A new exhibition at the Armory Art Center features works by young people using art on their way to healing past trauma.
The Art of the Phoenix exhibition is on view in the Armory’s East Gallery until July 23rd.
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Brian Wood, the Armory’s counseling teacher, has led Art of the Phoenix since joining the organization in 2015. The project began in partnership with the Human Trafficking Coalition of the Palm Beaches and was targeting teenagers from Place of Hope, Boys Town, Legal Aid Society and Childnet.
Armory artist and instructor Maxwell Mittman is Woods co-director for the program.
Creating art can also help students visualize goals, control impulsiveness, and develop better communication, Wood said.
Wood, who has a master’s in mental health counseling and a bachelor’s degree in psychology and the arts from Palm Beach Atlantic University, told the Daily News that the program is also helping students with mental health problems like anxiety and depression.
“The idea is to give them a vehicle for visualization and an incentive for art. Students use creativity to process trauma and create mindfulness in a safe space, ”said Wood.
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The names of the students will not appear with their work “due to the privacy and sensitivity of the program,” the organization said.
Due to the pandemic, students in the current group were limited to taking art classes virtually, mainly using drawing and painting as a medium. Wood hopes they will return to face-to-face lessons soon.
“When we see the exhibit at the end of the process, you can see the emotions in the work of their (students),” said Tom Pearson, CEO of Armory. “Mental health is so important to quality of life that the more we do to help people grow within themselves, the more we help everyone in the community.”
Funding for the program will be raised through private donors and sponsors, Pearson said.
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The exhibition is open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Face covering and temperature controls are required to enter. Admission is free.
A closing reception for the exhibition will take place on July 23, from 5 to 7 p.m.
For more information about the program and the exhibition, call 561-832-1776 or visit www.armoryart.org/artofthephoenix.
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