beyond ana – opening celebration

All are welcome to the Museum to celebrate the opening of the exhibit beyond ana on Saturday, Sept. 21. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with opening remarks at 7 p.m. in the Museum theatre before the exhibit viewing.

beyond ana is a new art exhibit by Blyth artist Kelly Stevenson and serves as both a tribute to a voice lost before its time and a catalyst to start conversations.

Sarah Stevenson was just 18 in 1997 when she lost her years long battle with anorexia. That loss left a lifelong mark on her then 6-year-old cousin Kelly who has spent the years since trying to come to terms with Sarah’s death, and advocate for better access to proper treatments and a shift in society’s understanding of eating disorders and those who battle them. With beyond ana Stevenson aims to open the viewers eyes and hearts to the reality and humanity of those who live with illnesses that are so often misunderstood and caricatured as simply being “young women’s diseases” rooted in vanity.

Content warning: Please note that beyond ana explores the impacts of eating disorders, including anorexia, and may not be appropriate for all audiences.