By Mike Pearson, News staff
When Rachael Spalding lost her father following a battle with mental illness, the feelings of shock, anger and anxiety were difficult to express through words.
Spalding, a Grade 12 student at Bishop Ryan Catholic Secondary School, uses art as a coping mechanism in her original painting, which was on display last Friday at the artMATTERS exhibition at Art Forms youth art studio on James Street North.
Her acrylic on canvas creation is titled, “But Why?”
Spalding is angry that her father failed to take action aginst his own mental health challenges. She’s also angry at people who continue to perpetuate the stigma surrounding mental illness.
“I had a lot of emotions as well, creating it. It’s good to get the emotions out, rather than keep them in,” said Spalding.
Marisa Mariella, head of student services at Bishop Ryan, said artMATTERS is an extension of iMatter, a teen mental health awarenss program developed by the student leadership group, The Celtic Circle.
The inuagural artMATTERS exhibition featured 39 submissions from students in Grades 9 to 12.
“We had an amazing response to it,” said Mariella. “It was very personal and very therapeutic for some of the kids to be able to express some of their feelings. They understand that stigma is keeping so many people silent.”
Mariella said iMatter provides senior students with lessons for students in Grade 9 and helps to dispell the myths and break the stigma of mental illness.
Sid Stacey, chair of the Suicide Prevention Community Council of Hamilton, hopes other schools adopt Bishop Ryan’s artMATTERS program.
“This is one of the initiatives that we are supporting and encouraging, mainly because it fosters an awareness and understanding, and helps to promote an awareness and engages students,” said Stacey.
Grade 12 students Oriana Trojanowska and Gaby Robles are both members of Celtic Circle who submitted artwork for artMATTERS. Trojanowska uses splashes of colour set against a dark background to portray the stuggles of mental illness.
“I know that people who have mental illness have many struggles in their life. They often might feel like they’re in a dark place and don’t have anyone to talk to. So I kind of wanted to show that in darkness there can still be room for positivity,” said Trojanowska. “The colours represent aspects of life, like support, love and different experiences.”
Robles hasn’t faced mental health issues herself, but she knows how it feels to be overwhelmed with the challenges of school and life as a teenager. She’s thankful for a strong support network that includes her family and friends.
“I tried to apply the dark moments of my life to the painting,” said Robles.
Her artwork features a raven interspersed with bright colours.
“I feel like life is out of control, so I can only imagine how that would be for someone who has mental illness.”
Jude Perrault’s artwork illustrates how the pain of mental illness is often hidden from others.
“Mental illness is not shown on the outside, but if it was, things would be different,” said the Grade 10 student.
Krisztina Takacs hopes viewers will understand that mental illness is a serious matter through her artwork, titled, “Polluted Mind.”
“I want the viewer to see that mental illness is a very serious thing and can affect anyone,”she said.
Takacs said people should be supportive if they know someone battling mental illness.
The Bishop Ryan students have been mentored by Genevieve Stacey, a graduate student completing her major project in art therapy at the Toronto Art Therapy Institute. The artMATTERS program teaches students to use art as a communication tool while empowering youth to break the stigma of mental illness.
“You can go places with art that you can’t go with words,” she explained.
Art therapy combines the creative process with psychotherapy, leading to self-exploration and understanding. The creative therapeutic process allows artists to use imagery, colour and shape to express feelings that might otherwise be difficult to express.
By Mike Pearson, News staff
When Rachael Spalding lost her father following a battle with mental illness, the feelings of shock, anger and anxiety were difficult to express through words.
Spalding, a Grade 12 student at Bishop Ryan Catholic Secondary School, uses art as a coping mechanism in her original painting, which was on display last Friday at the artMATTERS exhibition at Art Forms youth art studio on James Street North.
Her acrylic on canvas creation is titled, “But Why?”
Spalding is angry that her father failed to take action aginst his own mental health challenges. She’s also angry at people who continue to perpetuate the stigma surrounding mental illness.
“I had a lot of emotions as well, creating it. It’s good to get the emotions out, rather than keep them in,” said Spalding.
Marisa Mariella, head of student services at Bishop Ryan, said artMATTERS is an extension of iMatter, a teen mental health awarenss program developed by the student leadership group, The Celtic Circle.
The inuagural artMATTERS exhibition featured 39 submissions from students in Grades 9 to 12.
“We had an amazing response to it,” said Mariella. “It was very personal and very therapeutic for some of the kids to be able to express some of their feelings. They understand that stigma is keeping so many people silent.”
Mariella said iMatter provides senior students with lessons for students in Grade 9 and helps to dispell the myths and break the stigma of mental illness.
Sid Stacey, chair of the Suicide Prevention Community Council of Hamilton, hopes other schools adopt Bishop Ryan’s artMATTERS program.
“This is one of the initiatives that we are supporting and encouraging, mainly because it fosters an awareness and understanding, and helps to promote an awareness and engages students,” said Stacey.
Grade 12 students Oriana Trojanowska and Gaby Robles are both members of Celtic Circle who submitted artwork for artMATTERS. Trojanowska uses splashes of colour set against a dark background to portray the stuggles of mental illness.
