UCalgary Recovery Community and STEM Art Hub aim to reduce stigma around addiction and recovery through student-led art gallery

By Hannah Caparino, March 26 2025—

The Little Gallery will be hosting an art gallery titled “Surfacing: the Science of Addiction Gallery”, which is a four-day long event in collaboration between the STEM Art Hub and the UCalgary Recovery Community (UCRC). Krysia Denys, a UCRC Peer Recovery Navigator at the UCRC and VP External of the STEM Art Hub, spoke to The Gauntlet about the event and how artwork brings about awareness to the subject of addiction and recovery.

“I thought it would be really cool for our annual art gallery […] to focus on the science of addiction and to showcase student experiences with addiction recovery,” said Denys. “And a lot of people kind of cope with their difficulties through art, so I was interested to see what they could come up with and want to share with other students about their struggles and about their journeys, and about how well they’re doing as well.”

One of the most important aspects of the gallery is reducing the stigma about addiction and the process of recovery. Denys emphasized that accessibility to the event allows for the University of Calgary community to respond to the artwork, and focus on how to create positive conversation around the topic. A primary goal of the gallery is for people to be more attentive and understanding. There are a variety of experiences that will be featured in the gallery, and will explore how a community can be built through art..

“Pay attention to the message that the artists’ want to give. Each have an artist statement about their work, which can give some insight to people who are less familiar with the topic of addiction and recovery, and to look at it with compassion,” said Denys.

The gallery will be a culmination of the work done with the club, as well as represent the community that is being built by the UCRC and STEM Art Hub. Connection among individuals with all levels of experience can reflect on events like the gallery and allow people to create relationships with their art.

“So it’s gonna be very focused on lived experience and on what people have through research knowledge, which is kind of the tie in to the science of addiction,” said Denys. “There is also the way that personal experience shapes research and how personal experience shapes art. So [it’s] reflective of the people who come here, reflective of the people at STEM Art Hub, but also just the sense of community of coming and supporting each other at an event like this is really big.”

In terms of how the UCRC handles outreach and events, the gallery is the first of its kind. While the UCRC has interacted with the wider UofC community through tableling, hosting substance-free events and discussions, the gallery is one of the first events that is a showcase of personal experience and conversation. Denys discussed how students are able to use visualization as a form of expression that is courageous and contributes to reducing the stigma. The gallery isn’t just primarily displaying one form of art, but a collection of different art styles.

“There’s a few pieces I’m really excited to see because we have a lot of different media this year. There’s both 2D paintings, mixed media art, […] and then a few sculptures. So I am really excited to see the diversity of art rather than one specific piece, because I think they all come together to tell a story,” said Denys.

With the collective goal to create conversation surrounding art and addiction, Denys expresses her gratitude for her colleagues in support of putting up the event and the positive impact that this event will have on the larger UofC community.

“I’d like to say I’m super grateful to my teams, both of them at STEM Art Hub and at UCalgary Recovery Community for supporting me with this event. I’m also super grateful to the wider campus community for being receptive to it, and for supporting it through their curiosity; that’s the most important thing,” said Denys. “If people are able to show curiosity, they’re able to learn, and we can have a constructive dialogue about addiction, about recovery, about all sorts of things around it.”

The gallery will be held from Mar. 24-28 at the Little Gallery in the Arts Building. Information about the UCRC can be found on their website. For resources about addiction, mental health, recovery and more, click here.