Two mental health-related art exhibitions to be featured at AU’s Coburn Gallery Oct. 10-Nov. 3

ASHLAND, Ohio – The Coburn Gallery at Ashland University, located in the Center for the Arts, will be hosting two exhibitions, “Seeds of Hope” and “Creative Expanses,” that share a central theme of reflecting on mental health and the healing aspects of the artistic process. They will be open from Thursday, Oct. 10, through Sunday, Nov. 3. Gallery admission is free and open to the public.

“Seeds of Hope” features artworks created by Appleseed Community Mental Health Center clients, while “Creative Expanses” offers the artistic endeavors of Ohio art therapists.

There will be an opening reception for the dual exhibitions on Thursday, Oct. 10, which is World Mental Health Day, from 4:30-6:30 p.m. An artist talk by Candace Ressler, a counselor and art therapist at Appleseed, will take place at 5 p.m. that evening. Also of note, Appleseed and the Coburn Gallery will be hosting food trucks during the reception on College Avenue.

“Art therapy is a mental health profession that incorporates art making, creative process, applied psychological theory and human experience within a therapeutic relationship,” explained Ressler. “Art therapists are trained in art and psychological theory and can help clients use metaphors that are often expressed through the creative process. Art therapy can be for any age, and you do not need to have any skill in art to successfully engage in art therapy. Art therapy helps people feel more in control of their own lives and sometimes the simple act of creating can be beneficial.”

Ressler’s art will be on display alongside works from fellow Ohio art therapists Nina Ayala, Heather Denning, Kayla Gardner, Kayla Hensel, Jessica McDonough, Amber McElreath, Summer Meyers, Gretchen M. Miller, Barbara Murnane and Kathleen Smith.

Additionally, the foyer in the Center of the Arts will feature AU alumna Ricki Denes and her series of relief prints that explore the journey of her mother’s battle with breast cancer.

The Coburn Gallery is open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays and noon-4 p.m. on weekends. For more information, contact Cynthia Petry, director of the gallery, at cpetry@ashland.edu or 419-289-5652.