“I know that people who have mental illness have many struggles in their life. They often might feel like they’re in a dark place and don’t have anyone to talk to. So I kind of wanted to show that in darkness there can still be room for positivity,” said Trojanowska. “The colours represent aspects of life, like support, love and different experiences.”
Robles hasn’t faced mental health issues herself, but she knows how it feels to be overwhelmed with the challenges of school and life as a teenager. She’s thankful for a strong support network that includes her family and friends.
“I tried to apply the dark moments of my life to the painting,” said Robles.
Her artwork features a raven interspersed with bright colours.
“I feel like life is out of control, so I can only imagine how that would be for someone who has mental illness.”
Jude Perrault’s artwork illustrates how the pain of mental illness is often hidden from others.
“Mental illness is not shown on the outside, but if it was, things would be different,” said the Grade 10 student.
Krisztina Takacs hopes viewers will understand that mental illness is a serious matter through her artwork, titled, “Polluted Mind.”
“I want the viewer to see that mental illness is a very serious thing and can affect anyone,”she said.
Takacs said people should be supportive if they know someone battling mental illness.
The Bishop Ryan students have been mentored by Genevieve Stacey, a graduate student completing her major project in art therapy at the Toronto Art Therapy Institute. The artMATTERS program teaches students to use art as a communication tool while empowering youth to break the stigma of mental illness.
“You can go places with art that you can’t go with words,” she explained.
Art therapy combines the creative process with psychotherapy, leading to self-exploration and understanding. The creative therapeutic process allows artists to use imagery, colour and shape to express feelings that might otherwise be difficult to express.
By Mike Pearson, News staff
When Rachael Spalding lost her father following a battle with mental illness, the feelings of shock, anger and anxiety were difficult to express through words.
Spalding, a Grade 12 student at Bishop Ryan Catholic Secondary School, uses art as a coping mechanism in her original painting, which was on display last Friday at the artMATTERS exhibition at Art Forms youth art studio on James Street North.
Her acrylic on canvas creation is titled, “But Why?”
Spalding is angry that her father failed to take action aginst his own mental health challenges. She’s also angry at people who continue to perpetuate the stigma surrounding mental illness.
“I had a lot of emotions as well, creating it. It’s good to get the emotions out, rather than keep them in,” said Spalding.
Marisa Mariella, head of student services at Bishop Ryan, said artMATTERS is an extension of iMatter, a teen mental health awarenss program developed by the student leadership group, The Celtic Circle.
The inuagural artMATTERS exhibition featured 39 submissions from students in Grades 9 to 12.
“We had an amazing response to it,” said Mariella. “It was very personal and very therapeutic for some of the kids to be able to express some of their feelings. They understand that stigma is keeping so many people silent.”
Mariella said iMatter provides senior students with lessons for students in Grade 9 and helps to dispell the myths and break the stigma of mental illness.
Sid Stacey, chair of the Suicide Prevention Community Council of Hamilton, hopes other schools adopt Bishop Ryan’s artMATTERS program.
“This is one of the initiatives that we are supporting and encouraging, mainly because it fosters an awareness and understanding, and helps to promote an awareness and engages students,” said Stacey.
Grade 12 students Oriana Trojanowska and Gaby Robles are both members of Celtic Circle who submitted artwork for artMATTERS. Trojanowska uses splashes of colour set against a dark background to portray the stuggles of mental illness.
“I know that people who have mental illness have many struggles in their life. They often might feel like they’re in a dark place and don’t have anyone to talk to. So I kind of wanted to show that in darkness there can still be room for positivity,” said Trojanowska. “The colours represent aspects of life, like support, love and different experiences.”
Robles hasn’t faced mental health issues herself, but she knows how it feels to be overwhelmed with the challenges of school and life as a teenager. She’s thankful for a strong support network that includes her family and friends.
“I tried to apply the dark moments of my life to the painting,” said Robles.
Her artwork features a raven interspersed with bright colours.
“I feel like life is out of control, so I can only imagine how that would be for someone who has mental illness.”
Jude Perrault’s artwork illustrates how the pain of mental illness is often hidden from others.
“Mental illness is not shown on the outside, but if it was, things would be different,” said the Grade 10 student.
Krisztina Takacs hopes viewers will understand that mental illness is a serious matter through her artwork, titled, “Polluted Mind.”
“I want the viewer to see that mental illness is a very serious thing and can affect anyone,”she said.
Takacs said people should be supportive if they know someone battling mental illness.
The Bishop Ryan students have been mentored by Genevieve Stacey, a graduate student completing her major project in art therapy at the Toronto Art Therapy Institute. The artMATTERS program teaches students to use art as a communication tool while empowering youth to break the stigma of mental illness.
“You can go places with art that you can’t go with words,” she explained.
Art therapy combines the creative process with psychotherapy, leading to self-exploration and understanding. The creative therapeutic process allows artists to use imagery, colour and shape to express feelings that might otherwise be difficult to express.