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Back to SearchIn honor of Mental Health Awareness Month in May, Petoskey District Library (PDL) is hosting the statewide traveling art show “Creative Minds Changing Minds,” sponsored by the Community Mental Health Association of Michigan (CMHAM). North Country Community Mental Health (NCCMH) is hosting the northern Michigan tour during the month of May, with a stop at Petoskey District Library May 8-15.
Artworks by Martin Kiper of Levering and Melody Pruett of Pellston were selected by NCCMH to represent six northern Michigan counties: Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Emmet, Kalkaska, and Otsego.
Kiper’s selected artwork, “Space Drop,” is a digitally colored pencil sketch he says represents “outer tranquility after inner turmoil.”
"I feel like art is my purpose in a lot of ways,” Kiper said. “I love the ability to make something abstract in my mind into a reality, and how it’s made me look at life differently."
Pruett’s selected artwork, “Bear and Cubs,” is an acrylic painting that features a vibrantly colored bear family set in a northern Michigan scene with birches, flowers, and a stream. For Pruett, art is an important hobby.
“I do my paints and beads on the weekend. I get bored very easily and art keeps me occupied,” she said.
The pieces were delivered to CMHAM in Lansing last fall, where they were professionally matted and framed by a person with disabilities who owns a framing business. The local pieces, together with other pieces from across the state, are traveling around Michigan for the next two years.
The goals of the traveling art show are to help de-stigmatize mental illness, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and addictive disorders by showcasing the multidimensionality of the artists and to highlight the recovery potential of art.
“The library is proud to partner with NCCMH and host 'Creative Minds Changing Minds' as part of our mission to connect community," said Jodi Haven, PDL public services librarian. "This exhibit opens the door to important conversations about mental health and reminds us of the power of art to heal, connect, and inspire.”
In Michigan, one in four adults will experience a mental health disorder at some point in their life, yet many of them cannot access the treatment they need.
Learn more about the mission of NCCMH.Browser Compatibility Notification
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