Telling Our Stories: Stigma Awareness
Call to Artists
Stigma is defined as placing shame on people with a particular circumstance or quality. Unfortunately, there are many stigmas associated with people seeking help, such as mental health or substance use disorder. While attitudes are changing, the stigma attached to seeking help for mental health or substance use disorders is still very real and can prevent people from receiving services. To replace a lack of awareness with knowledge and understanding, Artworks, Corewell Health, and local community partners are collaborating to reduce these stigmas.
The connection between art and stigma is becoming increasingly central to the discussion about mental illness and substance use disorder recovery. Through this collaboration, we are launching an ongoing initiative to raise awareness on how the stigmatization of mental health and substance use disorders prevent access to treatment. By creating a dialogue through works of art and creative expression we aim to cultivate a culture of empathy.
The first event launching this initiative is a gallery show at Artworks in Big Rapids August 26 to September 27, 2024. The theme for gallery shows at Artworks in 2024 is Telling Our Stories. For this exhibit, we are asking individuals to tell their stories through art; two-dimensional or three-dimensional visual art or written work (stories, poems, plays). What is your story? What is experiencing or witnessing stigma like? What does it feel like to live with a mental health condition or suffer with a substance use disorder? How through your art can you illuminate this issue? Calling individuals of all ages and backgrounds to create meaningful works to exhibit.
Campaign details:
Pieces need to be delivered to Artworks, located at 106 N Michigan Ave in Big Rapids on August 23rd and 24th between 10am and 4pm.
Two-dimensional works need to be framed and ready to be hung.
Artist statements need to be typed and include artist name, medium of work, price or insured value if not for sale, phone number, and email address.
Written works can be submitted as Word documents to Roxanne by August 16th.
If you would like to remain anonymous, need assistance with the artist statement, or want more information, contact roxanne@artworksinbigrapids.org
Artwork needs to be picked up on September 28th between 10am-4pm.
If under the age of 18, parental consent forms need to be signed off on; contact Roxanne at the email address above.
