Cheryl Wilson-Smith: 21 Pillows

21 Pillows is a multi-sensory, interactive and contemplative installation by award-winning Red Lake artist Cheryl Wilson-Smith. The exhibition is organized and circulated by the Thunder Bay Art Gallery with assistance from the Ontario Arts Council.

Cheryl Wilson-Smith’s 21 Pillows is lit to simulate dusk and imbued with ambient raven calls, featuring 21 tufted burlap pillows placed on the gallery floor. 10,000 designed and kiln-fired glass rocks sit on the pillows.

“As you move through the installation, you are encouraged to select a kiln-fired glass rock from the thousands made by the artist and place them on a pillow that you are drawn to. Your interaction and the collective energy of all other participants will shape the development of the installation and provide everyone with the opportunity to contemplate the passage of time and the vulnerability of both humanity and the natural world,” offers Cheryl Wilson-Smith. “21 Pillows is a reminder of how we affect the natural world over time, and by extension, ourselves.”