Many clients of Community Support Services (CSS) who live with severe and persistent mental illness use the Expressive Arts Therapy program to express ideas that might be difficult to put into words. Utilizing the creative process and the resulting artwork, therapists help clients explore feelings, reconcile emotional conflicts, foster self-awareness, manager behavior and addictions, develop social skills, improve reality orientation, reduce anxiety, and increase self-esteem.
“Art of Recovery,” now in its fourth year, provides an opportunity for these individuals to exhibit their artwork and receive recognition for their creative talents from the agency and community at large. This unique event will take place on Thursday, March 14, 2019, 5:30 to 8:30 pm, at Greystone Hall, 103 S. High Street, Akron. General Admission tickets are $60, and the organization is also offering Limited Edition Artwork tickets for $125, which includes an 11” x 14” print of the evening’s featured art signed by the artist. For more information, visit the website at www.cssbh.org.
More than 40 pieces of original artwork, all professionally framed, will be on display, and will be available for sale, with 75% of the proceeds going directly to the artist, and 25% reinvested in the Expressive Arts Therapy program. The evening will also feature a performance by Nashville-based filmmaker and singer /songwriter Kate Tucker (www.katetucker.net). Tucker is a native of Summit County and has a personal affinity for the mission of CSS which is why she’s willing to share her talents with CSS on this special night. Another highlight of the evening will be a poetry reading by Walter K. Delbridge, a CSS client and published author and poet. More information on Walter can be found at www.comebackevolution.com.
Lacy Vitko, CSS Expressive Arts Administrator, said, “By bringing attention to artist’s strengths through artistic expression, we help to fight stigma still associated with mental illness. The public display encourages guests to witness the powerful impact creative expression affords in the mental health recovery process.”
Master Artist Level sponsors for Art of Recovery are: Anthem, Peg’s Foundation, and Seibert Keck Insurance. Master Apprentice Level sponsors are: Wealth Impact Advisors, Tober Building Company, The Charles and Salome Reymann Foundation, FedEx Custom Critical, County of Summit ADM Board, and PNC Bank. Apprentice Level sponsors are Cleveland Clinic Akron General, and Credible Wireless. Patron of the Arts sponsors: Bober Markey Fedorovich, Klein’s Pharmacy, and Sikich. Nonprofit Supporters of the Arts: Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority, Akron Municipal Court Judges, NAMI Summit County, North Coast Community Homes, Portage Path Behavioral Health, Summit County Probate Court, and VANTAGE Aging.
Community Support Services, Inc. is a leader in behavioral healthcare for Summit County and the surrounding region. The agency provides comprehensive, high quality, cost-effective treatment, rehabilitation, advocacy, and support for recovery, primarily to persons most in need, to enhance the quality of their lives.
