Artistic Voice of Studio Art Therapy Exhibit at Endicott

Beverly, MA -- The exhibition, Art as a Gift:  The Artistic Voice of Studio Art Therapy, features the work of ten self taught, visionary artists who participate in two studio art therapy programs; the Art Mentoring Program in Art-For-All Studio facilitated by artist/art therapist Denise Malis, in Somerville, MA; and the Open Studio program and Gallery 1236 at the Community Mental Health Center of Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY, facilitated by artist/art therapist Geoffrey Thompson.  

The exhibit is on display now through March 15, 2013 at the Manninen Center for the Arts, Endicott College, 376 Hale Street, Beverly, MA.  Gallery hours are Monday through Friday 9 am to 5 pm for the month of January.  Starting in February, gallery hours are Monday – Thursday, 9 am to 8 pm; Friday, 9 am – 5pm; and Saturday and Sunday, 2-4 pm.  A reception is scheduled for Thursday, February 21 from 5-7 pm.  The exhibit and reception are free and open to the public. 

The selected artworks celebrate the wonder of engaging in art-making as a form of healing and empowerment.  Utilizing the supportive network of studio art-making these artists have encouraged one another to reach past the challenges of the mental health system and develop their unique aesthetic voice.  

 The reception for this exhibition on February 21 will include the music of Tune Foolery Music, Inc.  Tune Foolery is a non-profit organization composed of and run by musicians with psychiatric disabilities or conditions who perform in ensembles and as solo acts for mental health and social service agency clients, as well as for the public at large.  Later in the evening from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. in the Rose Performance Hall, well known art therapist Pat B. Allen will provide a presentation, "Art as Inquiry: Connecting to the Creative Source Through Image Making.”    On Friday, February 22, from 10 a.m. – 12 noon we invite you to a Lecture/Presentation by the two artist/art therapists whose group’s works are represented in this exhibition.  Full time creative arts therapy faculty member at Endicott College School of Visual and Performing Arts, Denise Malis will be joined by Geoffrey Thompson from the Community Mental Health Center in Brooklyn, NY.  

This exhibition and related events supports the Endicott College Creative Arts Therapy program, a four-year, pre-professional degree integrating three areas of study; studio art, psychology, and creative arts therapy courses. The program is designed to prepare students to apply the knowledge gained in the visual arts and psychology to the well-being and benefit of others. It combines the knowledge and expressive use of art media including drawing, digital photography, painting and ceramics with a firm foundation in psychology. Graduates from this program are prepared to study Creative Arts Therapy, Art Therapy, Expressive Art Therapy and Psychology at the graduate level; as well as work in related arts and healthcare fields.

If you have any questions regarding Art as a Gift:  The Artistic Voice of Studio Art Therapy, or any of the programming related to this exhibition, please contact Kathleen Moore at 978-232-2655 or kmoore@endicott.edu. Our website is: www.endicott.edu/centerforthearts for further information on future exhibits and lecture opportunities.