National Traveling Exhibit Exploring Mental Health through Art Coming to Fergus Falls

Fergus Falls, MN – The Kaddatz Gallery, in partnership with the Lake Region Arts Council and Springboard for the Arts will host a national touring exhibition titled “Mindful: Exploring Mental Health Through Art.” The exhibit will be on display at the Kaddatz Gallery and the Lake Region Arts Council from August 8 through October 6.

This Exhibition was organized by the Society for Contemporary Craft in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. “Mindful” features 30 works created by 14 contemporary artists with an emphasis on the topics of anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts and tendencies, and PTSD, the exhibition explores the impact that mental illness has on society, and how the arts can encourage positive self- expression and guide effective mental health promotion and treatment.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mental illnesses account for a larger proportion of disability in developed countries than any other group of illnesses, including cancer and heart disease. In 2004, an estimated 25% of adults in the United States reported having a mental illness in the previous year. However, unlike cancer and heart disease, which have become widely discussed in the public sphere, mental disorders remain hidden behind a wall of secrecy, leading to stigma, misunderstanding and neglect.

In order to bring this subject to light, Springboard for the Arts, the Kaddatz Gallery and Lake Region Arts Council are focusing public attention on this important topic by bringing the exhibit to Fergus Falls.

This exhibit is a partnership with Springboard for the Arts’ Kirkbride Arts and History Weekend, September 15 & 16, an event that explores the past and future of the Fergus Falls State Hospital, or “Kirkbride Building.” A number of events and activities will take place in conjunction with the Mindful Exhibit during this event, including an artist talk and demonstration with Mindful artist Rose Clancy, a workshop “Creating Caring Communities” with the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI), and an accompanying exhibit at the Otter Tail County Historical Society titled “Wally and I,” which features Fergus Falls artist Kirk Williams, and Wally Gereszek, a former patient of the Fergus Falls State Hospital.

Mindful Exhibit Details

• What: Mindful: Exploring Mental Health through Art
• When: August 8 – October 6, 2017.
• Opening reception: Tuesday, August 15 at 5pm.
• Rose Clancy artist talk and reception: Friday, September 15, 5 – 7pm
• Where: Two locations. Kaddatz Gallery (111 W Lincoln Ave) and Lake Region Arts Council  (137 S Mill St) in Fergus Falls, MN
• Cost: Free

The Mindful Exhibit and the Kirkbride Arts and History Weekend are made possible with support from the National Endowment for the Arts, Minnesota State Arts Board, Lake Region Arts Council, NAMI, and Lakeland Mental Health. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

The Kaddatz Galleries’ mission is to foster visual arts education and appreciation, and to maintain a gallery that celebrates the work of area artists and honors the legacy of Charles Beck. For more information, call 218-998-4405 or visit kaddatzgalleries.org. The gallery is in downtown Fergus Falls, 111 W. Lincoln Ave.