In this art exhibit are oil paintings, pastel prints, pencil drawings and engraving art. They are paintings with titles like “Portrait of a Lady,” “Lovely Day at the Park,” “Seascape,” “The Garden” and “Ocean Fish.”
They have been painted by those with schizophrenia, depression and bipolar disorder. They are the ones who many think would be the last ones to patiently express themselves with serene, detailed, three-
dimensional perspective paintings.
“A lot of people think those with major mental illness are just violent, capricious, impulsive,” Tony Foster said. “We get accused of being lazy because of a debilitating condition.
“There seems to be a caricature of somebody out of their tree instead of someone suffering pretty bad and trying to make it through this life.”
The Agape Center Art Exhibit 2012 is a first for the peer support group center for those with a mental illness. Almost 90 drawings are on display and for sale through Saturday at the Panhandle Art Center, adjacent to The Galleries at Sunset Center, 3701 Plains Blvd.
The purpose is twofold: to raise money for a center that operates on a shoestring budget and to counter the stereotypes of those who fight the unpredictable demons of mental illness.
“There’s so many stigmas out there,” said Bonnie Taylor, interim executive director of Agape Center. “We get painted in a lot of ways.”
No irony intended. Taylor has eight pieces of art on display that she completed over two months.
The Agape Center, governed by Amarillo Area Mental Health Consumers, has quietly operated in the basement of Buchanan Street Chapel, 1515 S. Buchanan St. for 15 years. It offers support groups, peer counseling, employee assistance, social outings, crafts and other outlets.
“It’s about getting people back into the community and being productive citizens,” said Foster, who is in the process of taking a break as executive director. “We have people going to college, trying to get their degree. It’s about working with the whole person, and turning that person into something useful in society.”
Foster was referred to the Agape Center in 2003. He was battling clinical depression and panic disorder. It was, he said, “excruciating.” The therapy he found helped ease his inner pain.
“There’s people there who understood how I was feeling and weren’t going to judge me,” Foster said. “There’s a collective group of people who have a common experience that make you feel accepted and comfortable.”
Those who show improvement over time often become staff members, facilitators in group discussion, or in Foster’s case, executive director. Agape Center receives a yearly grant from the state, but beyond that, fundraises to remain viable.
“By the end of the fiscal year, I always wonder how we can provide transportation and keep the lights on,” he said. “Even though what we do is important, it doesn’t have that big of a fanfare, and it should. It really should.”
The art exhibit came along almost by happenstance. Marcia Morgan, who has a background in art, began teaching a class at Agape Center last September. About a dozen decided to give it a try.
“They were eager to learn, were engaging, wanted to please,” Morgan said. “They were proud of their work, and it gave them a sense of value.”
Foster said the class came at the right time, a pick-them-up when things were running a little stagnant.
“I don’t want to sound melodramatic, but it was kind of flat, and this got people moving,” he said. “It was an impetus that got people excited about life again.”
Over several months, the artwork began to add up, and, for novices, the work was surprisingly good. Very few pieces, if any, reflect dark moods. In January, Agape and the Panhandle Art Center agreed to partner for the exhibit that opened April 6.
It is a way to showcase their art, and a way to raise a bit of money. Maybe there’s a statement too, that these handful, among an estimated 25.5 million in the U.S. who have schizophrenia, clinical depression or are bipolar, are just looking to better their lives and feel good about themselves.
没有评论:
发表评论