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ALANNA NOLAN PAINTS US A PICTURE
OF THIS UNIQUE GALLERY SHOWING
AND THE MOVING STORY BEHIND IT.
>> Reporter: A DEBILITATING
DISEASE MAY HAVE TAKEN SHANNON
MORGAN'S LIFE BUT NOTHING TAKES
AWAY PASSION IN HER ART.
>> SHE WAS ARTIST.
SHE TOOK THE VISUAL
COMMUNICATIONS WHICH IS GRAPHIC
DESIGN.
SHE WAS HIT WITH DEPRESSION
ABOUT A YEAR AFTER SHE STARTED
WORKING, AND IT NEVER WENT AWAY.
SHE DIDN'T THINK IT WOULD EVER
GET ANY BETTER SO SHE TOOK EVERY
PILL SHE COULD FIND AND WENT TO
BED.
WHEN I WAS CLEANING OUT HER
APARTMENT, I FOUND ALL HER ART.
SHE TUCKED IT AWAY.
SHE DIDN'T THINK IT WAS GOOD
ENOUGH TO SHOW TO ANYBODY.
SHE'D PUT IT ALL AWAY IN HER
STORAGE CLOSET AND WOULDN'T SHOW
ANYBODY.
A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT KNEW HER
LATER ON DIDN'T KNOW SHE WAS AN
ARTIST.
I SAW HER STUFF IN THE CLOSET,
AND I THOUGHT, NO, THAT'S NOT
RIGHT.
IT MADE ME KIND OF ANGRY BECAUSE
SHE HAD NO LEGACY EXCEPT HER
ART.
SO I THOUGHT WELL, THAT'S WHAT
I'M GOING TO DO.
I'M GOING TO SEE IF I CAN
PROMOTE HER ART.
THAT'S ALL I COULD DO FOR HER.
ONCE SHE'S GOING, THERE'S
NOTHING ELSE YOU CAN DO.
>> Reporter: NOW ON DISPLAY FOR
ALL TO SEE, SHANNON'S ART IS
VARIED AND IMAGINATIVE.
>> SHE PAINTED OPENLY FROM HER
HEART, AND I CAME ACROSS AN
ARTIST WHO SAID IMAGINE IF YOUR
FEELINGS WERE ON DISPLAY IN A
ROOM, SORT OF LIKE YOU STANDING
THERE NAKED AND PEOPLE WHO ARE
SEEING WHO YOU WERE.
IT WAS RAW TO HER.
THERE'S A LOT OF EMOTION IN HER
ART.
SHE USED A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT
KINDS OF STYLES.
SHE WAS VERY IMAGINATIVE.
SO SHE DID A NUMBER OF DESIGN
PIECES AND ILLUSTRATION PIECES
THAT WERE QUITE ORIGINAL.
I THINK HER ART REALLY SPEAKS TO
PEOPLE.
SO I TAKE THE ART AROUND.
THERE'S A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT
VARIETIES OF ART.
THERE'S ALWAYS ONE THAT SPEAKS
TO SOMEBODY AND THEY SAY, BOY,
DO I EVER LIKE THAT ONE, AND I
SAY WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT IT?
I REALIZE PEOPLE ARE
APPRECIATING THE WORK THAT SHE
DID AND THE LEGACY THAT SHE LEFT
BEHIND.
>> Reporter: IN HONOUR OF HER
ABILITY AND PASSION FOR ART,
SHANNON'S MOTHER KATHY HOPES HER
DAUGHTER'S TALENT ISN'T THE ONLY
THING BROUGHT TO THE FOREFRONT.
>> I'D LIKE PEOPLE TO KNOW IF
YOU HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE,
YOU HAVE A DISABILITY, WHATEVER,
ART IS A TOTALLY DIFFERENT
MEDIUM, AND YOU CAN REALLY
EXPRESS YOURSELF AND SHOW WHO
YOU ARE THROUGH WHAT YOU DO,
WHETHER IT'S -- LIKE SHANNON'S
IS A REALLY GOOD QUALITY BECAUSE
EVEN THE AVERAGE PERSON CAN
EXPRESS THEMSELVES THROUGH ART
SO PEOPLE WHO HAVE MENTAL HEALTH
DISORDERS OR DISABILITIES HAVE