CMH art at Gallery 194

CMH art teacher Frank Bublitz and Melody Wolfe stand by the CMH artwork at Gallery 194. Photo by Jacob Hunsanger LAPEER — A group of art students from Community Mental Health work hard each and every week on their own artwork at Gallery 194 in downtown Lapeer. The students in the class use the artwork to both refine their skills and find a measure of therapy in it.

French impressionist painter Pierre- Auguste Renoir once said of his own life and work, “The pain passes, but the beauty remains.” It seems the students in the Lapeer County Community Mental Health (CMH) art class are finding some truth to that. Each of the art students is afflicted in some way by mental illness, but they are not letting that stop them from creating beautiful artwork.

In fact, many of them are finding inspiration for their artwork in the personal struggles with mental health and well-being.

Pictured above is a painting by Petoskey artist David Pickett, on display at Gallery 194 with the traveling CMH art exhibit. Lapeer County residents have an opportunity to see the CMH artwork at Gallery 194 in downtown Lapeer this week. The show, which features entirely local artwork from CMH clients, is on display at the local art gallery in conjunction with a touring CMH show called Creative Minds Changing Minds. The traveling show features artwork by people across the state, along with one piece by a local artist, Laura W.

The local CMH students, along with the CMH board, will hold a meet-theartists reception today (Feb. 16) from 5:30-7:30 p.m. The public is invited to attend the free reception, look at the artwork, and talk with the local artists who created the beautiful pieces. The artwork will continue to be on display at Gallery 194 through Saturday (Feb. 18).

Local CMH artists study weekly at Gallery 194. The PIX Theatre also collaborates with CMH to offer theater arts instruction and CMH has recently begun to offer a music program. The local artists have created unique quilts that will be featured in a window display on West Nepessing Street. Two of these quilts will be donated by CMH art students at the McLaren Cancer Institute in Lapeer and one quilt will be sold to create a fund providing art supplies to local CMH art students. Other local work featured includes two dimensional mixed media landscapes and other abstract pieces.

Creative Minds Changing Minds will be hosted by Community Mental Health agencies in Lapeer, Sanilac, and St. Clair counties during the month of February. The Lapeer exhibit is sponsored by the Public Relations Committee of the Michigan Association of Community Mental Health Boards, Lapeer County Community Mental Health and Gallery 194.

Gallery 194 is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is located on the corner of Court and West Nepessing streets in downtown Lapeer next to the PIX Theatre. For more information, log onto www.galley194.com or call 810- 667-0500.