17th November 2011

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Art Heals! Breakfast 2011

“It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.”

Since the Art Heals! breakfast event last Thursday, this quote (as utilized by the lovely Sue Abderholden) has been running through my mind. These inspiring words of Frederick Douglass encapsulated the theme of the morning: how art and mentors interact as a means to heal children who are involved in traumatic circumstances.

Our program began with a warm welcome from our board president, Kim Witczak. She shared her personal history with Free Arts, beginning almost two decades back, and how the kids we serve have just as much of an impact on her life as she does on theirs. “They have taught me about resiliency and how to rise about life circumstances - no matter how painful they may be.”

With a heartfelt thank you to our sponsors (Western National Insurance, RBC Management, Barnes and Thornburg, Gray Plant Mooty, Lifetouch, US Trust, the Grundhofer Charitable Foundation, and United Health Group), to all the artists who donated their original artwork for the event (Mike Caguin, Lindsey Aho, Daniel Jenstad, Jacob Anderson, Adam Puncochar, Ellie Drotning, and Mike Perushek of 3 E Design, Inc.), and to the kind staff of the Metropolitan Ballroom, she introduced our special performers of the morning:

Chastity Brown again graced Free Arts with her hauntingly beautiful talents. This time, children from one of our partner facilities, Northside Development Center, joined her in busting some sweet moves on stage (after getting over tiredness and shyness). With a chorus of small voices in hand-painted t-shirts, Chastity and the kids sang how “love can lift us”. Be it any kind of love - from a family member, a friend, a mentor, or the love for the beautiful things one creates.

Amidst the crowd of breakfast feasters, our executive director, Dan Thomas, highlighted the importance of Free Arts mentors. “The purpose of healing is to restore integrity to return a person to physical and emotional wholeness.” Without mentors, the Free Arts program couldn’t exist. Mentors put clay into the hands of children. They provide the paint and brushes, the canvases and paper, on which emotions can flow freely and safely. They encourage creativity and the willingness to embrace messiness and mistakes. Mentors facilitate the healing process and bring the idea of healing into fruition.

Sue Abderholden of the National Alliance on Mental Illness discussed what sort of healing art does have for children. Art rescues those drowning in depression, anxiety, PTSD, and other mental illnesses. It can act as a path to help children understand that there are caring adults that can bring them away from the dangers of the world. “Art is something that a child can control, making them active participants in their own healing - a survivor, not a victim.” It is important that reliable adults exist in our program to develop strong relationships that nurse and encourage the healing process.

Marques is one of the many young adults in the Free Arts program at Headway Emotional Health Services. Together, he and his mentor Kat shared their experiences. Kat is one of the many mentors at Headway. A recent graduate in social work, she understands the importance of art and creativity as healing tools, especially through her experiences with Marques. Marques is a survivor of depression with newfound appreciations for acting and sketching. Art helps Marques shut out the judgmental critics in his head. Marques is also one of the sweetest and gentlest kids I’ve had the opportunity to meet, and he credits his improved abilities to confidently interact with others to Free Arts. Kat claimed that through her friendship with Marques, she was able to see her dream of sharing the healing abilities of creativity come to life in full color.

Lea B. Olson, one of our dedicated board members, came to Free Arts after realizing how art helped her children express their own emotions. She wanted to commit to helping those who have dealt with too many of life’s tougher issues at such young ages. She drove the successes of Free Arts home with incredible numbers. We have over 300 mentors in our program that proudly serve over 4000 kids at 30 different facilities. Just as a reference, 300 mentors is fifty times greater than the size of our full-time staff at Free Arts (which is five, for those of you playing at home). Those 300 mentors are caring adults from all kinds of backgrounds that are all dedicated to the mission of Free Arts and to the children they serve.

The message is simple and clear: art heals. It mends the damaged soul, it calms the worried and troubled mind. Art coaxes those lost in the darkness back into the light. Art brings the reality of having a future to those who question its existence. Art instills confidence and pride. And best of all, art brings smiles and laughter to the beautiful, promising faces of our youth.

Do you want to make a difference? Donate or start mentoring today. Spread the mission of Free Arts to everyone you know. Post our link to your Facebook, tweet a little somethin’, come grab some of our stickers and smack them all over the Twin Cities. Become a member of the healing process.

-Rachel.

Tags Art Heals! BreakfastArt HealsFree Arts MNChastity BrownChildrenArtNon profits