Archive 2015-2016
Welcome to the Addiction and Art Website
2015-2016 Home Page Archive
This page contains news items issued in 2015 through 2016.
Addiction Art Concept. Recent scientific findings have proven addiction to be a disease of the brain, affecting both brain and behavior. Addiction Art has the potential to take this message to the masses, most of whom still consider addiction to be a "weakness" or "moral failing" worthy of punishment. It can convey the human experience of addiction in a way that can help the general public understand addiction as a preventable and treatable chronic disease. Artworks about addiction and recovery can stimulate dialogue, can teach, and at this crucial point in history, can support contemporary scientific research for our world's well-being.
Addiction Art Downloads. This site provides free images for download relating to addiction and recovery. These works are available for use by schools, drug treatment centers, community organizations, addiction science professionals, medical professionals and the general public. These images are generously donated by artists to be shared for the good of mankind.
Addiction Art Exhibitions. Over the past several years Addiction and Art Exhibitions have been held at both professional substance abuse conferences and in local communities. All of these exhibitions have been enormously well received and extremely successful. This site exists to promote the continuation of the Addiction and Art project through the sharing of past exhibitions, providing guidelines for future ones, and offering opportunities for communication and networking.
Addiction and Art Book. Inspiration for the site comes from the book, , Addiction and Art by Patricia B. Santora, Margaret L. Dowell ( www.addictionandart.org editor), and Jack E. Henningfield.
The Johns Hopkins University Press has issued a discount for purchase of the Book.
Click here to download the discount PDF
News and Announcements
From the Editor of Addiction and Art
Substance Abuse: A Landmark Report!
The US Surgeon General just issued a landmark report calling addiction what it is - a brain disease (not a weakness or moral failing). This concept is the one we at www.addictionandart.org have been promoting for 6 years! I would like to take this opportunity to thank the artists (download gallery, shows) and curators around the world who have contributed their time and talents to this effort. And, a special note of gratitude to Don Dunsmore, our webmaster extraordinaire, and Jeff Barnum, our quality control master. Gentlemen, this is a WOW!
You can read one of the articles just out on this landmark report here: http://www.businessinsider.com/new-report-surgeon-general-drug-addiction-2016-11
You can read the entire report here: https://templatearchive.com/facing-addiction-in-america/
- Editor: Margaret Dowell, Ph.D.
(11/17/2016)
An art therapy infographic from The Oaks
Believing that the Creative Arts can be an unique and powerful part of the overall healing experience, the folks at The Oaks at La Paloma (Memphis, TN) share their Art Therapy Infographic with www.addictionandart.org.
Click this link to view the infographic on our Art Therapy page.
(10/19/2016)
Art Exhibition: From the Ashes
October 1 - October 28, 2016
Peetskill, New York
9/16/2016
Addiction and Art Works
at
Massachusetts Farmers' Market
The Substance Abuse Prevention Collaborative of Tewksbury, MA is displaying Art Images from the Addiction and Art Download Gallery at the Tewksbury Farmers' Market, Tewksbury Commons, on September 6, 13, 20 and 27 from 3 - 7 PM. For more information contact Maria Ruggiero at 978-851-7373, x352. Check out the Collaboration's website at http://www.drugfreegreaterlowell.org/
9/2/2016
Addiction and Art Painting
Featured on
Cover of Public Health Reports Journal
A painting in our download gallery, "Letting Go" by www.addictionandart.org editor Margaret Dowell is featured on the cover of the May/June Public Health Reports, the official journal of the US Public Health Service and the US Surgeon General. The report title is "A Promise Fulfilled—Addressing the Nation’s Opioid Crisis Collectively"
7/1/2016
Call for Artists : "From Ashes"
Fall, 2016 - Peekskill, NY
An art exhibition, "From Ashes" will be held at the Flatz Gallery in Peekskill, NY from September 30 - October 28, 2016. Artists with addiction and recovery related artwork who are interested in showing should contact Inez Andrucyk at Email Link for Inez Andrucyk.
6/25/2016
New Recovery Poem
Wally Balcerzak's heartfelt poem, "Recovery : The Blessing of Life" now appears on the Poetry Page.
(6/24/2016)
Color Your Own 12 Steps!
Download gallery artist, Rita Balcerzak, has created a line drawing, "Spaces of Hope", of her original work, "Hope" for coloring/completion by others. This artwork symbolically includes 12 steps. She writes, "The joy of Recovery is filling in the time and space. Every step counts with hope". We are delighted to share Balcerzak's image with the world in the hopes that some will benefit from coloring. You may download the image here.
3/10/2016
Rockers in Recovery
Music and Art Festival
Rockers in Recovery is an organization with the sole mission to provide prevention and education to anyone who suffers with drug addiction/alcoholism and they do it through music. Their most recent "Love of Recovery" Music and Art Festival was held on February 13, 2016 in Pembroke Pines, Florida. www.rockersinrecovery.com
2/18/2016
Maryland High Schools Create and Perform Plays Addressing Heroin and Opioid Addiction
Four High Schools in Maryland will create and perform outreach theatrical works addressing the lives of heroin/opioid addicts. This outreach is a product of Maryland's Heroin and Opioid Emergency Task Force. Read about the amazing efforts of one school (Linganore High) here.
