An exhibit that reinforces the power of art

“Express” An exhibit by artists from the Allegheny East MH/MR Art Therapy Program.

Through… “Express” An exhibit by artists from the Allegheny East MH/MR Art Therapy Program.

Through April 16 (by appointment only)

Show Here Gallery

945 Liberty Ave

(412) 687-0838

Expressionist splashes of unmixed tempera converge, in rays of pure red, green, black and yellow, into a tensely powerful composition in Brad Overton’s untitled painting. Brian Kremer’s piece, hanging next to Overton’s, is also an untitled work, with strong, mingling color fields. The gallery is Downtown. The exhibit is called “Express.” And you won’t see works by these artists anywhere else.

Overton and Kremer are two of the many participants in “Everyone an Artist,” an art therapy program sponsored by the Allegheny East MH/MR Center, Inc. This program, based out of the Ice House Artist Studios, works with adults who have developmental disabilities and/or mental illnesses. “Everyone an Artist” explores art-making as a process with no rights or wrongs, but as a form of human expression that is accessible to everyone.

According to the Allegheny East newsletter, the goal of art therapy is “not to produce beautiful art, nor is it to instruct talented, well-taught artists. The goal of art therapy is to help people feel good about themselves, help them communicate with others, and help them take charge of their lives responsibly. Art therapy makes use of the fact that creativity can itself be rewarding. In doing creative work, we externalize our thoughts and emotions, making them clearer to others and ourselves. More importantly, creativity produces feelings of accomplishment. This enhances self-esteem and independence.”

“Everyone an Artist” seeks to “develop self-expression, self-esteem, problem-solving skills, interpersonal relations, artist potential, involvement in the local art community, and production of marketable artwork.”

Most of the 40 pieces on display, in tempera, watercolor and marker, are for sale with proceeds benefiting both the artists and the studio. And not all the art resembles the non-representational work of Overton and Kremer. Others depict concrete objects, such as “My Spring Picture,” by Karen Slowik, which is a cropped and sketchy tempera painting of a sunflower rendered in the brightest yellow and green. There is even an abstract piece by Edna Mae Christmas called “Halloween,” which has neon- and fluorescent-colored letters oozing down a black background, spelling no discernable words but evoking the title with distortion and hue.

What underlies all the art in this show is a strong sense of honesty. The bold and steady brushstrokes and the depiction of everything from Easter bunnies to Jesus show that the interests of each artist are being represented unabashedly. The emotive nature of each work is different, but the sense of candid determination is uniform.

The work of the “Everyone an Artist” participants is inspirational, to say the least. This exhibit is a much-needed reminder to the regular gallery hopper about the fundamental importance that the artistic process can have to the artist.