We Need to Talk about Senior Mental Health
We Need to Talk about Maternal Mental Health
We Need to Talk about Latinx Mental Health
We Need to Talk about Men’s Mental Health
We Need to Talk about African American Mental Health
We Need to Talk about Teen Mental Health
Peer-led support group for adults and families of those with bipolar disorder; drop-in, confidential, and free
Peer-led support group for adults and families; drop-in, confidential, and free; no registration required
Peer-led support group for adults and families of those with bipolar disorder; drop-in, confidential, and free
Peer-led support group for adults and families; drop-in, confidential, and free - no registration required
Peer-led support group for adults and families; drop-in, confidential, and free; no registration required
Learn how to properly store and care for your firearm with certified instructors and the Sheriff's Office
Peer-led support group for families and friends of those who have lost someone to suicide
Peer-led support group for adults and families of those with bipolar disorder; drop-in, confidential, and free
Peer-led support group for adults and families; drop-in, confidential, and free - no registration required
Peer-led support group for adults and families of those with bipolar disorder; drop-in, confidential, and free
Peer-led support group for adults and families; drop-in, confidential, and free - no registration required
Peer-led support group for adults and families; drop-in, confidential, and free; no registration required
Peer-led support group for families and friends of those who have lost someone to suicide
Peer-led support group for adults and families of those with bipolar disorder; drop-in, confidential, and free
Peer-led support group for adults and families; drop-in, confidential, and free - no registration required
Peer-led support group for adults and families of those with bipolar disorder; drop-in, confidential, and free
Peer-led support group for adults and families; drop-in, confidential, and free - no registration required
Peer-led support group for families and friends of those who have lost someone to suicide
Peer-led support group for adults and families of those with bipolar disorder; drop-in, confidential, and free
Peer-led support group for adults and families; drop-in, confidential, and free - no registration required
Peer-led support group for adults and families; drop-in, confidential, and free; no registration required
Peer-led support group for adults and families; drop-in, confidential, and free - no registration required
Peer-led support group for families and friends of those who have lost someone to suicide
Peer-led support group for adults and families; drop-in, confidential, and free - no registration required
Peer-led support group for adults and families; drop-in, confidential, and free; no registration required
For the month of May, MHA hosted a progressive art walk through downtown Lancaster.
Through the kindness of the retail community, shop windows hosted artwork telling the story of mental health, it’s challenges, and the stigma it causes. We would like to thank the artists and the retail shops who participated in this wonderful event. We are happy to announce that you don’t have to miss out. Please keep scrolling to enjoy a virtual walk below and help us continue the conversation…
We Need To Talk About Mental Health.
Alison Liebgott – Artist Hosted by Segro’s Hairport
Alison Liebgott is an artist located in the beautiful rivertowne of Columbia, PA. She uses her studio space to teach Arts and Yoga sessions, host Open Figure Drawing sessions, and to celebrate life with every guest who walks through her doors for BYOB paint parties and public events. She enjoys helping others find their confidence and explore their inner strengths by teaching creative classes and offering physical fitness classes focused on flexibility, movement and core strength. Her studio is a comfortable space for others to bring their ideas, express themselves, and get a start on that journey to healing your body and mind. Your mind can only think healthy thoughts if you give it a healthy environment and body to think in. It’s all connected, you know. 😉
Synopsis: This piece was inspired by images regarding my great grandmother receiving Electroconvulsive Therapy in the late 1950’s for her depression. I’m hoping to start the conversation about the different kinds of treatments that we consider healthy and acceptable as a society TODAY.
ECT treatments were considered top-notch therapy for Schizophrenia or those with severe symptoms of depressive illness at the time my great grandmother received them. Currently, these treatments are still effectively used in very mild forms and in congruence with modern medications, but it took decades of study and trials to get there. Today, it is considered the treatment of last resort.
If you are diagnosed with depression and your psychiatrist tells you to put newly developed chemicals in your body and shock your brain with electricity, would you do it?
Dyan Snavely – Artist hosted by
Building Character & LancLiving Realty
Dyan Snavely is a multi award-winning graphic artist from Mount Joy, PA.
She is a 2008 graduate of The Art Institute of York with more than a decade of professionalexperience on national ad campaigns as an in-housedesigner, and freelancegraphic designer in the central PA arts community. Dyan is also a passionate photographer, with her photos having been used for commercial print projects such as the cover of the local phone book, as well asprivate client commissions for photography, art and design. Currently she has spent time creatingpersonal work for her ever-expanding online shop: www.etsy.com/shop/FiveTinyFrogs
View Dyan’sportfolio at: www.behance.net/dyansnavely
To view Dyan’s social media contenton Facebook/Instagram: www.facebook.com/dyansdesigns7
Stopping at the Crossroads
All around us, many struggle with conditions that have been socially misunderstood.
