Artist: Kathryn Belzer
Size: 5′5″
Medium: Cloth, foam, public washroom towel dispenser and waste basket.
Photo: Dan Abriel

I built Caregiver in 1989 for a joint show with Margi Hennen, entitled Use Container Provided. With her towel dispenser, she carried out the “container” theme. I replaced the paper towels with cloth towels emboidered and painted to depict acts of kindness and care. Clearly, she has a limited capacity.

Unless others care for her by folding and replacing the cloth towels, she will be exhausted, no longer able to dispense those good acts. Ten years later, Brigette Neumann, Executive Director of the Nova Scotia Advisory Council on the Status of Women saw Caregiver in my studio.

“Tell me about that,” said Brigette.

In a trice she envisioned how Caregiver could promote and participate in the Council’s series of events celebrating International Women’s Week 2000, and that’s just what Caregiver did.