A mask from “I’m Fine”
With Valentine’s just a week away, February’s Art Blog is dedicated to two unique stories of love. The first is a moving exhibition both figuratively and literally. It is the love story of the most importance; one we all share as part of the human condition—Mental Health Awareness. The second is on a more personal note, a Millworks love story of two artists who share an amazing life in their world of art that has expanded to their daughters’ love and appreciation of the same.
“I’m Fine” at the Susquehanna Art Museum
In the world of art, a picture is worth a thousand words. It’s intriguing to note then, that in the signature logo for “I’m Fine” subtly replacing the apostrophe is a ginkgo leaf. It’s the first clue that this is a movement of meaning with its mission motto, “sculpting mental health awareness through art.” Its potent imagery is completed by a stoic ceramic mask devoid of emotion, looking outward. As for the ginkgo leaf, it holds a deeper meaning to its founders.
“I’m Fine” will make a lasting impression in the capital city at Susquehanna Art Museum, opening Feb. 10. The mental health awareness project is now beginning its sixth year and has traveled to major exhibitions across the state with in-depth workshops promoting its central theme.
A mask from “I’m Fine”
The catalyst that drives it, mental health, has taken on a life of its own. Spearheaded by Carrie Breschi and Maureen Joyce, art activists push the envelope from city to city, outpost to outpost, spreading the gospel for mental health awareness. Hopefully, it will get to land at the state Capitol rotunda later this spring, but, before it reaches the chamber floor, it starts its journey at Susquehanna Art Museum.
Bonnie Mae Carrow, director of exhibitions at SAM, mounted the powerful and impactful exhibit in collaboration with Joyce and Breschi, both of Carlisle. Joyce and husband Kevin lost their son to suicide after years of struggling with mental illness. He often had a ginkgo leaf tucked into his jean pocket. The “I’m Fine” project formed out of that heartbreaking loss.
To date, the workshops, totaling 80, have been held in Carlisle, Chambersburg, York and even as far away as Pittsburgh. “I’m Fine” has done outreach programs with school districts across the state as schools have become hotbeds of troubled mental health since the pandemic. Over 1,600 ceramic masks have been created by students and workshop participants. These handcrafted veils of emotion provide the vehicle used to tell each individual story. “I’m Fine” has been a catchphrase to deflect talking about a subject so close to the surface that it’s bubbling over, yet words almost refuse to come out, except a barely audible, “I’m fine.”
As one stands before the collection of 1,000-fold masks at SAM, stop for a moment to think of each and every person who created them with their own unique story of the struggle to stay afloat, being cut loose in a sea of confusion, doubt and fear, not knowing what tomorrow may bring or even the next minute. It can be overwhelming.
Mental health is a condition that affects us all on a daily basis, and the need to be able to share it, discuss it and address it has never been as urgent as it is today. The co-founders Breschi and Joyce state, “Our world is facing a mental health crisis. As artists, we believe in the power of art to ignite change and create new perspectives. We also believe in the community as agents of positive change. It all starts with a conversation.”
“I’m Fine” provides a platform for spreading positivity, encouraging others to speak out and share their stories. Relating to others who share the very same emotions can be a great measure of relief knowing you are not alone, but together, by talking, change can take place.
The exhibit runs through May 19 during museum hours. Join the movement and help the cause by removing the masks, seeing the person underneath and listening to their story. They will be grateful realizing they have been seen and heard.
In Thrall to Iceland’s Call (A love story at Millworks Studio 323)
A painting by Tara Chickey
Soulmates, especially artists, operate in the ebb and flow of creativity, energy, beauty and, most of all, love. The give and take of that otherworldly bond is unspoken. A sixth sense or perhaps a seventh. The spark that forged the fire continues to burn through eternity, never to die. Such is the case for Millworks art couple, Caleb Smith and Tara Chickey. Back in the early aughts, the attraction began for Chickey as she admired from afar the community work that Smith was doing with the non-profit independent film festival, Moviate. At the time, she was running a small art gallery, and the rest is history. At least that’s what they say in the movies.
Fast forward two decades and their story has evolved by leaps and bounds. Chickey’s role as art director for Millworks is a full-time job, juggling 30-plus artists and mapping out constantly changing lobby exhibits annually. It still allows her artistic side to shine, showcasing her paintings on a grand scale like the wall-sized mural in Midtown that has become a local landmark. One cannot help but be transported to the great southwest when viewing Chickey’s sun-washed drive-in-theater playing on the screen at N. 3rd and Reily streets.
Photography by Caleb Smith
Meanwhile, Smith is immersed in teaching humanities at Harrisburg University. His classes range from cinema studies to video production and photography. An independent filmmaker, photographer and musician round out his resume. Moviate still rolls the cameras for every Artsfest in May, with special popups throughout the year.
Perhaps the most fascinating chapter is the couple’s love for Iceland and their daughter, an artist in her own right. The Arctic has a magnetic pull as a world of mystery and magic unfolds in Iceland. Chickey shared, “Its allure stems from its rich folklore and culture, the epic vastness of the land and its beauty, a timelessness frozen in the past, yet strikingly modern and its soul-searing sense of isolation.” Smith ruminates on those themes through his documentary films, providing visual elements to advance storytelling, taking it to a whole new level.
Today, the mantle of parenthood fits the frame perfectly, as raising their daughter has taken top billing. They surround her with a solid sense of self and empathy for others and encourage her to believe that trying new things teaches her to discover her talents. Naturally, she is following in their creative footsteps with a love for nature, art and learning. Smith and Chickey want to build a world with endless possibilities for their daughter to inspire others by example. Dreams are as big as one imagines them to be. And an Icelandic poet, Kristijan, over half a century ago, wrote, “Our dreams come true who sleep in the wood of skies, on the berry hearth the last touch of sunlight dies, and the calm is deep where the quiet waters flow.”
A Familiar Face at Mechanicsburg Art Center
Imagine my surprise when local art icon Julie Riker, painter of great renown, asked me to model for her portrait drawing class at the Mechanicsburg Art Center’s Red Barn. We both shared a laugh and, to dispel any doubt, I will be fully clothed. LOL. I promised to share my blues (eyes) in a meaningful manner. The event takes place on Tuesday, Feb. 20, from 6 to 8 p.m. at 18 Artcraft Drive, Mechanicsburg.
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