There is a new art exhibit being displayed in New Haven’s City Hall in honor of National Mental Health Awareness Month.
The art exhibit, “Healing Through Art,” was put on by artists of The Fellowship Place, a nonprofit organization that has provided therapeutic support and rehabilitation services to adults in New Haven since 1960.
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WATCH HEREThe goal of the art exhibit is to break down the stigma surrounding mental health and encourage people to take their own mental health seriously, according to the organization’s Expressive Arts Coordinator Marisabel Sanchez.
One of the artists is Joanna Stewart, who was diagnosed with depression and PTSD in 1992.
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SIGN UP “My art has come from my life experiences, many, many traumas, year-after-year, back to back since 1999," Stewart said.
Stewart said for her, art has served as an escape and as a way to manage her inner battles.
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"It releases all the anger, all the sorrow, pain, the hurt, the hate, the anger,” Stewart said.
Artist and member with The Fellowship Place, Joseph Higgins shared how a close friend of his recommended he check out the organization after enduring a tough time in his life.
“I hit a real bump in the road about three years ago and I realized I should reach out to Fellowship Place for support and since then I’ve received a tremendous amount of support, I’ve made some great friends," Higgins said.
He described The Fellowship Place as an indispensable resource in his life.
“I couldn’t be doing this without The Fellowship Place, they’re like my true North star, they’re the brightest light in my sky,” Higgins said.
Meantime for Sadeek Mustafah, he creates artwork focused on premature babies as his son was born prematurely 19 years ago.
He said his experience in the NICU stuck with him forever.
"I would just like to make people more aware of premature babies, and the process the parents go through and the impact it makes on your life,” Mustafah said.
During Thursday’s press conference, city officials also announced the new resource guide, "Dimensions of Wellness."
Lorena Mitchell, coordinator with the Office of Community Mental Health Initiatives, explained the guide is filled with resources for people looking to improve their mental health and wellness.
"This really focuses on eight different dimensions of wellness in your life and offers a sort of reflection and inspiration," Mitchell said.
