Department of Mental Health and Vinfen Present "Recovering Our Dreams: Rehabilitation Through Art"

BOSTON — To kick off Mental Health Month, the Department of Mental Health (DMH) and Vinfen, a DMH provider, today announced Recovering Our Dreams: Rehabilitation through Art, an exhibition of works by Vinfen’s Gateway and Webster House artists. This unique artwork will be on display May 11-22 in Doric Hall at the State House.

Recognizing the power of using art as a tool to promote recovery, DMH Commissioner Barbara A. Leadholm, M.S., M.B.A., presented citations to the 19 Gateway and Webster House artists whose work is on exhibit.

“Art and creative expression is one of the most important ways people can recover from mental illness,” said Commissioner Leadholm. “It is also a statement by these courageous and gifted artists that they will not be defined by their illness. We are honored to showcase their work at the State House.”

The artwork was created by artists living with psychiatric disabilities and working at Vinfen’s Gateway Arts and Webster House. Vinfen’s Gateway Arts is an internationally recognized prevocational arts service for talented adults with disabilities. Webster House, located in Brookline, is a rehabilitation program for people with psychiatric disabilities with a special focus on the arts.

“We are extremely proud of the talented Gateway and Webster House artists being recognized today,” said Vinfen CEO Dr. Bruce Bird. “This approach to recovery exemplifies Vinfen’s conviction that adults with psychiatric disabilities flourish in a supportive, creative environment.”

DMH is promoting Mental Health Month throughout May by raising awareness about mental health and how important it is that all of us enjoy “good” mental health. DMH will host a number of events and activities statewide to promote mental wellness and overall health in communities. For more information about DMH and Mental Health Month, visit www.mass.gov/dmh.

Artists Being Recognized

Gateway Arts

Gilberto Palacios
Jane Tarlow
Ruby Pearl
Kathleen Wells
Laurence Murphy
Gabrielle Sichel
Maria Schlomann
Susan Shepp
Russel McNaught

Webster House

Philip Quartier
Amy Smith
Jay Grimes
Jacqueline Clark
Lisandra Andrades
Binyamin Brown
Susan Entin
George Francois
Ronald Rowe
Jill Grover

About the Department of Mental Health

DMH is one of the 17 state agencies that comprise the Executive Office of Health and Human Services. DMH provides services to adults, children and adolescents with long-term or serious mental illness and serious emotional disturbance; provides early and ongoing treatment for mental illness; and conducts research into the causes of and treatments for mental illness. Through state operated inpatient facilities and community mental health centers and through community services and programs provided by nearly 200 mental health providers, DMH directly serves 21,000 citizens, including about 3,500 children and adolescents, with severe and persistent mental illness and serious emotional disturbance.

About Vinfen

Established in 1977, Vinfen is a private, nonprofit human services organization and is a leading mental health provider in Massachusetts. Vinfen provides a comprehensive array of services to children, youth and adults with psychiatric, developmental and behavioral disabilities.

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