Drop-in Sessions Paint a Positive Picture for People Living with Mental Illness

Art does not reproduce what we see. Rather, it makes us see.

-- Paul Klee, 1879 - 1940, Creative Credo

On the Edge – Viv’s masterpiece of the day Photo: Dahlia Liwsze

"I'd never known I was an artist. I started playing with different colours, and pictures came out," said the Ottawa resident who wanted only her first name published.

Viv discovered her talent when she began attending the drop-in sessions held by the Art Studio for People Living with Mental Illness at The Hintonburg Community Centre on Thursday afternoons eight years ago.

"[The Studio]'s been a godsend for me. I'm agoraphobic and not good in crowds. I was basically a prisoner in my home for a very long time. It makes me leave the house. It's given me the world - from nothing to basically everything. I have friends here. I have my artwork. It's great," she said at the studio's open house on Thursday, April 22^nd.

Fifteen artists were in action at the event, some selling their work.

Anne Raudoy, an occupational therapist at The Royal Ottawa Hospital (ROH), added that the hospital displays artwork by the studio's participants. Four cases in the Winter Garden on the second floor hold the art. The display is changed three times a year.

"We've been quite successful in selling the art. The artists decide if they want to sell their art. They set the price. One-half to three-quarters of the art gets sold," said Raudoy, one of the 50 people to attend the event.

She also is on the Steering Committee, which provides advice, planning, and support for The Art Studio and consists of members of the studio's partner organizations.

Founded in 2001, the Art Studio is a unique partnership between artists living with mental illness, mental health professionals, and the arts community. It also is a not-for-profit initiative funded by public and private donations with The United Way its main funder. Its other sponsors are Family Services Ottawa (FSO), the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), the ROH, Psychiatric Survivors of Ottawa, and the City of Ottawa Community Arts Program and Community Services Branch.

The studio provides its participants with supplies and has served about 900 people in its nine years of operation. Many of the artists take part in the drop-ins several times a year.

"The studio was created to provide a safe and secure location for artists whose ability to pursue their art may otherwise be limited by their mental illness or the poverty with which mental illness is often associated," said Laurie Rektor, the Director of Community Programs at FSO, another location that exhibits some of the studio's artwork.

"It [also] was created to help reduce the stigma of mental illness by celebrating the creative gifts of artists who live with mental illness, to develop a sense of community based on shared interests and strengths  . . .  and to help develop individual employability skills for the individual artists."

Linda Rheaume, who has attended the drop-ins for three years, is particularly grateful for the respect she receives.

"It's a chance to come and be myself and do the things I wish I could have done when I was a single mom. The teacher makes me feel that my art is worthwhile. She doesn't criticize me," said the 61-year-old Vancouver native who suffers from bipolar disorder, agoraphobia, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Art Studio Coordinator Jennifer Cook (left) and Suzanne (right), a one-year studio participant, pose in front of Suzanne’s painting, Mermaids. While the studio gives her hope, Suzanne said, “It means time to do my artwork, [which is] not possible at home. I have four kids.” Photo: Dahlia Liwsze

"It's really lovely to see the growth that happens. I'm a firm believer that art is a necessary tool for survival, coping, and growth. To have health you need art," said the 26-year-old professional artist who has been running the drop-in sessions since January.

"For example, a healthy individual, community, and society need freedom of expression and access to creative outlets to stay healthy, to stay balanced, to stay sane. You're able to let your problems go. It makes life easier, more fun, and more interesting."

Although the Art Studio is not doing anything for Mental Health Week from May 3^rd to 9^th, its artists are attending Arts Park on Mother's Day. Arts Park will be at the Parkdale Market (Parkdale Avenue at Armstrong Street in the heart of Hintonburg's QUAD arts district) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Some of the activities include an invitational art exhibit, the Arc Poetry Factory, and live music by Amanda Rheaume, the Ottawa Community Concert Band, and other musicians.

Cook launched the studio's blog at the end of March to introduce the artists and their work as well as to present their quotes about what the studio means to them.

The studio has a 12-participant maximum, which is on a first-come, first-served basis. It is trying to hold a second weekly drop-in session, but funding is the main obstacle.

In the meantime, Cook continues to focus on her artists. While working on her Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts at the University of Ottawa, which she completed in 2008, she said, "I knew I was interested in community art and developing the potential of everyone to be an artist. Art is a saviour. Art is hope."

For those interested in attending Arts Park, please visit http://hintonburg.com/artspark2010.html. To participate in CMHA events during Mental Health Week, go to http://www.cmha.ca/bins/index.asp.  It is co-hosting "Making Waves: Music, Minds and Community" with FSO on Friday, May 7^th at Carleton University. Dr. Laurel Trainor, the founding director of the McMaster Institute for Music and the Mind, is the keynote speaker.

Related

The Road to God Knows . . . : Taking a Different Look at Mental Illness

Cutting Kids or Cultural Censors: Which Is Crazier?

I Feel Your Pain: The Mental Health Commission of Canada

Behind One's Sanity: Breaking Down Barriers and Exposing the Stigma

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