May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a time to reduce the stigma and discrimination around mental health conditions, promote mental health and wellness, and inspire hope for people with a mental health condition. To commemorate the occasion, Sacramento County’s Division of Behavioral Health’s MHSA-funded “Stop Stigma Sacramento” is hosting its annual Mental Health Awareness Month art exhibit. This vibrant showcase spotlights artwork created by Sacramento County residents navigating mental health conditions for the public to enjoy both online and around the County.
The art exhibit has been a standing tradition for the last 10 years because of the role art plays in breaking barriers around mental health. Art can help people living with mental health conditions tell their stories and promote messages of wellness, hope and recovery. It can also be a form of therapy for those who are living with, or supporting others living with, a mental health condition.
Through art, we can help reduce the stigma around people living with a mental health condition. Artwork can foster open dialogue for viewers to discuss what a piece is trying to express and why the artist may have created it, particularly complex emotions and experiences that may be difficult to articulate with words. It can also address the misconceptions around mental health by uniting people to see the world differently, ultimately cultivating collective empathy and reinforcing that those experiencing mental health challenges are still strong, independent, productive and valuable members of society.
The Mental Health Awareness Month Art Displays is available between now through May 30, 2024, at the following locations:
- Elk Grove Fine Arts Center
- 9020 Elk Grove Blvd Ste 101, Elk Grove, CA 95624
- Sacramento LGBT Community Center
- Address: 1015 20th St, Sacramento, CA 95811
- Sacramento County Office of Education
- Address: 10474 Mather Blvd, Mather, CA 95655
- Roberts Family Development Center*
- 770 Darina Ave, Sacramento, CA 95815
- *Note: if you’re interested in viewing the artwork displayed at the Roberts Family Development Center, please email info@stopstigmasacramento.org to make arrangements.
- 770 Darina Ave, Sacramento, CA 95815
- Mental Health Matters Day
- Address: California State Capital Park
- Event date: Wednesday, May 15, 2024, from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Visit the Stop Stigma Sacramento website to learn more about local mental health resources, as well as other ways to highlight and support individuals with mental health conditions this month.