Community Arts
ACHF Arts Access
Jammin' Art will provide opportunities in the arts through hands-on learning and exhibiting for adults with mental illness. And, it will teach participants skills in project planning, team building, and artistic skills development. Feedback will be sought from audiences, participants, instructors, collaborative partners and referral sources. A comment book will be on site and attendance numbers will be tracked for each activity and changes, thoughts, comments, and recommendations will be recorded and assessed over time.
In many ways we achieved our goals, realizing there is always room for improvement. Clubhouse participants had 27 opportunities during the grant year to work on art projects; learn new skills; experience teamwork and personal excellence; and, put on an art exhibit! The challenge to Jammin’ Art is that the population that participates in Clubhouse Recovery is very diverse in age, skill level, attention span, and ability to cope with the learning process. Some participants are fine with just getting instructions and they go off on their own, others need almost one-on-one guidance and achieving that balance keeps the experience dynamic. The Clubhouse Coordinator, now in her second year, has learned a lot related to group dynamics and motivation and has incorporated that into the program for 2017. Jammin’ Arts serves the community it was designed for – adults living with mental illness and there is great interest in our disability community in having the program be successful. The challenge is getting people to the Clubhouse in Stillwater. Most participants qualify for Metro Mobility but, depending on how the request for rides to Clubhouse is presented to the State for approval, many times it is not approved because it appears as recreational rather than therapeutic. The Clubhouse Coordinator and her supervisor are going to make a more concerted effort to present the program to County case managers and help them understand the therapeutic role the program plays in their client’s lives and the success the program has experienced. With the artist community we have been able to find artists who are also teachers and that has greatly benefited program participants. The Art Exhibit has been a great motivator for clients and family and teachers who attend enjoy and appreciate the event. During the period of this grant 30 adults with mental illness have experienced the joy and satisfaction of participating in art experiences in a supportive environment. More than 80 friends and family benefited from an exceptional art exhibit of works by their family member with mental illness.
Other, local or private