01/21/2016
4th Annual MOVE (Motivating Others Through Voices of Experience) Art Show
December 1, 2015 - March 28, 2016
Utah: Locations include Salt Lake City, Vernal and Price.
This exhibition which addresses the stigma of substance abuse features the work of young adults (ages 16 - 26). Participants have created art about their own personal experience or those of friends or family members. Read about the effort here: http://hs.utah.gov/annual-move-art-show-aims-to-reduce-stigma-around-mental-illness-and-addiction/
12/10/2015
Power of Art Use in Therapeutic Settings
Alta Mira Treatment Center, California
Blog Post, November 3, 2015
The following blog post from Alta Mira discusses the power of Art in recovery programs. It is an excellent and insightful read with art illustrations.
The Biggs Museum is celebrating its new partnership with The Delaware Multicultural and Civic Organization (DEMCO, Inc.), with an exhibition, entitled DEMCO, Inc., of student and staff artworks created during their after-school program in downtown Dover. This exhibition will be on view from October 2 – November 15, 2015 in the Child HELP Foundation Gallery on the museum’s first floor.
A portion of this current exhibition features works created within the Substance Abuse Prevention Narratives project. The DEMCO artists and instructors created this series of collages as narratives, a kind of pictorial story, of Abuse Prevention. This project challenges artists such G.L. Shamir, Desiree Wilson and Dr. Linda Hackett to channel the lessons of such noted artists as Vincent Van Gogh, Gustave Courbet, Ben Shan and Jacob Lawrence to create new works that embody the message of Prevention.
Read more here: http://www.biggsmuseum.org/?page_id=11
10/29/2015
Solutions Recovery, located in the Las Vegas community, sponsored a mural contest in which 12 artists were to represent themselves and the 12 Steps in recovery. Choosing the step of their choice, the artists created a work of art that reflected their personal relationship with that step. 12 murals, 12 artists, 2 competitions, thousands impacted. For more information visit www.solutions-recovery.com/mural-contest.html
The Castlefield Gallery, UK is sponsoring a symposium to explore the relationship between art, addiction and recovery. Details are available at this link:
9/27/2015
Baltimore, Maryland's New Day Campaign featuring 92 days of art and experiences devoted to the understanding of mental illness and addiction begins on October 1. The first art exhibition will open at the Eubie Blake Cultural Center, 847 N. Howard Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. http://newdaycampaign.org/exhibitions/people-places-a-primer/. Information about all 92 days of events/exhibitions may be found at www.newdaycampaign.org.
9/27/2015
As editor of this site I am proud to announce that we have been up and running for 5 full years! We jumped on the web on August 1, 2010 armed with a few addiction related images and tons of faith that art could be a player in one of the largest epidemics to hit mankind. Since then, through our volunteered efforts the site has become a major resource for understanding and confronting substance abuse. Our readership has steadily grown. This month we are averaging 358 visitors to our site a day! The artwork in our on-line gallery has been downloaded thousands of times, likewise the Addiction and Art Curriculum Guide. As we move into our 6th year I send huge recognition and praise out to our webmaster (and sometimes co-editor!) Don Dunsmore. His thoughtful, creative and brilliant work makes this site hopeful and positive. Much praise also to Jeff Barnum, our insightful consultant and detail oriented quality control person. And, tons of praise to our artists who generously (and bravely) donate artwork images and stories for the good of mankind.
Bless you all! - Margaret Dowell, Ph.D. (9/12/2015)
The folks at Thought Collection Publishing are looking for visual art to use for book covers that can depict the theme of Addiction for an upcoming manuscript for their 30 Days...Challenge book series that will be titled: 30 Days Dry. A small monetary incentive will be provided. Reach out to them at anthologies@thoughtcollection.org for more information if interested. Provide low resolution images for initial viewing and let them know how the piece reflects the theme. Deadline: 7/5/15.
More information regarding the 30 Days...Challenge can be found here: http://thoughtnotebook.org/30-days.html
6/27/2015
Newark, NJ – The Drug Enforcement Administration-New Jersey Division and the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) in conjunction with the Partnership for a Drug Free New Jersey and the Governor’s Council on Alcoholism & Drug Abuse are pleased to announce their sponsorship of a statewide Heroin Addiction Art Contest and Exhibition.
This art contest is open to all residents of New Jersey. The winner will receive a grand prize of $500 and statewide recognition. The deadline for submission of the artwork is July 28, 2015. Entry forms can be obtained by going to www.drugfreenj.org/HeroinArtExhibit .
6/27/2015
The New Day Campaign is a 2015 initiative using art to challenge stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness and addiction, making the world a more healing place. The New Day Campaign culminates with public programming and outreach during the last quarter of 2015 (October 1- December 31) that will open hearts, change thinking and conversations, and offer pathways to action.
Baltimore artist, Peter Bruun, is the founder and leader of the initiative; Peter's daughter, Elisif Janis Bruun, who died of a heroin overdose on February 11, 2014, is the inspiring and guiding spirit behind the New Day Campaign.
We will be posting New Day Campaign events as we receive them. BRAVO Peter Bruun and volunteers.
6/27/2015
