Art for Mental Health

After a week off for spring break students were back to creating a variety of art.  What brilliant students we have!  So amazing, in fact, that we were invited to participate in an Mental Illness Anti-Stigma Art Campaign.    This city wide art exhibit will be on view for six months.  The purpose of the exhibit is to dispel myths about mental illnesses.  Through art, students will provide knowledge and awareness to viewers on how people who are affected by these types of illnesses are able to offer multiple contributions in many different ways.  

12 students from our class will be showing in this special exhibit.  Each art work is personal and tells a different type of story.  Statistics say that everyone has been affected in one way or another by mental illness on a personal level.  I think it's an honest way of looking at how we cope and support mental health issues.

This one has been completed, but I didn't get a final picture yet.

These are just 12 ways that 12 students have been able to show how mental illness has affected them.  You can see that the variety of styles and art work by each individual is really different.  That is why this art exhibit is so important.  Mental Illness affects all of us in a different way.  At times it may be difficult to overcome, understand or deal with.  However, with knowledge, and hindering stereotypes people can learn to heal and move beyond a condition or diagnosis and live every dream they ever had for themselves.

Collaborative Drawings

As part of Itten's ideas, we discovered he liked to help his students see things in a new way.  It's important for artists and creative minds to observe and interpret.  Here students have begun to look at pieces of photographs and redraw what they see, and also enlarging them in the process.  Very challenging work, but very addicting.  Most students (and some staff too) have completed 4 pieces each in one sitting!!

Extra Extra!

Here are some pieces that students have started on their own. 

Art Show Projects

Students have been given the opportunity to participate in an art show sponsored by Alexandria Mental Health.  The show will raise awareness of the stigmas people face when dealing with mental health issues. Art students have approached this topic very personally.

MAZE!

Students are using one-point perspective to create mazes.  Some have begun creating a background to give their maze an optical illusion.  Love the color contrasts!

Progressive Drawings/Designs

Students are creating progressive designs and drawings based on Itten's idea of creation. Some students opted to create steps to show how they drew an object, so decided to take a more abstract approach.  Either way, these are coming out great!