Arts Activities Support

Artability exceeded projected outcomes, with artists attending 45 days of private workshops and 104 days of public workshops. They attended workshops in north and south Minneapolis, and at the Project Recovery Drop-In Center in St. Paul. In the words of one artist, “I learned a lot!” The 2016 Show and Sale featured 487 works by 125 artists. 231 pieces were sold, 32 more works than in 2015. Achieving our Goals: In 2016 Artability workshops were held 149 days at five People Incorporated locations, and the Show and Sale took place October 28-29 at the Great Hall in downtown St Paul. The show featured visual arts in all media- two and three dimensional, from a few inches across to as tall as six feet. Written work was compiled in an anthology, with 27 authors represented through poetry and prose. Two authors shared their work through readings at opening night, which was very moving for all involved. As stated in our narrative, the main goal of our Artability Workshops and culminating Show and Sale is to empower artists with mental illnesses to share and display their work. Success is inherent in the steady increase in participants and attendees, and the high quality of the work. With a focus on participants’ identities as artists, not their diagnosis, Artability challenges stigma and negative public perceptions about people living with mental illness. The events gather families, friends and the community together to celebrate the artists’ creative talents and art’s great impact on mental health and wellness. Challenges, and What Worked: During 2016, People Incorporated’s Children’s and Family Services moved offices, making scheduling Artability workshops too difficult for facilities staff and direct service providers. Now that Day Treatment and other programs for youth are in their new home, we look forward to holding workshops again in 2017. The greatest strengths of the program continue to be the dedication of our artists and Teaching Artists, one of whom, Corilyn Wagner, became more involved with the program. Corilyn not only continued teaching and added classes, but has also joined the Steering Committee, assisted in coordinating the Show and Sale, and has continued her support as part-time staff with the departure of Advancement Associate Khadijah Ramadan. For the Future: The nature of Artability is to bring the supplies and instruction to the artists when possible. We try to be flexible about changes in locations, as facilities are constantly being improved and added. Our plan for the future is to continue working with People Incorporated staff to integrate the workshops more fully into programming, this will facilitate changes and improvements, maintain and grow our schedules, and reach more artists. Artability’s outreach, in partnership with People Incorporated programs and those of likeminded agencies, connected with an underserved population of people disabled by serious and persistent mental illness. Many of our artists have co-occurring challenges, such as chronic medical issues, and physical issues such as deafness or ambulatory difficulties. Even without physical issues, illnesses such as schizophrenia and bi-polar disorder can manifest symptoms that make transportation, new situations, communication, and participation in large groups of people difficult if not impossible. Artability instructors and leadership understand these needs for accommodation- small class sizes, varieties of techniques, quiet environments and attention to sensory issues, patience and respect for different modes of communication and boundaries are important facets of our workshops. Workshops take place throughout the Twin Cities metropolitan area, accessible to public transportation, and are not restricted to any residency. We were very proud this year to begin offering workshops to the People Incorporated’s Northside Community Support Program, located at 1309 Girard Avenue North on the north side of Minneapolis. Ten workshops over 15 days were held this year in a diverse community, in order to bring these programs and the opportunity to make art to people who would not otherwise have the opportunity for financial or medical reasons. Mental illness does not discriminate, nor does Artability. Our program serves any individuals in the Minneapolis and St Paul metropolitan area who are living with mental illness regardless of their socioeconomic status, ethnicity, or gender identity. The Workshops, Show and Sale are wholly free of charge to participants, and assist the artists in marketing and receive proceeds from the sale of their work. Proceeds from work brought in $22,056 this year; $2,474 more than last year. This income means a great deal to our artists. Instructors and staff have regular check-ins with artists to discuss their process, and reflect on their experience and how we can improve the program. We survey artists and instructors on the popularity of curriculum and accessibility of facilities. Staff are still the process of compiling results from 2016, however we can provide an example from one workshop. Seven individuals completed the evaluation, all agreeing that they improved their skills and felt more confident in their abilities after the class. Comments included: “Pastel is not a strong suit for me. Bart (instructor) was very thorough, patient, and knowledgeable.” “Comfortable low key informative fun.” “Learned more about values and shading.”