MINDFUL

exploring mental health through art
september 18, 2015 - march 12, 2016
society for contemporary craft

NEWS RELEASECONTACT: NORAH GUIGNON

412.261.7003 | marketingmanager@contemporarycraft.org

SOCIETY FOR CONTEMPORARY CRAFT EXPLORES MENTAL HEALTH,RESILIENCY, AND CREATIVITY IN NEW EXHIBITION
Innovative Strip District art space debuts socially engaged creative experience free of charge
EXHIBITION HIGHLIGHTS:

EXHIBITION DETAILS:Free admission
Free hands-on making activity in the Drop-In Studio
14 artists
33 works of art
Companion exhibitions and programs18 community partners
5 local partner schools
Free teacher’s curriculum guide
Pittsburgh premiere of the Depressed Cake Shop
Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures partnership
Studio Workshops

DATES: September 18, 2015 - March 12, 2016
PLACE: Society for Contemporary Craft (SCC)
2100 Smallman Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
TIME: Monday - Saturday, 10 am - 5 pm
ADMISSION: FreeWEBSITE: www.exploremindfulart.com
FACEBOOK: facebook.com/SCCPgh
TWITTER: @SCCPgh
INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/SCCpgh
HASHTAG: #CRAFTYOURMIND

PITTSBURGH, PA, AUGUST 1, 2015
Someone you know lives with a mental health condition, yet this common illness often remains
hidden behind a wall of secrecy and isolation. Mindful: Exploring Mental Health Through Art - the Society forContemporary Craft’s (SCC) latest socially engaged art experience - breaks down societal stigmas andoffers an opportunity to encounter and understand mental health through the lens of contemporary craft. Theexhibition opens on Friday, September 18, 2015 and will be on view through Saturday, March 12, 2016 at SCC’sStrip District gallery located in the Produce Terminal at the intersection of 21st and Smallman Streets.

SCC PROVIDES PLATFORM FOR ARTISTS TO TAKE ON SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES
Featuring more than 30 works created by 14 contemporary artists, Mindful explores the impact that mentalillness is having on society, and the role the arts can play to both encourage positive self-expression and guideeffective mental health promotion and treatment. The exhibition examines creative responses to mental healthconditions through the inclusion of artworks made by artists who have been diagnosed with or affected bymental illness.

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The idea of working with ones hands to navigate and understand complex emotions and experiences is one of
SCC’s core values. Executive director Janet McCall states: “Artists have unique problem solving abilities and offer
fresh perspectives on complex issues through their artwork. In many cases, a handcrafted object communicateslayers of emotion and experience in a way that words cannot. Each object in Mindful offers an opportunity formeaningful dialogue about mental health.”
The show highlights a variety of techniques and forms that include innovative art expressions rooted in traditional
craft materials, as well as work that explores unexpected relationships between craft and painting, sculpture,
conceptual, and installation art.
l Brooklyn-based visual artist and printmaker Swoon explores
the relationship between people and their built environment.
Her first interventions in the urban landscape took the form ofintricate, wheat-paste paper-cut portraits, often affixed to walls
in hardscrabble places in cities around the world. More recently,
she has been working collaboratively through her non-profit
organization, the Heliotrope Foundation. Focusing on community
revitalization in Braddock, PA, New Orleans, LA, and Haiti, theseprojects support artists’ place-based interventions that explore
how creativity can positively impact communities in times ofcrisis and change.

Swoon
Momento Mori
Hand printed blockprint with coffee stain and cutout mylar
84” x 67”
Photo: Swoon StudioHer stunning mixed media work Memento Mori, shares a heartwrenching depiction of her emaciated mother. “I never really
understood the concept of mental illness or physical addiction
until a few years ago. We need to understand people’s actionsin a different context so that we’re less hateful or judgmental
towards those who have experienced traumatic situations andare therefore at much greater risk. It’s not so much about theindividual taking personal responsibility as much as it is about
understanding that we as a culture can’t simply wash our handsof these people.”l Internationally acclaimed sculptor Alison Saar’s carved figures and installations address humanity in the
broadest sense and universal themes of vulnerability and hope. Through her works, Pret-a-Porter and J’attends,
Saar constructs a visual language that is simultaneously historical and philosophical, accessible and explorative.
The wood, tin, copper, paper, and other objects that she utilizes in her sculpture are often reclaimed or recycledmaterial, revealing Saar’s fondness for her supplies having, as she states, “former lives” and carrying “the historiesof what they’ve witnessed.” The humor and wordplay that she injects into the titles of her work speak to Saar’swillingness to engage viewers’ personal interpretations and imbue levity into otherwise serious subject matter.

