Using art as a conversation starter, the Betty Feves Memorial Art Gallery at Blue Mountain Community College will partner with BMCC’s Health and Wellness Resource Center on the “Hope & Healing: Mental Health Awareness” initiative.
The partnership features Michigan artist Jill Miller, whose “Borderline” exhibit opens Nov. 10 with an opening reception from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at the Gallery.
Borderline features a series of figurative paintings examining Miller’s autobiographical understanding of depression. The subject matter of the paintings includes figurative poses in states of despair as well as treatments for depression and the surrounding perceptions of those treatments, including prescription medication and electroshock therapy. Portions of the exhibit may not be suitable for children.
Miller received a Master of Fine Arts in Painting from the Burren College of Art at the National University of Ireland, Galway. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting and Drawing from the University of Michigan.
The BMCC Student Health & Wellness Resource Center will offer workshops coinciding with the exhibit dates. There will also be a resource table at the Gallery with information about mental health and services available at the Center. Cindy Womack, Director of BMCC’s Health and Wellness Resource Center, says anxiety and depression are the main issues students seek counseling for at BMCC.
“There are many more [students] who deal with both of these but never reach out for help because they are afraid or embarrassed,” Womack said. The Health & Wellness Resource Center was established to be a safe, confidential place of contact for students. The Center offers educational workshops, short-term counseling, and referrals to long-term resources.
The exhibit at the Feves Gallery runs Nov. 10-Dec. 8. The Feves Gallery is open Monday-Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and by appointment by calling (541) 278-5952. The Feves Gallery is located in BMCC’s Pioneer Hall on the Pendleton campus at 2411 NW Carden Avenue. The Betty Feves Memorial Gallery at BMCC is a non-profit exhibit space connecting emerging and established artists and their work with students, staff and the general public in Eastern Oregon.
