Art is Medicine exhibit on display at museum

Union Museum of History and Art will host a unique collection of art focused on mental illness and addiction created as a project of the Northeast Delta Human Services Authority.
The exhibit will be displayed from Jan. 6-26 at the museum, which is located at 211 N. Main Street in Farmerville. An opening reception with the artists will be held Tuesday from 4-6 p.m. Admission is free.
The collection features art by six regional artists: Inique Harris, JaCera Francois, Keagan Vaughan, Rachel Madden, Drék Davis, and Shiketra May White. The artists were commissioned to create pieces from their personal perspective of mental and behavioral health, developmental disabilities and addictive disorders.
The exhibition displays pieces that introduce, inspire, and raise awareness of the various elements of mental and behavioral health, developmental disabilities, and addictive disorders.
“The arts can help people come alive in ways traditional treatment options can’t,” said NEDHSA’s Executive Director, Dr. Monteic A. Sizer.
This exhibition is part of the NEDHSA’s “Art Is Medicine” special initiative, an integrated health care, evidence-based prevention, communications, and treatment strategy to help serve persons with mental health, addictive disorders, and developmental disabilities.
The mental health art collection was created with the guidance and partnership of the NELA Arts Council and the Downtown Arts Alliance.