Red Deer artist Lana Michelin’s new portrait series “The Resiliency Project” shares the stories of 11 people who are living with or overcoming adversity, trauma and other challenges.

A First Fridays opening for the exhibition is set for 5-8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 6 the Red Deer Museum + Art Gallery. Through this project, Michelin combines her artistic and storytelling abilities by sharing a written story alongside each painting.

Michelin was a journalist with the Red Deer Advocate from 1991 to 2024. Upon her retirement, she wanted to create a project to help with her transition away from working full-time.

“I was thinking of all the remarkable people who I’ve interviewed over the years or have heard of from others who interviewed them,” Michelin recalled.

“I know so many people who are struggling with anxiety and depression, especially young people. I thought that maybe people I’ve interviewed who have gone through struggles in their life could impart some kind of coping strategies or share what helped them get through hardship.”

Michelin said she wanted to share a variety of unique stories through this exhibition, which will be on display at the MAG until March 13.

“We have remarkable people in our community with interesting stories,” said Michelin.

“We all have stories and I really am grateful to these people for sharing their stories, as well as their coping strategies. Maybe it can help others.”

Some of the stories focus on people who experienced great trauma.

“One of the portraits is of Tyler Pelke, a deputy fire chief in Red Deer. He went through terrible trauma when he was just a youth. He was a victim of a violent home invasion … and was left in a burning building. His best friend died,” said Michelin.

“Another portrait features Martha Cortes. … When she lived in Colombia, a paramilitary group was pressuring her and her family to give up their family farm, so they could take over the farm and use it for their drills. She was kidnapped and basically tortured several times over a period of weeks.

“As soon as she managed to get out of the situation, she had to go into hiding until she was accepted into Canada as a refugee.”

There are also portrait subjects who have struggled with their physical health, including a man who was blinded in a workplace accident and a single mother living with a chronic heart condition.

Michelin will discuss the project at 2 p.m. on Nov. 28 at the MAG.

“The Resiliency Project” comes just a couple years after Michelin’s portrait series “Being Human: Portraits of Homelessness,” which appeared at the Red Deer MAG and Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre, as well as galleries in Lacombe and Calgary.

Here are some other First Fridays openings happening in Red Deer on Nov. 6:

— “Hitting Their Stride at 40 Years,” an exhibition celebrating 40 years of the Red Deer Symphony Orchestra at the Red Deer MAG from 5-8 p.m.

— “Narrow Works,” a textile, quilting, eco-printing and embroidery exhibition by Fibre Arts Network at the Kiwanis Gallery (4818 49 St.) from 5:30-7:30 p.m. The exhibition is open until Dec. 12.

— “Roll For Initiative: Art of Adventure,” a foam models and miniatures exhibition by Mike Coghlin at the Community Gallery (4919 49 St.) from 5-7 p.m. The exhibition is open until Nov. 14.

— “Prairies, Water, and Alberta Skies,” an acrylic exhibition by Osi Cruz-Lahtinen at the Marjorie Woods Gallery inside the Kerry Wood Nature Centre (6300 45 Ave.) from 5-7 p.m., with an artist talk.