A Beautiful Mind art event raises awareness for mental health
On May 7, during National Children's Mental Health Awareness Week, Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. teamed up with longtime funded partners the Bexar County Health Collaborative and the San Antonio Clubhouse for a mental health focused art event, A Beautiful Mind.
The unique art experience combined expressive art, discussion, and testimonies to facilitate a dialogue on mental health realities and stigma in Bexar County.
Artists of various backgrounds exhibited work that interpreted what it's like living with mental health struggles – to bridge the gap and create a connection with audience members. High school students from the Henry Ford Academy Alameda School for Art + Design also supported by participating as contributing artists. More than 120 people were in attendance, all encouraged to take action by getting involved and raising awareness.
Methodist Healthcare Ministries President & CEO, Kevin C. Moriarty sat down with Focus South Texas to speak about A Beautiful Mind and mental health awareness.
The event was the idea of high school senior Jazymn Frederick, a student at the Henry Ford Academy. Frederick teamed up with the Bexar County Health Collaborative in an effort to create an avenue to talk openly about mental health. "Art is a way to clear my mind," said Frederick, who fought with depression and anxiety.
Jazmyn Frederick expresses how art is a form of healing.
The Bexar County Health Collaborative – an organization focused on improving the health status of the community through collaborative means – took the lead on this event because of the connection with its Young Minds Matter program, which focuses on advocating, educating, and reducing stigma on youth mental health issues. A Beautiful Mind was held at the Crossroads Campus of the San Antonio Clubhouse – a local non-profit dedicated to providing individuals with mental health struggles the opportunity to live, work, and learn as an included member of society in a stigma free environment.
Methodist Healthcare Ministries is proud to support both organizations: the Bexar County Health Collaborative, which became a funded partner in 2007 and has since been awarded more than $790,000; and the San Antonio Clubhouse, partner since 2005 and awarded more than $2 million since then to aid in its efforts.
One out of every five people lives with a form of mental illness. Methodist Healthcare Ministries, in support of this critical issue, has invested approximately $8,500 in integrated behavioral health and social services in 2016. In addition, Methodist Healthcare Ministries has contributed $500,000 annually since 2001 to the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute – a non-profit that supports the implementation of policies and programs that help Texans obtain effective, efficient mental health care, and an organization of which Methodist Healthcare Ministries President & CEO, Kevin C. Moriarty, is a founding board member.
Seventy percent of the proceeds of A Beautiful Mind went to the Young Minds Matter program. If you missed the event, there is still a chance to support Mental Health Awareness Month in May and purchase the art online at https://squareup.com/store/healthcollaborative/. Purchases will help further the mission of the Young Minds Matter project and the artists that dedicated their time and talent to A Beautiful Mind.