Exhibition celebrates who we are
22 September 2008 An exhibition featured at the Southland Museum and Art Gallery in Invercargill until 12 October and coinciding with Mental Health Awareness Week (6 to 12 October) has put a smile on the faces of the artists whose work is on display.
Along with a successful launch of the exhibition, attended by 120 people, four artworks have been sold so far and two of the artists have received commissions.
Called Who We Are, the exhibition showcases 22 works by seven artists who attend the Mental Health Day Activity Centres in Invercargill or Gore. The works include paintings and Oamaru stone carvings.
Raewyn Clarke, Team Manager of the Mental Health Day Activity Centres, says she was “blown away” by the response on the opening night of the exhibition.
“One of the artists sold two of his works at the opening and he walked around with his family all night with a huge smile on his face,” she says. “Seeing something like that makes it all worthwhile.”
Although the activity centres have organised small exhibitions, Who We Are is their first public exhibition – and it looks like it won’t be their last. They’re planning to make it an annual event, coinciding with Mental Health Awareness Week.
Artist statements
As part of the process of preparing work for the exhibition, the artists were asked to write artist statements about their journey as an artist, what the enjoyed about their chosen medium, and how it expressed who they were.
Clients attending the activity centres are able to try a wide range of activities and crafts, taking programmes in activities such as painting, mosaics, card making, flax weaving, stone carving, furniture making and pottery.
“For many of our clients, it’s about building their confidence to try a new activity and to learn life and social skills,” Raewyn says. “It’s also about regaining their confidence in a safe, non-judgemental environment and fostering their artistic talents.”
The theme for Mental Health Awareness Week 2008 is “The achievement is reaching out, bringing change and establishing confidence | Ko te tutukitanga, ka totoro, ka kawe kee, ka whakatau te manawanui.”
“The theme for the week resonates with us because that’s exactly what we do here and what this exhibition is all about,” Raewyn says.
There are two Mental Health Activity Centres in Invercargill (494D and Rata House) and one in Gore (Welcome In). The Invercargill centres are run by the Southland District Health Board as a joint venture with Methodist Mission Aotearoa. The Gore centre is run by the Southland District Health Board.