Minds Do Matter is a community exhibition held annually in October for Mental Health Week. The exhibition explores the relationship between art and wellbeing and celebrates the power of art to be life-enhancing and life-affirming.
Karen Revie, Pathways Program Manager at RANT Arts said, “Minds Do Matter aims to provide a creative platform which allows participants and audiences to contribute to vital conversations about mental health and wellbeing.
“This builds resilience and contributes to the de-stigmatisation of mental illness by promoting the notion that mental health is about everyone.
“This is of particular importance when COVID-19 has had a significant impact on community mental health at large.”
The exhibition began in 2009 as a state-wide initiative of Aspire, MI Fellowship and Wellways. In 2019, it became part of RANT’s Pathways program which explores how the arts influences and enhances our society.
Minds Do Matter will be opened by David mangenner Gough, Chairperson RANT, on Saturday 2 October at 11am, at the Devonport Regional Gallery.
“Minds Do Matter celebrates community expression on the importance of mental wellbeing and really demonstrates how art empowers us, teaches us and brings us all together,” Mr Gough said.
The Devonport exhibition features the work of 42 artists across a variety of mediums, including works from the Connect 2 Create series of free workshops. Each Connect 2 Create workshop was led by an experienced artist mentor and ran over a period of four weeks in May 2021.
Minds Do Matter is delivered in partnership with City of Devonport, City of Launceston, Queen Victoria Museum Inveresk, Wellways and WD Booth. Minds Do Matter is supported by Primary Health Tasmania (Tasmania PHN) under the Australian Government’s primary health networks program.
The exhibition will be on display at the Devonport Regional Gallery, from 2 October – 6 November 2021.
Image Details: Minds Do Matter, QVMAG, Mairi Ward, 2020
