From now through March 12, visit a new art exhibit about mental illness in Pittsburgh!
Our community partner The Society for Contemporary Craft (SCC) is featuring an exhibit to raise awareness of mental illness. The exhibit Mindful: Exploring Mental Health Through Art – the SCC’s latest socially engaged art experience – breaks down societal stigmas and offers an opportunity to encounter and understand mental health through the lens of contemporary craft. The exhibition opened on Friday, Sept. 18, and will be on view through Saturday, March 12 at SCC’s Strip District gallery located in the Produce Terminal at the intersection of 21st and Smallman Streets.
SCC PROVIDES PLATFORM FOR ARTISTS TO TAKE ON SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES
Featuring more than 30 works created by 14 contemporary artists, Mindful explores the impact that mental illness is having on society, and the role the arts can play to both encourage positive self-expression and guide effective mental health promotion and treatment. The exhibition examines creative responses to mental health conditions through the inclusion of artworks made by artists who have been diagnosed with or affected by mental illness. The idea of working with ones hands to navigate and understand complex emotions and experiences is one of SCC’s core values. SCC Executive Director Janet McCall states: “Artists have unique problem solving abilities and offer fresh perspectives on complex issues through their artwork. In many cases, a handcrafted object communicates layers of emotion and experience in a way that words cannot. Each object in Mindful offers an opportunity for meaningful dialogue about mental health.”
The show features a variety of techniques and forms that include innovative art expressions rooted in traditional craft materials, as well as work that explores unexpected relationships between craft and painting, sculpture, conceptual, and installation art. More information, including a calendar of events, can be found on their website.