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l Ceramic sculptor and adjunct instructor at Allegheny College in Meadville, PA, Ian F. Thomas has watched
loved ones struggle with mental illness along with the years of trial and error finding the right prescription drugconcoction to stabilize this all-consuming issue. With the works, Compensation and Consumption,Thomas examines
the relationship between pharmaceutical drugs and their user while illustrating the daunting regulatory intakeof medicines and the deep introspective view one might have contemplating their role in “normality.” Throughart making, the artist poses questions about his relationships with objects, people and himself, and considers hiswork to be a window into his subconscious. It is not his intent for the viewer to grasp these specific notions but
to come to the work with their personal histories and to derive a visceral understanding through their senses.
l A resident of Washington, DC, Michael Janis is aninternationally recognized artist and co-director of theWashington Glass School—a hybrid school, studio, andpublic art production facility in Mount Rainier, MD. Janis
reflects on social interactions and complex behaviors
with his sculpture, and uses clear glass as a way of“seeing through” actions and intents. Each element in
Echoes depicts a pair of overlapped faces created in
fused glass powder and arranged to create a new, thirdface. Janis sees the interaction of the non-aligned faces
as a depiction of the fate of both the inner and outerworlds. “One cannot change without leaning a little
further into the shared world, and without recognizingthat even in one’s solitude, one is always at some point
touching someone else.”

Michael JanisEchoes, 2015
Kilformed glass, glass powder imagery
10” x 30” x 6” (dimensions variable)
Photo: Anything Photographic“OPEN SOURCE” EXHIBITION PLANNING
Following the significant impact of SCC’s 2014 social justice-centered exhibition ENOUGH Violence: Artists Speak
Out, the organization once again enlisted the guidance of a wide variety of staff, academic experts, social service
professionals, community partners, and the general public in the development of Mindful. From an open callfor personal mental health narratives to language sensitivity training, the innovative, crowd-sourcing
approach to Mindful ensures the exhibition is connected to the community in a meaningful,genuine way.
“The public outpouring of support for Mindful has been humbling and inspiring,” says Janet McCall. “Mental healthis a public health issue that truly affects us all. The community has been extremely open and generous with
their personal stories, creative endeavors, and scholarly expertise. Striving to incorporate their experiences andknowledge into the exhibition has led to a more relatable and impactful experience for everyone.”page 3 of 5

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CRAFT YOUR MIND
The exhibition’s hashtag, #craftyourmind, originated at the 2015 Three Rivers Arts Festival in a Mindfulthemed window installation created by local artist Daniel Baxter of the Kreepy Doll Factory. Daniel’s concept
of “crafting your mind” conveys our ability to shape our own experiences and perspectives through art making
and open dialogue.
A series of events and weekend activities encouraging visitors to “craft their minds” are planned throughout therun of the exhibition. Lectures, artist demonstrations, Saturday Information Sessions with community partners,
gallery tours, and Studio workshops allow audiences to connect with artists and respond to their art. Resources
such as a free curriculum guide, a mental health fable titled Osprey by local illustrator Nathaniel Taylor, and afull-color catalogue further complement the exhibition. SCC’s Drop-In Studio (free and open to the publicduring regular business hours) will feature a hands-on, art-making activity appropriate for visitors of all ages andskill-levels titled “Weaving with Found Objects.” Designed by exhibition artist Grace Kubilius, the activity invites
visitors to experience the meditative flow of working with their hands.
Mindful’s impact extends beyond the primary gallery walls and includes companion exhibitions in boththe SCC Studio and SCC BNY Mellon Center Satellite Gallery. Community Voices (September 18 - December 7,2015 in the SCC Studio) is an exhibition of stories and artwork shared by 10 regional, national and international
artists whose lives are affected by mental illness. Community Minded (December 15, 2015 - March 12, 1016 in
the SCC Studio) will showcase student artwork responding to issues of mental health. The Invisible One (January22 - April 24, 2016 at the BNY Mellon Center Satellite Gallery) features the work of three contemporary artists
exploring “invisible” populations within their communities and the ways in which the arts can bridge action andunderstanding.
SCC is proud to be the non-profit partner for a Literary Evening with author Andrew Solomon presented by Pittsburgh
Arts & Lectures on Monday, December 7, 2015, 7:30 - 9:30 pm. Solomon’s newest book, Far from the Tree:
Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity, shares stories of families coping with deafness, autism, schizophrenia.
Tickets for this Literary Evening with Andrew Solomon are available by calling 412.622.8866 or by visiting www.
pittsburghlectures.org.
A complete calendar of exhibition programs and events is available at www.exploremindfulart.com.