In society many feel surrounded by (and sometimesdefined by) the condition they have been labeled with.
I encourage the viewer to – STOP ! – and look past the afflictions – to the real person underneath. I encourage them to realize that stopping at these crossroadsand understanding with compassion as we move forward,is the first step toward reducing the stigma.
Jenni Buffington – Artist hosted by Ellister’s Elixers
Jenni Buffington is an artist that creates instinctively and from her heart, always. She allows her emotions to guide her as she works intuitively with her blank canvas to yield an evocative, original piece of art.
“It’s No Big Deal With It” is a representation of the unfair amount of labor (emotional, spiritual, and physical) women are expected to take on, without consent. They bear the brunt of the games and the cards forced upon them. She is a physical representation of how much women carry in silence. This woman is an empath and feels deeply taking on the problems of those around her. Even though she has ideas and dreams and plans of her own, many see her as an outlet for their garbage. The piece is about caring deeply, yet being unable to express the words with her restrained voice. She remains calm, and stoic as a pretty portrait, as expected. Yet, in stillness and without words, her expression has much to say. She is expected to be perfect and flawless and smile and nod, and always be “ok.” At first glance, she internalizes her struggle and becomes an outlet for users, but a second one shows how much she has taken on and still stands, stoic and solid, as the Queen she was meant to become.
Sydney Harris – Artist hosted by My Aunt Debbie’s
Sydney Harris is a 16 year old junior attending Riverside High School. She has been creating art for many years and finds Bob Ross to be her spirit guide. Sydney has many hobbies, such as softball, jetskiing, & boating with her family, but she turns to painting to help calm her when is feeling overwhelmed and anxious.
“Untitled” acrylic on canvas… this piece represents how society should treat those who are struggling with anxiety or other mental health challenges. They should be surrounded in love rather than anger, frustration, or hate.
Tony Carroll – Artist hosted by A Common Wheel
Tony officially retired from a career in sales and marketing management at the end of 2020. Having been involved in directing many commercial photo shoots over the years, he decided to pick up photography as a post-retirement hobby in May of 2020. It did not take long for the pursuit to become an obsession. He loves it, but not just for the pleasure he gets out of capturing moments in time. COVID made 2020 a challenging year for a lot of people, Tony included. His struggles with COVID were not physical since he never had the virus. Tony’s struggles were mental. The isolation, the confusion, the divisiveness in our country compounded this struggle. He spent the better part of the first six months of 2020 languishing. Still, once he started learning the art of photography, learning the equipment, learning how to wait for the right shot patiently, his attitude changed dramatically. It changed his outlook. Instead of the pessimism and negativity he felt, he was optimistic and extremely excited as he poured myself into his new photography passion.
Tony loves sunrises. He feels that the dawning of each new day is a fresh start. Yesterday is past. Today is a new day. The verse in Psalm 30:5 has meant a lot to Tony over the years. He thought the sunrise image over a farm in Eastern Lancaster County conveyed the significance of that verse and the darkness he felt earlier in 2020 replaced with renewed hope.
Tony hopes this image and the words from the Bible gives you comfort and hope.
Elaine Greblowski – Artist hosted by Nicole Taylor Boutique
Elaine Greblowski has always loved art. Even as a kid, she could always be found drawing or coloring with crayons or pencils. She remembers seeing Picasso’s artwork at a young age, and how that blew her mind, and his work is a big inspiration for her desire to paint.
Elaine is drawn to surrealism and uses fantasy and imagery in her work. She likes to tap into her creativity to release the unconscious mind, and use symbolism, words, signs, and collages in her work. The artist loves color and dreamlike qualities. When she’s painting, she can paint for hours and lose track of time. Art is a real escape for her and she’s glad to have it as an outlet in her life.
Elaine likes her art to have a deeper meaning beneath it, so that it is more than how it visually appears, but also how the colors and imagery make one feel. She likes to explore ways to combine inner and outer worlds, and can get fixated on certain everyday objects, like scissors or lamps, and they’ll find their way in to the art repeatedly. She follows her obsessions as she paints, and feels freed by it.
This artwork is 12”x 24” and untitled, created using acrylics on canvas. Elaine wanted to do a piece about taking off the social masks that people wear, whether those are mental illness, race, or gender, and realizing that underneath it all, people are biologically the same. She feels that people need to examine the stigmas that they have so that they can accept themselves.
