The UNC Charlotte College of Health and Human Services Department of Social Work, in an effort to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness in the Charlotte region, will host the exhibit “The Art of Recovery” from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m., Thursday, March 21, at UNC Charlotte Center City.
This free, community event will feature artwork created by individuals who have been diagnosed with mental illness. The works, provided by local artists and the UNC Center for Excellence in Community Mental Health’s Brushes with Life: Art, Artists and Mental Illness exhibit, celebrate the diversity of people.
Brief, interactive videos throughout the exhibit will educate attendees about the stigma associated with mental illness, the power of art as an aspect of their recovery and other mental health-related issues.
A free, public reception with light refreshments will begin at 3:30 p.m. Students, faculty members and community partners will have the opportunity to meet some of the exhibit’s artists and view an accompanying documentary film by Philip Brubaker at 4:30 p.m., followed by a discussion with the filmmaker at 5 p.m. A second film screening will be at 5:30 p.m.
Brubaker’s film, “Brushes with Life,” was nominated for a 2009 VOICE Award and received an honorable mention. The Voice Awards recognize mental health leaders and advocates who raise awareness and understanding of mental health issues, and work to include mental health patients in everyday, social life.
Sue Marchetti, coordinator of field education and lecturer in the Department of Social Work, said the exhibit, reception and screening are to help participants and the campus community better understand that mental illness is only one aspect of a person’s life and personality.
“It’s very important that people in the Charlotte community recognize mental health as a form of diversity,” Marchetti said. “Through The Art of Recovery and personal interaction with the exhibit’s artists, we hope to bridge the social gap between patients with mental illness and the general public by highlighting the biases, discrimination and stereotypes that mentally ill individuals often face.”
The event is funded by a grant from the UNC Charlotte Chancellor’s Diversity Fund. The Chancellor’s Diversity Fund supports faculty, staff and student programs that promote the importance of diversity in every day “intellectual life” on UNC Charlotte’s campus.