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May is Mental Health Awareness Month
May 01, 2025
Elizabeth Dupree, Fortitude: Piece #6, digital print, 2018.39.1.
Ryan Crawley, Therapy Conversations 40, acrylic on canvas,
2023, 2023.16.1.
Madison Cruz, Voices in Isolation, photograph, 2020, 2021.7.1.
Katherine Williams, Entangled, digital painting, 2020, 2021.9.3.
Austin Sullivan, Creak, photograph, 2018, 2018.33.2.
Did you know that 18.1% of Americans suffer from depression, schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder?
Did you know that the most common form of mental illness affecting an estimated 48 million Americans is anxiety?
Did you know that one in twenty Americans lives with a serious mental illness every day?
The observance of Mental Health Awareness Month was started in 1949 by Mental Health America to raise awareness and educate the public about mental illnesses, the realities of living with these conditions, and strategies for improving one’s mental health and wellness. Mental illness, an umbrella term used to describe mental health conditions that impact mood, thinking, and behavior, includes common conditions such as mood, psychotic, and anxiety disorders.
This Mental Health Month’s theme is “Turn Awareness into Action,” with a goal of acknowledging the progress that has been made in recognizing the importance of mental health and challenging Americans to turn understanding into meaningful steps toward change.
Art has long been recognized as a healing force with great benefits for mental health. Throughout history, many artists have used their art to harness their personal struggles and, in doing so, encourage others to do the same. Sharing personal stories can help reduce stigmas about mental health and foster a better understanding of the invisible challenges many people struggle with daily.
This May, the GVSU Art Museum wants to recognize the many GVSU student artists in our collection who have shared their inner battles and provided a window into their souls to share their personal journeys and to offer solace and understanding.
If you or someone you know is struggling, remember you are not alone. Seeking help is a sign of strength. We are here for you. The GVSU Community provides several resources where you can get help. Please reach out to the GVSU Counseling Center or call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Explore other artwork in the collection related to mental health.
“I’ve struggled with depression all of my life, but when a series of traumas happened within a short time frame, I felt like I was seeping into my lowest and there was no way out. Depression feels toxic and it’s painful, but this is what assured me that I was alive. If you feel the pain, your heart is not numb to it. Depression comes in waves and you will come back.” – Elizabeth Dupree
"What I’ve learned from this series is that I communicate through line and color far better than with words. It’s a way for me to problem solve and deal with my emotions or feelings from that moment. Each layer is an opportunity to solve the problem and when that problem is solved the painting is completed." – Ryan Crawley
“Through my images I hope to depict the emotions we bottle up inside and what the anxiety or depression some of us have experienced might look like from the inside out. While viewing my images, I ask you to self-reflect and think about how this isolation from the quarantine affected you and those around you.” – Madison Cruz
“The [COVID-19] pandemic has influenced [all] aspects of our lives, especially the mental sphere - as you stay within the walls of your own apartment or house all day, every day... As I illustrate in ‘Entangled,’ your mind can take bits and parts of your daily life and mix them all around to create an incessant stream of jumbled, zig-zagging thoughts.” – Katherine Williams
“My goal is to transport the viewer into a specific paranoia, causing anxiety within each corresponding image, allowing the viewer to experience and recognize common anxiety causing events in a symbolic and film noir-esque way.” – Austin Sullivan