversation, and that was also very special." At the same time, Love says, she felt privileged to invite interviewees into her space and give them a window into her work as an artist.

While at first, some participants didn't think their stories were of any significance, "once they start talking, it's really clear it's very special. In other ways, I think people were just totally ready to tell their story and have a way to have it be heard and seen," Love says.

The project culminated in a celebration with a parade this past July. Love led the procession, wearing a dress with a 20-foot train that was embroidered with women's names from the 1930 census, made from fabric which was used to cover a fish flake as part of the 2021 Bonavista Biennale.

"I wore that dress and the women all marched with me up front, and I made noise makers out of bells and driftwood. So we marched from the town hall down to the museum...with the men carrying the train. And we sang the Ode to Newfoundland as we walked. We created a spectacle," Love laughs.

Frolic now resides at the Gillams Historical Museum (which is open during the summer season) — ensuring these stories will be preserved for future generations. (Can't make it to Gillams? Click here to check out an audio tour of the museum.)

Mother and daughter Laura and Amy Park are two of the women who shared their stories as part of Love’s “Frolic” project.

Local support for the project was crucial. In addition to sharing her own story, Gillams Mayor Joy Burt played a pivotal role in helping Love identify potential interviewees, coordinate conversations and decide what would be most meaningful for participants. The Town of Gillams and the Gillams Historical Society also partnered on the project, demonstrating the community's commitment to preserving its history.

"Without Joy, of course, being the real engine behind it, and her enthusiastic support, I couldn't have done it," Love acknowledges. The project has resonated beyond the borders of the town, with positive feedback appearing on local social media from former Gilliams residents and others.

“Frolic” is now a permanent display at the Gillams Historical Museum (open seasonally).

"We’re so fortunate that this project provided us with a permanent exhibit that is now on display at the Gillams Historical Society’s museum in Gillams — the first of its kind to focus on the lives and contributions of a group of women in our community," Mayor Burt says. 

“All of Ms. Love's projects have a thought-provoking element to them and ours was no exception...We were so fortunate to have been selected to participate in this program."

Love's work goes beyond documentation, it's about recognition, trust and giving those who have traditionally been silenced an opportunity to share their stories, voices and unique perspectives — a mission she has accomplished beautifully in Gillams.