Avivo’s teaching artists initiative and community-based arts programming have positive impact on recovery from mental illness
With a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, Avivo’s ArtWorks program facilitated a multi-month initiative of new arts workshops that provided paid teaching experiences for artists living with mental illness. The teaching experiences bolstered the artists’ sense of identity, helped debunk stigma and increased the positive impact on participants benefitting from their peers leading workshops.
This program positioned 16 artists to teach on a variety of topics ranging from graffiti lettering, quilting, interactive painting, and hypertufa planter-making. Forty-one adults participated in the workshops — Avivo community support program members who are living with severe and persistent mental illness and who find value in the activities and relationships they enjoy at Avivo ArtWorks.
“What is so unique about this initiative is that the member artists received wages to be teaching artists,” shares Tovah Rudawski, Avivo ArtWorks program manager.
“What is so unique about this initiative is that the member artists received wages to be teaching artists,” shares Tovah Rudawski, Avivo ArtWorks program manager. The paid teaching experiences provided professional development as well as affirmed their personal identities as artists. There was also tremendous value to the participants in seeing peers leading and teaching courses. This helps increase personal empowerment, building on the mental health benefits of community-based arts programming.
According to Tami, one of the teaching artists, the grant made her realize how much it meant personally to bring the community together, doing projects and engaging with different peer leaders. “It was a blast! I went to several different workshops in addition to leading my own, and every workshop was very unique. The staff were very helpful with everything.”
“It taught me that everyone is a little different,” shared Douglas, one of the workshop participants. “By doing these different workshops; I stretched myself into doing something I normally wouldn’t do. That helped me to grow in different areas as an artist.”
“It taught me that everyone is a little different,” shared Douglas, one of the workshop participants. “By doing these different workshops; I stretched myself into doing something I normally wouldn’t do. That helped me to grow in different areas as an artist.”
Community-based arts programming is evidence-based to support recovery for people living with mental health concerns. Personal learning and skill development, social connection, and community-building are direct benefits. According to a 2022 commentary published in the Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, creative artmaking is beneficial for mental health recovery as it aids in personal expression of feelings and external identity development. Self-connectedness grows through inclusion in the community. Avivo ArtWorks also alleviates unique challenges its participants face including lack of access to artmaking or artistic expression due to social and/or economic status and lack of available art resources and studio space.
The initiative culminates with a teaching artists’ and students’ exhibition that is a part of Avivo ArtWorks’ Show during Minneapolis’ Art-A-Whirl in May. The exhibition will be open during Art-A-Whirl, May 17-19, at the Avivo ArtWorks’ studio in the Grain Belt Bottling House, 79 13th Avenue NE, Suite 105, in Minneapolis. There is a reception and poster zine release party at 5 p.m. on Friday, May 17. The zine features artwork from the teaching artists, and artists will be leading workshops and demos all weekend. [See full-sized poster of Avivo ArtWorks’ Art-A-Whirl schedule here.]
This grant for this initiative from the Minnesota State Arts Board is made possible through appropriations from the Minnesota State Legislature.
Avivo ArtWorks has been supporting artists living with mental illness in Hennepin County since 2004. ArtWorks’ specialized, multi-faceted arts programming assists individuals seeking space to make art, receive peer support, build skills, and access larger art career resources. ArtWorks organizes and participates in public projects and exhibitions that challenge stigma and raise mental health awareness and is founded on the principles of arts access, recovery, and social justice.