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Organized by Art & Mind: A Women and Femmes Art Show Series
Event
Art & Mind Series: Reflections of Women, Femmes and Our Mental Health Health During COVID
Sunday from 5:00 PM - 7:30 PM EDT
Live Stream
Details to view the event are private and will be sent along with your ticket purchase.
When: Saturday, September 26th at 5:00 pm EST on Zoom. An Open Mic will be included in the show for all attendees to join! 2 - 3 minute limit per person; should match the subject matter of the event. Original songs only if you’re a musician. Please be sure to read our disclaimer/trigger note.
Story
Date: September 26th @ 5 PM EST - 7:30 PM EST
Where: ATAC160 Gallery will host the Zoom event. A zoom link will be provided to all who sign up for a FREE ticket.
If you would like to donate: click the green 'Donate & Tickets' button above - or -
text BRAINARTS to 202-858-1233
OPEN MIC! After the main events we will be hosting an open mic for all to attend!
We would love to witness your art and reflections. 2-3 minutes per performer, content can be about women/femmes mental health, mental health in general, disability, chronic illness, accessibility, etc. Original songs only if you’re a musician. Please be sure to read our disclaimer/trigger note.
Be kind, be mindful, and be respectful of other's perspectives and experiences. No aggressiveness, microaggressions, or passive-aggressiveness. No racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism. This kind of language is not acceptable. This is a safe space for all races, creeds, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, and disabilities. Pay attention to pronouns and how people request to be addressed in general. The chat will be moderated. Trigger warnings will be throughout the experience, as parts of the show highlight sensitive material such as sexual assault/harassment, racial trauma, suicide, etc.
Introduction: ATAC160 Venue Team, Brain-Arts Org, Volunteers, Assistants and Founder Introduced - 10 minutes
Documentary Format: 8 Artists Showcase their videos about their work and their story - 20+ minutes
Artists Speak, Introduce Themselves, Artists have a Q & A with the audience, moderators will lead - 10 to 15 minutes
Dulce Orozco, Our Guest Therapist Speaks - 10 to 15 minutes
Q&A: Dulce Orozco will accept questions about their work/therapy
Brain-Arts Org Charity Highlighted
Mya Byrne, Trans-Femme Activist Musician speaks and plays a song - 6-10 minutes
Mental health business/activist guests are showcased - TBD
Roxy, (MS Activist - Sick and Sickening Podcast) Our Disability advocate speaks about accessibility in the arts - 6-10 minutes
Open Mic
Video on The Future of Art & Mind by Amaranthia and Claire
Close with Brain-Arts being highlighted again + a meditation/breathing practice
Brain Arts Organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to realize creative independence in systematically undervalued communities, prioritizing BIPOC, ALAANA+, LGBTQIA+, emerging and experimental artists. Through adaptive methods and hyperlocal engagement, we foster a culture where individuals create their own power and opportunities.
Website:
https://www.brain-arts.org/abo...
CREATING COMMUNITY THROUGH THE ARTS
We are a non-profit arts organization in downtown Framingham, MA. Founded in 2005, we host high quality, professional musicians and performers as well as being home to a variety of programs, open mics and classes. Our vision includes bringing together a diverse community of artists and art appreciators of all ages, cultures, and interests in a supportive and nurturing environment.
Website:
Hi! My name is Amaranthia Sepia (@emobunnycomic)! I’m a Black, invisibly disabled Art Coordinator and have faced discrimination in the art gallery world due to being a minority and creating unconventional activist artworks. Since 2020 I’ve been involved in developing activist art shows. My Mom. Claire Jones, and I, are passionate about developing an accessible virtual art gallery platform for marginalized people, particularly POC, WOC, and disabled creatives through our project, “Art & Mind….” From age 14-16, I did solo anti-bullying art exhibits titled “I’m Proud of Who I Am.” to cope with bullying and racial discrimination with the help of my Mom, Claire Jones, who is a writer creative, and mental health advocate. We deal with invisible disabilities and face discrimination for our work that highlights race, misogyny, mental illness, and domestic violence. Together, we hope to make "Art & Mind" a platform, so other POC/WOC/disabled folks can have a home for artwork highlighting radical anti-stigma artworks usually shunned by society. With the help of our small team of artists with lived experience of disability and/or chronic illness, we hope to create more of these shows.
Last year, when our lives came to a halt due to the mysterious and all-consuming virus, COVID-19, many became secluded, isolated, fearful, depressed, and anxious. What would the future hold for us - Is there any future? With the ongoing mental health crisis in the USA, how will the suffering and underserved cope with lack of access, socialization, and routine? Unfortunately, these issues have caused harmful consequences and have exacerbated existing ones for women.
The NYT states the U.S. unemployment rate dropped to 7.9% in September 2020 – it was previously 15% in April. This drop is due to 1.1 million Americans age 20+ leaving the workforce. Out of 1.1 million, 800,000 women quit the workforce. 324,000 Latinas and 58,000 Black women left. Out of 40,000 women in corporate America, 1 in 4 considered resigning/downshifting. The societal pressure of women expected to undertake caregiving for children and family worsens the crisis.
According to swhr.org, women of color are overrepresented in industries that have experienced the most significant job losses, like hospitality and childcare. Most likely, they are essential workers. Among those stuck at home, some are in abusive situations. Unwomen.org highlights domestic violence as the "Shadow Pandemic," as it intensified during covid-19. Before Covid, 1 in 3 women experienced sexual or physical violence, mainly from a partner. Certain countries are focusing only on Covid and stopped looking into this crisis.
Out of 10,000 women surveyed by CARE International, 27% reported increased struggling with mental illness. Unpaid labor and the wage gap were significant reasons. Women are twice as likely to say they cannot access health care. A survey from the Total Brain via axiawh.com states that 83% of women vs. 36% of men report a significant increase in depression.
Covid has postponed gender-affirming treatment for transgender people. Columbia Psychiatry highlights how delays have prolonged mental health issues. Social isolation closes the in-person networks that trans people use to seek support outside of transphobic relatives. Trans women in America experience high rates of depression, stigma, and suicide. BMC's Public Health article reports that in Atlanta, transgender suicidal ideation was said to be 33%. This was associated with sexual, verbal, familial, and stranger abuse. The U.S. Trans Survey found that 40% of transwomen attempt suicide.