John Benoit was raised in Clare, on Nova Scotia s north shore. He worked as a paramedic and military medic for 17 years. He has been diagnosed with PTSD and uses his art as part of his treatment for his condition. In 2016 he participated in the documentary film, "First Responders, The Inner Battle", in which first responders who suffer from PTSD were interviewed. John began attending the Nova Scotia Folk Art Festival in 2014. He is also involved with Guitars 4 Vets Canada, a program that matches up guitar instructors with veterans with PTSD or other disabilities who want to learn to play the guitar. John takes donated guitars that can not be repaired and uses them to create pieces of folk art. The proceeds from the sale of his folk art guitars are donated to buy guitars for the vets.
John's painting can be found in collections across Canada. In 2016 he was one of 23 artists chosen to paint a door for the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia Gala in Yarmouth, and one of his paintings hangs in the office of the Mayor of the City of Yarmouth.
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