Art Exhibit Giving Unique Teen Perspective Travels to Milwaukee During Alcohol Awareness Month

Rosecrance, a not-for-profit organization and leading national provider of substance abuse treatment for teens, adults and families, launched “In My Shoes,” an art exhibit created to help parents understand teenagers’ points of view about the pressures they face and how they are confronted with the potential to use and abuse substances. Following tour stops in the Chicagoland area, the exhibit is now making its way to the Milwaukee Public Library’s Central Library.

“This artwork display will inspire parents to do all they can to support and help prevent any level of substance use among their teens,” said Dr. Thomas Wright, Rosecrance’s Chief Medical Officer. “Teens want their parents to actively parent and give them guidance, especially in today’s changing social environment.”

The “In My Shoes” exhibit will open to the public on April 1, 2015 at the Central Library at 814 W. Wisconsin Ave., where it will be on display in the Schoenleber Reading Room until April 26. The exhibit’s April stop coincides with the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence’s Alcohol Awareness Month, whose 2015 theme is “Early Education on Alcoholism and Addiction.”

“In My Shoes” serves as a starting point for discussion about taking the important steps to prevent any level of substance use among teens once parents learn more about what it’s like to walk in a teen’s shoes.

About “In My Shoes”

Developed by teen patients at Rosecrance’s adolescent campus in Rockford, “In My Shoes” displays shoes that have been painted and decorated by teens to tell their stories about substance use. From shoe selection to showcase, the process of creating shoe art is a meaningful experience because each shoe is unique and tells a teen’s story about addiction, recovery, and most importantly, their hopes and dreams for the future.

Visit rosecrance.org/inmyshoes for more information. A parent’s guide for talking to teenagers about marijuana called “Teens and Weed: Still a Big Deal” is available at rosecrance.org/teens-weed.

About Rosecrance

Rosecrance is a leading provider of treatment services for substance use and mental health disorders. A private not-for-profit organization, Rosecrance serves more than 16,000 children, teens, adults and families each year. Rosecrance provides comprehensive care through inpatient and outpatient programs in Rockford, Illinois, and services at five satellite offices in Chicagoland and elsewhere in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. The organization was founded in 1916 (More information at rosecrance.org).