News Briefs: September 2020
Youth-Led Mural in White Plains Focuses on Social Justice
A recent project encouraged community building among youth aged 10-18, who were given the opportunity to paint a mural with the guidance of teaching artist Miguel Cossio. The mural, currently being painted on the construction barriers at Winbrook Housing/ Brookfield Common, is meant to be a representation of different people of various cultures that promotes equity, peace and social justice.
The project was made possible by ArtsWestchester, with funds from New York State Council on the Arts Regional Economic Development Council Initiative, in partnership with the White Plains Housing Authority.
Virtual Exhibition Features Artwork by Mental Health Community
More and more studies have shown that artistic engagement has significant positive effects on mental and physical health. It reduces stress and depression while promoting healing, coping and overall wellness.* Beginning September 21, artwork by more than 30 artists who are recipients of mental health services in Westchester will be on view in a virtual exhibition titled Visions 2020: Plug in Your Paintbrush.
For more than 35 years, ArtsWestchester’s partnership with Westchester County’s Department of Community Mental Health has provided art services and residencies to people with chronic mental illness, allowing them the opportunity to participate in hands-on art workshops and enjoy live performances. These art workshops – whether painting, creative writing, ceramics or jewelry making – foster overall wellness and promote a sense of pride, accomplishment and positive self-worth. They also serve as a bridge to the larger community by showcasing the broad talents of this population. The exhibition will be on view at artsw.org/visions2020.
Visions 2020 is made possible by Westchester County’s Department of Community Mental Health, Rockland Psychiatric Center and ArtsWestchester.
*Study published by the National Institutes of Health by Heather L Stuckey, DEd and Jeremy Nobel, MD, MPH, titled “The Connection Between Art, Healing and Public Health: A review of Current Literature.”
Applications Open: Youth Leadership Council
ArtsWestchester, with support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, is seeking qualified youth aged 16-21 to join its Young Adult Leadership Council (Oct. 2020 to May 2021). This group will meet regularly to plan, evaluate, attend, promote and develop ArtsWestchester’s teen programs. A $500 stipend will also be provided. For more information, email Jessica Cioffoletti at jcioffoletti@artswestchester.org.
Deadline: September 15.
A Call for Works Related to Voting
ArtsWestchester seeks submissions for its upcoming virtual exhibition, Give Us the Vote: 20/20, which is inspired by the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment. Artworks will explore its history, the process, the current state of voting rights, and the act of voting. Artists may submit works in any media/discipline, including the literary arts, music and performance, and visual arts, to be included in an online format. Submissions should be submitted via an online portal.
Deadline: September 25.
Call for Entries: Virtual Exhibition at Hammond Museum
Hammond Museum is accepting submissions from its artist members for an October virtual exhibition curated by Bibiana Huang Matheis. Each month, a new exhibition is displayed and will remain on view for one year. Submissions should use the monthly painting below as its muse or inspiration. Visual media, as well as short literary forms, music and dance, will all be considered. Email submissions to HammondMuseumArtists@gmail.com.
Deadline: September 15.
Croton Council on the Arts’ Prescription for the Pandemic
The Croton Council on the Arts’ (CCoA) annual Fall Festival on September 25-27 will go virtual this year with an interactive live event that they refer to as the “Prescription for the Pandemic.” Since its usual gathering at Senasqua Park is not possible due to safety concerns related to COVID-19, the festival will bring artists, live entertainment and chat functions to their visitors.
CCoA board member Jim Christensen explains that the event is “completely different” from an online video conference like Zoom: “The Festival is an online website that has ‘booths’ where artists can showcase and sell their work and ‘performance pages’ from which musicians will live-stream. Other pages will show who is visiting the festival. So attendees can text or talk with other visitors or with the booth owners, just like at a real festival.”
Applications are open through September 10 for artists, crafters, musicians, entertainers and people who want to demo their craft.
A version of this article first appeared in the September issue of ArtsNews, ArtsWestchester’s monthly publication. ArtsNews is distributed throughout Westchester County. A digital copy is also available at artsw.org/artsnews.
More from As a Matter of Art Blog
About ArtsWestchester
For more than 50 years, ArtsWestchester has been the community’s connection to the arts. Founded in 1965, it is the largest private not-for-profit arts council in New York State. Its mission is to create an equitable, inclusive, vibrant and sustainable Westchester County in which the arts are integral to and integrated into every facet of life. ArtsWestchester provides programs and services that enrich the lives of everyone in Westchester County. ArtsWestchester helps fund concerts, exhibitions and plays through grants; brings artists into schools and community centers; advocates for the arts; and builds audiences through diverse marketing initiatives. In 1998, ArtsWestchester purchased the nine-story neo-classical bank building at 31 Mamaroneck Avenue which has since been transformed into a multi-use resource for artists, cultural organizations and the community. A two-story gallery is located on the first floor of ArtsWestchester’s historic building on Mamaroneck Avenue. artsw.org