The daily commute has become much more scenic thanks to Rockland Psychiatric Center, ArtsWestchester teaching artist Tova Snyder, and several artists who have created public art as part of a unique, arts-oriented program at the center, located in Mount Vernon. Their resulting work, combinations of visual art and mutually inspired poetry, will be on display as poster prints in the 329 Bee-Line buses that make their way throughout Westchester and the Bronx on a daily basis. Both thought-provoking and visually appealing, the posters beautify our public spaces, and appeal to the humanity in us all. The work will be on view through mid-September 2014.
The project, a collaboration between ArtsWestchester and Rockland Psychiatric Center, began in the summer of 2013, when twelve mental health consumers took part in a painting program with teaching artist Tova Snyder. After learning such techniques as shading with color, building composition, and the framing of their finished pieces, the students showcased their work in the hallways of the mental health facility. Later in the year, David Surface, another of ArtsWestchester’s teaching artists, built on the successful project, leading a poetry-based art residency that used the paintings as inspiration for their compositions. The resulting work was a masterful combination of visual and written expression that speaks to our common humanity.
“The expression and appreciation of art is an element of healing and self-discovery,” says Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Amy Kohn of the Mental Health Association of Westchester County. “The journey toward recovery is one of finding one’s inner strength to shape one’s hopes and dreams. Individuals with mental health conditions reach their aspirations through mindfulness and self-determination. Art is a beautiful road to travel.”
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The roads we travel through September will be more beautiful too, thanks to these unique works of art.
