When it comes to mental health, art can help heal. That’s what a new galley exhibition filled with paintings, sculptures, ceramics, photography and fiber arts explores inside the Strand Center for the Arts in Plattsburgh.
From abstract to realism, the works displayed in “Holding Space: A Community Exhibition on Art and Mental Health” depict a range of emotions -- from despair to serenity.
More than 125 pieces of art have been created by the employees and participants in Behavioral Health Services North Personalized Recovery Oriented Services. Program Clinical Supervisor Barbara Guay says creative expression is a huge part of their work.
“Some people use art as a way to express emotions. Some people use it as a way to gain insight. Some people use it as a form of connection and will create gifts for other people. And I think we just get to see different values and what matters to people. And it gives people an opportunity to be brave with their stories in a different way in a different outlet.”
Guay walks over to a group of drawings.
“Over here I have watercolors that I did as part of my own recovery story. And a peacock that I did to try to challenge myself to be able to sit for more than an hour at a time. I have a couple of watercolors that I did as part of my grief journey when I lost one of my friends and my sister, one to cancer and one to substance use. I watercolored things that they loved.”
Jim Kobak’s paintings depict his mental health journey. “Beholder of the Eye” offers a frayed arm with a hand holding an eye. “Frayed Ends of Sanity” offers brilliant reds dripping from a forehead. Kobak walks over and points to a painting with vibrant greens and whites as a man tilts his head back.
“This one was called ‘I’m Pretty Much Done With all of This’ and that was when I was very on the edge of, of ah, not being here anymore. Painting actually got me through that. So these paintings really, these three were at a pretty low point in my life at the time which I since have overcome.”
Kobak uses spray paint, acrylic and ink and hopes his depiction of mental health struggles can help others.
“I hope that they’re somewhat reflective, people who have had issues with mental health can look at these pieces and go I remember when I was at a time like that and it’s gotten better. That’s why I selected to show them in this show because I thought that they kind of represented my journey and also getting better.”
Jerry Joseph Barber Jr. is describing his art to a couple of individuals intrigued with “All Eyes on You,” a raven surrounded by eyes.
“Your work is really amazing. Yes, it’s really spectacular. I love it.”
Barber replies, “Well, it’s really rather childish and abstract. I kind of like that. I just paint a background and then I go on. Sometimes it’s just sweeps of black, sweeps of white, sweeps of red, sweeps of blue, sweeps of green.”
Barber says painting has helped keep him sober.
“I look at my stuff as more abstract. You know a raven. It ain’t perfectly a human being. It ain’t perfectly an image of death or perfectly an eyeball or moon or whatever it may be. It ain’t a perfect sky or ocean, but I kind of fit it in there to show you there’s a storm brewing. But yet love one to another and having love for yourself and to your neighbor, you’re going to weather the storm and be able to ride that wave any way the storm comes.”
BHSN CEO Katherine Cook says art helps healing because people can express emotions in productive and healthy ways.
“They’re telling you about what they were going through and feeling. And there’s a couple layers of healing in that, right. There’s the production of it and then there’s the talking about it and then the sharing, which creates in this venue an act of not being alone and some understanding.”
The Holding Space exhibit is open through May 30 in recognition of Mental Health Month in May.