Making Community: Art on the Brain, Vets at the Wex, and a CATCH Collaboration
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Date
2018-04
Authors
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Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Ohio State University. Office of Outreach and Engagement
Abstract
Tracie will tell the story of and share discoveries made via the Art on the Brain suite of programs. Piloted in 2013, Art on the Brain challenges individuals living with chronic effects of brain/mind injury to explore and interpret contemporary art in a multi-visit, group-based setting. Since its launch, Art on the Brain has expanded to encompass Vets at the Wex, a partnership with the Chalmers P. Wylie VA Ambulatory Care Center and has partnered with the Franklin County Municipal Court's CATCH court, a special docket program for victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation. Sharing the evolution of Art on the Brain programming and citing loneliness research, Tracie will encourage both cultural organizations and health care providers to consider the importance and power of the non-clinical setting and experience to actively enhance the quality of life of individuals who are often socially isolated.
Description
Since piloting a program called Art on the Brain within the galleries of the Wexner Center for the Arts in 2013, I've worked with individuals living in the midst of a range of chronic symptoms related to brain injury or trauma, with varying degrees of social system support, and with widely disparate attitudes about their situations. Under the umbrella of the original Art on the Brain, I created and facilitate Vets at the Wex in collaboration with the Chalmers P. Wylie VA Ambulatory Care Center; and I have also partnered with the Franklin County Municipal Court's CATCH court, a special docket program for victims of human trafficking, prostitution and sexual exploitation. Each of these multi-visit (usually eight-week) programs at the Wex invites individuals to participate in the exploration of artworks (visual, music, and performance-based) alongside loved ones or caregivers. I began the pilot Art on the Brain program with an eclectic mix of individuals living with the effects of stroke, chemo fog, chemical injury from recreational drug use, and TBI. I initially thought the complexity of group interpretation and discussion of contemporary art works would mainly help with issues like aphasia or that the novelty of the works would strengthen problem-solving and critical thinking skills. I was surprised, however, to discover the power of the group and the artworks themselves in creating a space where participants began to quickly share their personal experiences and feelings. The work provided a "third space" or safe and neutral canvas for projection. The group, even while comprised of varying experiences and opinions, held a deep and intentional understanding for each individual and withheld judgements. This culture of sharing and community has been present and uniquely powerful within each group. Informal discussions, my observations, and survey-based evaluations of the programs have left me realizing that there is a large slice of our society feeling very alone and misunderstood. The power of the Art on the Brain suite of programs is the intentional creation of community outside of a clinical setting. The artwork anchors us and catalyzes dialogue that challenges the mind and further builds feelings of intimacy. Being in a public, social space allows us to feel "normal." Emerging research on loneliness highlights its detrimental effects on emotional and physical health. Sharing the evolution of the Art on the Brain programming, detailing what I've learned during the past few years, and citing loneliness research, I would like to offer a presentation that will encourage both community, particularly cultural, organizations and health care providers to consider the importance and power of the non-clinical setting and experience to actively enhance the quality of life of individuals often living, through their circumstance, on the fringes of our societal "herd."
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Tracie Mccambridge, Manager of Gallery Teaching and Engagement, Wexner Center for the Arts, tmccambridge@wexarts.org (Corresponding Author).
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Tracie Mccambridge, Manager of Gallery Teaching and Engagement, Wexner Center for the Arts, tmccambridge@wexarts.org (Corresponding Author).
Keywords
art, brain, trauma, loneliness, community
Citation
Engaged Scholars, v. 6 (2018).