We were heartened by the throng of visitors at the opening of “Common Ground: Finding the Connections Within Our Human Struggle” at the Spaaces Art Gallery in Sarasota on April 5. Not only were all the artists and many of their family members and friends in attendance, there was a great turnout from those with no connection to the project other than an interest in mental health and/or art.
We were all thrilled to see — at last! — the results of months of work by our 12 artist duos and enjoy some great refreshments and wonderful jazz standards by The Jazzberries (Chris Cournoyer on bass and Keaton Williams on keyboards) as we mingled and chatted. We wish you all could have been with us.
But we know there are many loyal followers of the project who simply live too far away or were otherwise unable to visit the show in person. So….voila! Now you can take it all in virtually, right here. What follows are photos by Harry Sayer Media of the dozen pieces produced by our “Common Gound” teams for this collaboration between Spaaces, SRQ Strong and the FACEing Mental Illness project.
The goal of the project was to use art as a vehicle to explore, educate and inform; to reduce stereotypes and misconceptions about mental health disorders; and to find the commonalities that bind us all, regardless of any diagnosis, in dealing with life’s challenges. In doing so, we are building a more supportive, inclusive and accepting community where having a brain disorder carries no stigma or shame and where we realize our shared connections are greater than any perceived differences.
Commonalities were found, connections were formed and many of the artist teams built relationships that will continue long after the exhibition closes at the end of April. Our thanks go to those of you who have donated, commented and supported this effort. And we give special gratitude to our 24 artists, who, like you, are helping to bring conversations about mental health out of the closet.
If you are in the Sarasota area, the show will remain at the gallery through April 26. Gallery hours are Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., or you can make an appointment by emailing edwin@spaaces.art.
Whether in person or virtually, we hope you enjoy the show! Please feel free to share this gallery with others.
I would love to share something with you, photos of botanical paintings, of her portraits, or something else. I just don’t know how to add an image here in Substack. It’s a new platform for me. I don’t see a ‘camera photo roll’ icon on the screen. I was drawn to your post because it showed me how people who care, as obviously you did, can help people with mental illness in its many forms find ways to heal, feel more human with other humans, create something of meaning, bring more coherence into their lives with friends and family, make new friends, and do it all through creative expression and art. Art heals, it’s that simple, Art heals, just like Love heals.
As for Nancy’s art, I must share her work and life story out into the world. I’ve been working on it for years, saving and protecting her art, long before she passed away in June, 2008. I’ve started a GoFundMe to help me raise money to save her work and share into life. She was a brilliant, well-educated and productive artist. She died totally unknown, and when I die, hopefully not soon, her work and life will be literally thrown away if it’s not preserved first. It would grieve me forever, and so I must persevere. I’d like to start a non-profit foundation to support women artists with mental illness. That would be wonderful.
You have written a tremendous story and have shown us the power we have as humans with mental health challenges to express something together, in this case as a duo, with the support of the larger community, and as you said, a project that took months. It’s impressive. I read every word, looked into everyone’s eyes and smiles, and looked at all the art work. It is so touching. I’m an artist, too, and know the trauma of family mental illness over the course of my sister Nancy Jean’s life. She developed adult onset schizophrenia at 30 and lived it through to 64. God bless her Soul. I was with her the whole way. I am in charge of her substantial body of art work, so your show did me good. Thank you. With fond appreciation for your efforts, from Arden over here in Berkeley, CA.