The major point of this piece is that people are all more on the inside, that there is always more going on than what is seen on the surface. The bird in the cage represents how labels can keep one feeling confined.
Art submitted in loving memory of Rick D. Straub
by his two daughters, Angela M. Straub and Karen L. Straub. – Artist hosted by The Scarlet Willow, LancLiving Realty and Lancaster City Nutrition
Rick D. Straub was a creative, funny, and loving man who ran his own successful sign business from 1973-1995. When he wasn’t lettering trucks or hand painting signs, he was drawing, painting, writing, journaling, or in his studio creating. When he was no longer able to work, he worked to develop and learn the art of calligraphy.Rick was a talented free spirit who often “swirled” through the days of mania (as he would say), with his art.
At age 38 he was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder and struggled with this disease his entire life, living through endless hospitalizations, psychotherapy, ECT treatments, and medication changes. He turned 50 years old in the State Hospital, followed by a year in a group home, and finally returned to living independently.During much of this time he did no artwork as he struggled through the dark depths of depression. One day he picked up a pencil again, he started doing calligraphy, he started painting, and he started to RECOVER.
It was during this time that Rick was involved with MHA Lancaster; first as a consumer, and later as a volunteer. He formed lasting relationships with the staff and was able to volunteer in the office, serve as a board member and a Compeer Volunteer. He transformed from the shell of a person that was institutionalized for 9 months, to a productive, talented, and loving member of society. We attribute much of his recovery to the guidance, the love, and the support of the people at MHA Lancaster and they will always be indebted to this agency. His daughters are honored to have a few of his works displayed in the Art Walk.
“Helen Keller” hung in their father’s studio for years and was always a favorite inspirational piece that was done after his first mental health hospitalization. To them it is a reminder that there is hope for recovery in all mental illness.
John Wallace – Displayed at Lanc Living Realty
John Wallace has been a professor of entomology in the Department of Biology at Millersville University, Millersville, PA for 22 years. He holds a Ph.D. degree from Michigan State University in Entomology with a specialization in Ecology and Evolution. His research interests focus on insects of medical importance and conducts research on a flesh-eating bacterial disease related to leprosy called Buruli ulcer in Australia and West Africa. His research examines the ecology and the role of insects in the transmission of the disease. This disease can be quite disfiguring if left untreated, sometimes leaving people with scars and contracted limbs that produce psychological stigmas and mental health issues long after the physical wounds have healed. His research has evolved from theoretical realms to applied problems that address human health issues related to insects. As a graduate student at Michigan State University, he developed an interest in insect macrophotography capturing unique life history events and behaviors of many different species of insects. Some of his images have been featured in magazines and in commercially produced calendars. John is married to a wonderful woman named Susan and has two awesome sons, Harrison and Maxwell, both involved in arts and sciences, respectively.
Mental Health Metamorphosis
Dragonflies are one of the most primitive groups of insects on the planet, having soared the skies and over the waters for more than 350 million years. Their longevity on this planet is no accident for they have evolved a life history that involves both an aquatic and land existence. The dragonfly larva begins this evolutionary dance between water and land in murky waters and must exit the safety of this watery habitat and molt into an adult dragonfly facing new obstacles to survive a much different life on land on its way to produce the next generation.
You may feel trapped, similar to this larval dragonfly in a skin that is suited for life in a different environment. The questions you might ask may be what could be holding you back from breaking free from mental health barriers and how do I emerge from the grasp of these issues?
For the dragonfly, the cover of darkness provides the initial backdrop for this larva to set foot on land and begin the shedding of its skin in exchange for an adult suit (Image 1 top left). This process is laden with land mines and dangers from predators to hormonal imbalances that can keep it from flying off to start a new life. The larva struggles and breaks free of its larval skin and emerges as a young adult. However, the adult dragonfly starts out by turning its world upside down but eventually reaches out for help and grabs hold of the old larval skin to right itself (Images 2 and 3; top right, lower left).
For you, it is very important to reach out and talk to someone to help you understand and find the answers to move past this issue and on to a more productive life. A therapist who is trained to recognize and treat the symptoms of a mental health issue can help you get a new perspective (similar to the dragonfly uprighting itself) and help you do the same so that you can take charge of your problem and be on the road to recovery.
With a new upright perspective of its new life on land, the adult dragonfly quickly fills its wing with fluids and is ready to fly. However, shedding this larval skin is a dicey task, hormonal concentrations must be exact to separate old from new skins and if it can break free from the last vestiges of its aquatic existence, the breathing tubes (white threads in image 4, lower right), it is able to fly free and explore a new life as an adult on the wing.
