ALBANY, NY- The New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) is hosting an art show, titled Picture:Recovery, viewable throughout the month of October on the South Concourse of the Empire State Plaza in Albany and online at Flickr via this link: https://flic.kr/s/aHsk4z1Ccn. 

Aimed at promoting the hope, recovery, and resilience of individuals experiencing mental illness, Picture:Recovery showcases more than 100 artworks created by individuals involved in OMH programs throughout New York State. Along with the show, OMH is asking New Yorkers to share their own “Pictures of Recovery” via Twitter and Facebook, using the hashtag #PictureRecovery. 

On October 27, 2014 at 1:00 p.m., Picture:Recovery artists will host a guided gallery tour at the South Concourse show location featuring presentations and discussions of the artwork. This event is open to the public and will include music, refreshments, and an opportunity to meet and speak with the artists. 

“Recovery is a possibility for every individual with mental illness. We must continue to de-stigmatize mental illness, promote access to needed services, and share the stories of success that we see and hear on a daily basis. I thank and congratulate these artists on their beautiful artwork and the recovery it represents!” said New York State Office of Mental Health Commissioner Ann Marie T. Sullivan, M.D. 

“Throughout the history of mental health care, the mentally ill were individuals who had their own stories, who wrote books, who wrote poems, edited journals, created art; people who had lives and stories worth sharing. It is that idea which informs my work and my activism now.” said Robert B. Eaton, Artist-in-Residence and Peer Specialist Art Teacher at the Capital District Psychiatric Center’s Rehabilitation Service Center, whose art is featured in Picture:Recovery.

OMH has long supported creative expression as a means to enhancing mental and emotional well-being while building self-esteem. For many individuals, recovery is fueled by hope, interdependence, and personal passions. By focusing on artistic expression, individuals earn a sense of empowerment and personal growth. Through this growth, recovery and resilience are realized, bringing individuals closer to their goals, hopes, and dreams.

OMH offers Art Therapy and other creative programs to the thousands of individuals served by our agency each year. Each OMH Psychiatric Center has established an Art Therapy program which often collaborates with local community arts programs to provide instruction and additional artistic resources to the individuals we serve.

Two OMH Psychiatric Centers operate peer-run “Living Museums” open to the public which regularly showcase the art created by individuals in recovery. For more information about visiting the Rockland Psychiatric Center’s “Living Museum” in Orangeburg, New York, please visit: http://www.rocklandlivingmuseum.org/ and for information about visiting Creedmoor Psychiatric Center’s “Living Museum” in Queens, New York, please call: 718-264-3490.

Individuals associated with the following programs graciously contributed their artwork for Picture:Recovery: 

Bronx Psychiatric Center’s Art Therapy Program

Buffalo Psychiatric Center

Capital District Psychiatric Center’s ART for LIFE

Capital District Psychiatric Center’s Albany County Clinic

Capital District Psychiatric Center’s Schenectady County Clinic

Greater Binghamton Health Center

Manhattan Psychiatric Center

Mohawk Valley Psychiatric Center’s Collage Connections

New York City Children’s Center Queens Campus

Pilgrim Psychiatric Center's Western Suffolk Center Creative Expression Through Art

Rochester Psychiatric Center

Rockland Psychiatric Center’s Mount Vernon Service Center

Rockland Psychiatric Center’s Poughkeepsie Wellness Center

Rockland Psychiatric Center’s Pine Grove Center

Rockland Psychiatric Center’s Middletown Clinic

Rockland Psychiatric Center’s Nyack Service Center

If you are unable to visit Albany to view Picture:Recovery in person, you may view the exhibit, along with past OMH exhibits, on the OMH Flickr page: https://www.flickr.com/photos/nysomh