Artist Statement
 

The Healing Arts Project, Inc. – HAPI – provides creative opportunities through a wide range of artistic endeavors for persons in mental health and addiction recovery in Middle Tennessee.  The mission of this non-profit organization is to inspire healing, growth, and learning by engaging in the arts for the culturally underserved.  HAPI, Inc. helps raise awareness in the community and help combat a stigma about these disorders, thus promoting understanding, acceptance and success. 

The mission of the Healing Arts Project, Inc. - HAPI - is to provide an avenue for persons in mental health and addiction recovery to express their creativity through a wide range of artistic endeavors.  In this way we raise awareness in the community and help combat stigma about these disorders, thus promoting understanding, acceptance, and success. 

HAPI provides the opportunities for persons to live with their illness.  These artists gain self-confidence, self-respect, and self-worth.  The creative works of the artists give them self-esteem.

HAPI art classes are held in 14 mental health peer recovery centers in Middle Tennessee by professional artists.  Artistic techniques are taught to help them express their feelings and emotions.  They enjoy the comradery with other people who enjoy creating art.

This organization is supported in part by grants from the Metro Nashville Arts Commission, Tennessee Arts Commission, Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, Memorial Foundation, United Healthcare Community Plan, Tennessee Mental Health Consumers Association, Rollins Foundation and earnings from the Phoenix Art Gala.  HAPI partners with the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services in sponsoring Art for Awareness each March. Artwork brought artists statewide is exhibited in Legislative Plaza from April through August.

The exhibit at the Brown Daniel Library includes several artists, including the original artwork by Nashville resident Laura Hudson, who enjoys picturing the beauty of nature and details flowers, small insects, butterflies and lush foliage. Mitchell Wiseman makes colorful abstracts by drawing random designs and filling in the spaces with bright cheerful colors.  

The exhibit is available thru December, 2016.  For more information visit the website www.healingartsprojectinc.org