By Dixie Ann Black
FREE! Not much is free these days. But did you know that if you or loved ones are affected by mental illness NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) provides a variety of supports for FREE?!!!
From an early age Manny Mendez found art to be the only thing that calmed his mind. When he ended up in juvenile programs, detention centers and eventually prison, art became his best friend. And when his journey through detox, rehabs, homeless shelters and prison ended, art was there to greet him, offering soul-searching and a future. Manny and over two dozen other visual, performing and mixed media artists with links to mental health stories shared and showed their work Saturday June 1st.2024 at the third annual NAMI Artful Minds event.
“Artful Minds – In Your Own Voice” focuses on the integration of art as a beneficial way of coping and healing for folks living with mental illness. This year’s event featured considerable talent in poetry, spoken word, music, mosaics and other multi-media art. The exhibit put on by NAMI Broward County was held at the Mad Artz gallery in Dania Beach. Its sponsors included Moss, Memorial Healthcare System, Bright Star Credit Union, GRYC Trial Lawyers, BBX Capital, Michaelangelo Impact Partners, Entertainment Impact Partner, Richardo Bichara CPA, P.A., SC- Struble Cohen Trial Lawyers Appellate Council, Kip Hunter Marketing, Edgar Degas Impact Partners Segal Trials, Baron Silver Steven, Media Impact Partners, Magazine Lifestyle, SFBW South Florida Business & Wealth, and more.
Dr. Joe Oravecz, CEO, is excited to be leading NAMI in celebrating its 40th anniversary. He stresses that what NAMI is known for “peer to peer” support. Family to family programs assist families going through a mental health journey with a loved one by connecting them with others going through a similar experience. There are also individual mentor programs. He emphasizes that NAMI’s helpers are not therapists but trained peer to peer facilitators. In addition to facilitating these peer connections in community-based locations there is a goal of having a presence in every one of the thirty-one municipalities in Broward County. NAMI has been encouraging the self-reflection and healing that can come through engaging in art.
Indeed, art as a somewhat individualized form of therapy which can later be displayed is shone throughout the exhibit area. Mad Arts gallery provided ample space for display of art, vocal performance and tasty hors d’oeuvres. NAMI offered an auction component which allowed the artist to receive full price on their pieces while fundraising to provide even more assistance to those in need of the services. The items ranged in price from well under $100 and up.
Jewelry artists, poets, painters, musicians and more all flowed seamlessly through the space as visitors soaked in the variety and high quality of the works on display. For some artists, this was a major step in showing themselves and their work to the public. Others were happy to explain the impact art has had on their lives and the meanings represented by their creations. A painting of a winding staircase by “Resq77” depicting what he describes as, “the difficulties of growing and elevating ourselves”. Multiple symbolisms in his painting include the person in the picture being made of brick with a light within to represent a dwelling place of our spirit and soul, on a step-by-step journey; “A climbing experience.” He points out that mental health issues are so prevalent now that most people either experience it or know someone who does. Resq 77 wears a gold mask with white tears representing passion and pain. He explains that passion and pain are similar and are represented in his work.
Various guitars stand out in bejeweled opulence. The artist Coral Nocie is a self- taught mosaic artist, displaying various pieces for the second year. She uses tiles or “anything I can get my hands on”. She has had health concerns that have informed her passion for art. She notes that “most projects were created when under extreme stress and going through life’s difficult times and when I look at the finished project, I am amazed, it makes me smile, and I like to make others smile.”
Mosaics, pressed flowers, paintings, jewelry, live artists with poetry, music filled the space. Modalities of self-expression flowed seamlessly from visual to performing arts. Students offered spoken word, poetry from the Omari Hardwick bluapple Network all fill the air.
“Mr.” Alexander Starr, an Emmy nominated recording artist presenting at the event says he often gets called an impact artist, one who uses music as a vehicle for positive impact. He explains that what he does is in line with a lot of initiatives that NAMI brings to light. He credits Kip Hunter, one of the event sponsors, for helping him get involved with NAMI. He is inspired by the mental health journeys of others including himself as this applies to all people in some ways. He describes his music not as his therapy but as his “exhaust pipe”.
Loren Carrillo, Development Coordinator at NAMI Broward said “I think NAMI is relieving the stigma around mental health. Artful Minds is a great idea to showcase artists who use art as part of their mental health therapy. The artists are appreciative and happy, gaining a sense of purpose and growing willingness to come out and share. There are about 27 artists and 71 pieces on display. Free support groups and free programs are available with folks who have gone through their own struggles and have gone through NAMI national training to become a peer certified facilitator who are then able to empathize and relate and to the individuals they are talking to. There is also training for those who are interested in becoming trainers. It also offers hope.”
“Last year alone over 6,500 people in the community were served through the programs. All activities operate off of fundraising, partnerships, foundations, sponsors and community grants. We want to be the go-to agency and nonprofit for mental health awareness and to be able to provide support and direction for those who want to support each other. Also, for those who want to volunteer and grow the awareness of mental health in Broward County. An evening like this is for folks to realize that nobody is alone, everybody’s going through this.”
Sylvie Sterlin is a program manager with NAMI Broward who oversees thirteen programs each one with individuals with lived experiences in mental health who teach the classes, runs the support groups and speak to the community to reduce the stigma around mental illness. She describes what it takes to run these programs. “A lot of partnerships, grants and donations; a lot of heart and passion. Nine support groups run every very week, with roughly twelve people in each group; so a lot of people are being served.”
“As much as we love our mental health professionals, the people behind the program are who make it what it is, having someone with lived experience running support groups, creating the artwork here at Artful Minds or teaching our peer-to-peer classes or running our family support groups… like moms and dads with adult children living with mental illness is what makes the program. People who know what its like to be down and out and not have a way, who now want to give back. They are an amassed army of volunteers. Some are running as many as five support groups giving their time just to help others.”
It is fitting that at the end of the evening, Manny Mendez, now drug free for twelve years, a successful visual artist, author and producer of six documentaries stands up and shares from his heart and his work, in his own voice, the power of art.
Check out NAMIBroward.org and be encouraged.
Be the first to comment