"Hello FAA members. I have created a community interactive display. If you happen to be near Natick please stop over to visit this very important installation. There will be a short dedication event that will have speakers and a host to help introduce the display.
It will be on Saturday 7/31 @11am First Congregational Church lawn. Address is : 2 E Central St, Natick. It is also their Farmer's Market day so there will plenty of venders if you decide to walk the common directly across the street."
Please read about the installation below
I AM HERE (2021)
Amy Adams (b1979)
What would you do, for a loved one who needs you? What would you say to a loved one who has transitioned?". This interactive installation asks you to sit for a moment, read messages of encouragement and explore the resources available to you.
I Am Here is a community collaboration that highlights the importance of Mental Health, love, support and treatment.
This scenario fits with Depression, Anxiety, PTSD, Eating Disorders (etc.) and reminds us how easily these can relate to substance use and loss. The overall purpose is to promote awareness /prevention, acknowledge our loss and bring healing to the community.
I Am Here, features non-binary figures created with concrete, a supporter and a person struggling. The seated figure in need of support is wearing a shirt made of material (donated by the families in our community), these represent someone in recovery. Its core is filled with flowers to symbolize the beauty within, often missed by the exterior and what we see. Perched on the edge of the bench, a bird holds tokens (donated by the families in our community) to serve as reminders for the loved ones lost during a mental health crisis or overdose. The open bench is covered in messages, words of encouragement and hope, these were also submitted by our community to show our support for one another.
The stigma behind affliction is isolating and thus needs to be a normalized conversation as it affects people from all races. This display will offer the directly impacted resources for support, to assist in preventative measures and hopefully open important discussions.
The display is meant to connect people and amplify that Mental Health connects us all.
For more about Amy, visit her page https://www.paintingvenus.art/about
Thank you Amy for bringing much needed awareness to this disease and for including our community in your art!! As artist in residence, you are making a huge impact within our town.
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