Art is therapy… Teen Visions ‘15
A photograph of a girl committing suicide by cutting her wrist and blood leaking, skeletons, empty roads and zombies, were some of the art pieces on the exhibit at Teen Visions ’15 in Vassar College in Poughkeepsie.
Each piece was a psychological story bleeding in paintings, drawings, and photographs.
The exhibition had more than 60 pieces created by local high school students, who participated in the Art Institute Summer Art Intensive Program.
Most of the pieces were scary and murky; having bones, old bald trees, and vague stairs. Nevertheless, some pieces were different like “Dream & Reality” piece, it had raised hands with big wall clock in the background and butterflies in hot colors.
“Art is therapy!” Todd Poteet, Director of the Art Institute said. He added that art was an outlet for the kids to get out what they were raving about inside. Art helped these kids healing by talking about the suffering and expressing themselves their own way in their art.
As for the suicide piece, he said, “A happy kid made it. Many of her friends committed suicide, which hurt her so much and she wanted to leave something talking about it.”
“Art for Healing Program” is one of the specialized programs that the Art Institute afford. It is a collaboration program with hospitals. It helped kids and patients who suffered from chronological diseases like Cancer and Alzheimer. “Art eases discomfort and painful treatments. Hospitals found that patients who joined the art program healed faster than others. Showing the patients what they drew, enhanced their memory,” added Poteet.
“They do not see light in future that is why it is dark. Usually there are breakdowns in class,” he said that this was the reason behind having many pieces in black and white and without colors.
Madison Wetzell, a student in Vassar college said, “this exhibition reminded me of how to be a teenager: Dark…not much happens really in life while lot of emotions and hopes only. “
She answered that the painting of the girl studying in bed was the piece which she liked most. She smiled and explained that it represented her life.