/reddeerartscouncil
Community Gallery
The Red Deer Arts Council's office features a Community Gallery, a small meeting space, an intimate space for music or theatre, and a resource space. This space is also available for short term event and meeting rentals. Please contact Suzanne at for more details!
Red Deer Arts Council is pleased to present
BREAKING THE MOULD: SCULPTURES BY FRAN DING
on display in the Community Gallery from April 13th until May 29th, 2026.
Locked in the Cellar
Ceramic
Fran Ding
“Breaking the Mould” Sculptures: by Fran Ding is a deeply personal sculptural exhibition that confronts the lasting impact of childhood trauma shaped by bullying, religious abuse, and neglect. Through a progression that moves from acknowledgment toward healing, the work traces an intimate journey of recovery and transformation. Ding’s pieces draw visual and thematic inspiration from historical artists such as Hieronymus Bosch and Mary Cassatt, whose explorations of human experience and emotional complexity resonate within her practice. The exhibition features a combination of unusual functional objects alongside predominantly sculptural forms, all created using slipcast and hand built stoneware clay. By incorporating vintage doll moulds, Ding evokes fragmented memory, identity, and the tension between innocence and harm, ultimately reshaping these symbols into powerful expressions of resilience and healing.
The Good Soldier
Ceramic
Fran Ding
Artist Statement: Objects I create become subconsciously imbued with the trauma I am processing. On the surface, all appears normal. Underneath, I was haunted by my childhood wounds. I inhabited the lies of worthlessness, inadequacy, and continuous negative messaging. I learned to feel safe and to survive by being quiet, small, hidden and voiceless. I nursed this trauma for decades but slowly began to recognize that art is an opportunity for my soul to leak out.
The nature of clay is slow and deliberate. Work progresses on the schedule of the material itself. The processes lend themselves to subconscious thought. The tactile act of moving clay engages my brain, allowing me to listen to my own mind, pushing back against the negative narratives of the past. Times of meditative silence, prayer and forgiveness most guide my direction toward art making and personal healing.
First Fridays Red Deer Opening: May 1st, 2026, from 5:00 to 7:00 pm with the artists in attendance.
Open to the public during the Community Gallery Hours
Tuesday to Friday: 10am - 5pm
Saturday and Sunday: Closed
The Blind Leading the Blind
Ceramic
Fran Ding
