It is only now retrospectively that John Kennedy “truly sees’’ the great impact Jayne Wilson had on his personal and professional life.
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But the West Wollongong artist has never forgotten the first meeting with The Salvation Army Wollongong manager almost 20 years ago.
“I think I was a little bit lost as to where I wanted to be,’’ Kennedy said.
Back in 1997 Wilson was managing the Banjos bistro and coordinating a hospitality training course for the unemployed.
“I was just trying to find my stage (in life),’’ Kennedy recalls. ‘’The moment that I met Jayne, she just picked up a creative baton and went off into all of these possibilities.’’
Kennedy credits Wilson with much of his success in both his art career and life.
That’s why it was such a ‘’poignant moment’’ for him to be chosen as the featured artist for the second annual Jayne Wilson Memorial Arts Competition and Exhibition.
This exhibition was established in Wilson’s honour in 2014/15 to celebrate her love of creativity and service to the local community.
In 1996, Wilson established the First Floor Program for families impacted by substance use, mental health issues and suicide. In her later years, she was also a well-known police chaplain - serving the Lake Illawarra Area Command, its officers and their families for seven years. Wilson passed away on Christmas day 2013 from cancer.
“This exhibition for me is like a celebration of examples of what Jayne was about,” Kennedy said. “She was out there to pay forward to other people to get on their feet and do the things they love to do with their lives.
“When someone else recognizes what you do, there’s something very powerful about that; it takes you out of that lonely bubble. Jayne wanted you to be the best version of who you are.
“I was committed from day one. She helped me feel like I could go into this creative world.’’
Now a well-known artist and teacher in his own right, Kennedy is looking forward to showing his collection of works, which explore the intricacies of consciousness through a series of intricately detailed pen and ink drawings.
“It feels like I’m coming full circle,’’ Kennedy said.
“Everything that has happened is the result of coming here (Wollongong centre). None of the works that will be displayed was even in existence when I walked in here the first time and I don’t think it ever would have been if I hadn’t stepped through those front doors.’’