BREAKING THE STIGMA... BEYOND PITTSBURGH
Mindful is slated to travel to several venues after its debut in Pittsburgh. Confirmed locations include the Ohio
Craft Museum in Columbus, OH (summer 2016), the Daura Gallery, Lynchburg College in Lynchburg, VA (fall2016), and the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art in Virginia Beach, VA (winter/spring 2017). “The fact that
we have already booked three cities for the national tour of Mindful before the exhibition has even openedin Pittsburgh is a testament to society’s desire to approach difficult subject matter from a place of positivity,creativity, and hope,” says Janet McCall. “Mindful provides an accessible and inspiring exploration of mental health,which ultimately aids in the elimination of harmful stigma.”

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MINDFULOPENING WEEKEND CELEBRATION
SCC will mark the opening weekend of the exhibition witha free, public reception on Friday, September 18 from 5:30 to8 pm. There is a $5 suggested donation at the door. Opening
celebration events will continue Saturday, September 19,
from 10 am - 3 pm. The day’s activities include the Pittsburgh
premiere of the Depressed Cake Shop, an international
pop-up bake sale raising mental health awareness one grey,
sweet treat at a time. Several local bakers and bakeries will
be contributing cookies, cupcakes, and pastries to the cause,
including: 2 Local Girls, Colangelo’s Bakery, Eliza’s Oven,
Gluuteny Bakery, Prantl’s Bakery, and Vanilla Pastry Studio.
From 12 - 2 pm, visitors are invited to a Dialogue with theArtists, where exhibiting artists will be on hand in SCC’s gallery
to talk about their work.

MINDFUL SUPPORTMindful: Exploring Mental Health Through Art is made possible by the Staunton Farm Foundation, The Fisher Fundof The Pittsburgh Foundation,The Fine Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and media sponsors
NEXTpittsburgh, WESA, and WYEP. Additional support is provided by the Allegheny Regional Asset District, theElizabeth R. Raphael Fund of The Pittsburgh Foundation, The Heinz Endowments, Pennsylvania Council on theArts, and the Richard King Mellon Foundation.

ABOUT CONTEMPORARY CRAFT
Presenting contemporary art in craft media by regional, national and international artists since 1971, the Societyfor Contemporary Craft (SCC) offers cutting edge exhibitions focusing on multicultural diversity and nonmainstream art, as well as a range of studio workshops, community outreach programs, and a retail store. Throughits mission of engaging the public in creative experiences through contemporary craft, SCC offers meaningful art
opportunities for more than 135,000 people a year through four core values: providing vital support for artists;filling critical gaps in public education; sharing cross cultural perspectives; and using art to build community. SCC
is located at 2100 Smallman Street in the Strip District of Pittsburgh, PA. Hours are Monday through Saturday,
10 am to 5 pm. The satellite gallery is located in the “T” station lobby of BNY Mellon Center in downtown
Pittsburgh, and is open daily from 6 am through midnight. Exhibitions and informal, hands-on art activities in theDrop-In Studio are always free to the public. For more information, visit www.contemporarycraft.org or call412.261.7003.

PHOTOSTo view the complete collection of available high-res Mindful photos,visit www.exploremindfulart.com/mindfulimages
and use the password MINDfulimages. Email Norah Guignon at marketingmanager@contemporarycraft.org forfiles.

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