For you, changing your lifestyle might be critical to the process of shedding the restrictive skin of a mental health issue as well as finding that healing path and doing so may be as simple as exercising, eating right and getting enough sleep or it might involve some sort of medication therapy. Either way, a trained professional can help you with the balanced treatment approach to improve your chances of feeling better and break free of these barriers, similar to the dragonfly’s strategies to maximize its own survival, you too, can do the same to fly on to a new life free of these issues.
Valeria Reynoso-Ponciano – Artist hosted by Good Life Organic Kitchen
Valeria Reynoso-Ponciano is 14 years old, and loves painting and drawing. She has been doing art since she was a little kid. A lot of people have been telling her keep doing it because she could become even better at it when she’s older. This is what inspires her to going, to keep working, and to become better at art than she was before.
Valerie’s painting shows how she used to feel before. Her mind would make her overthink a lot, and make her make bad decisions. Then, at the same time, her heart would try to comfort and make other people feel better – instead of focusing on herself, and making herself feel better. Let’s just say she puts others first before herself, and she feels like a lot of people go through the same thing. That is why she painted this.
Isa Irwin – Artist hosted by Tell Tale Dress
Isa is a wonderfully talented 8th grade student artist.
She drew this piece ‘I am Human’ that symbolizes a few words that are commonly used to describe people with mental
health issues, and how they are crudely based on how movies and tv shows depict them.
Kat Bregman & Heather Winfindale – Artist hosted by Puff N Stuff
Kat Bregman, at 35 years old, always finds herself surrounded by art and artists. Art is her method of understanding and communicating with the world around her. Kat’s life flows with the colors and textures of artistic mediums. Mental health has always been a part of her life. She has had joyous moments and traumatic events that have painted themselves across her world.
Kat’s painting, “You KNOW, I love you” comes from the darkness in her life. The statements and title are quotes told to her by her mother. Growing up with a narcissistic parent who loved herself more, the artist found that the darkness and pain was more comfortable than moving forward. You aren’t allowed to move forward. Every Time you try to move forward they guilt and manipulate you into staying. Moving forward is dangerous. Even when it looks much better than the world surrounding, the way forward is rough. This is a companion piece to a painting entitled “I love myself MORE” by Heather Winfindale. Together they tell a whole journey instead of just one part.
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For Heather Winfindale, mental health has been a cornerstone in her life since she was 4 years old. Years of being bullied mercilessly, she was told she wasn’t good enough, that she’d never find love, that she should die… all by middle school. She vowed to do her best to break those habits.
Heather knows that growing never stops, that she’s not the same person she was yesterday. That’s why she painted “I love myself MORE,” (companion piece to “You KNOW I love you”) to show that growth can happen, healing is possible, that your current situation is not your final destination, and you, yourself, are worthy of love
Caryn Thompson – Displayed at Beautiful Sin Tattoo
Caryn is a mental health educator, advocate, and ally. She has worked as a Certified Peer Specialist and a Certified Peer Specialist-Parent. She has been an artist all her life and is a graduate of the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. Caryn loves all mediums, including photography, fashion and costume design, jewelry design, painting, needle arts, glass etching, and food art. For this show she has decided to submit a graphic art piece.
Caryn’s piece, Let Her Speak, is a representation of the feeling of not being heard for many years. At first her voice was fearful in a whisper and got louder as her confidence grew. The symbols represent her questions, frustrations, society, and her need to persevere. Her hair is made up of mustaches… as her idea of beauty… and the eating disorder caused by such… was dictated by men. The subtle shades of gray show her words coming out of the shadows.
Linda Chey – Artist Hosted by A Day in the Life
Artist Linda Chey graduated from DeSales University where she studied digital art. She has always enjoyed doing creative work and found her passion at a young age. Aside from graphic design, Linda enjoys drawing and digital painting. She feels it’s pretty cool to look back and see how much one evolves as a creative, and she encourages other young creatives to save their work and continue evolving.
Linda is very happy to have supported the Mental Health America of Lancaster County’s Art Walk with her work. She feels that mental awareness is so important and often not spoken about because of the stigma or embarrassment. It’s okay to ask for help or to get help. People need to stand together and make it a norm to talk about it. This all ties into the poster she created. She wanted the focus to be more on the imagery, because she feels that it powerfully speaks to the message. It doesn’t matter about one’s social status or profession, everyone can fall into it. They need to stop hiding in the dark, putting on a mask and pretending everything is okay when really, it’s eating away at them.
Linda hopes that this poster will move people to speak openly about mental health or to get the help that they need. She finds just simply talking to someone else like a friend or family member or someone trusted, can help make a difference. Just remember that you are not alone, and that people want to help. Let’s all stand behind one another in support.
