National Art Exhibitions by the Mentally Ill Holds 23rd Annual Exhibition Opening reception:
Friday, May 27, 2011. 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Borders Art Gallery
1601 SW 1st Street
Miami, FL 33135
Dates: From May 27 through June 24, 2011
The National Art Exhibitions by the Mentally Ill (NAEMI) marks its 23 years of service to outsider art with its 23rd Annual Exhibition on May 27, 2011 at Borders Art Gallery.
NAEMI’s mission is to reduce the stigma associated with mental disabilities by discovering, studying, promoting, exhibiting and preserving the art of artists with mental disabilities. NAEMI strives to increase public awareness, knowledge, and understanding of art that is conceived and created by artists with mental disabilities, and to provide opportunities for their employment through the exhibition and sale of art works. Art created by artists with mental disabilities, also referred to as Outsider Art, pertains to art produced by self taught individuals, usually without any formal artistic training, whose work arise from an intensity of innate-personal vision. Although there is an explosion of interest in this art, it remains difficult for the work of artists with mental disabilities to be discovered or seen.
For over 24 years NAEMI’s deep concern with the lack of opportunity for artists with mental disabilities to have equal access to art exhibitions and employment in the arts has created notable exhibitions and catalog books. This project seeks to further the understanding of Outsider Art, the creative process, and the art exhibition experience with a uniquely enthralling art interpretation performance as well as through the work of artists with mental disabilities. The absence of this artistic expression in the cultural mainstream limits the scope of study of the human creative process, marginalizes the presence of a member in the community, and may perpetuate the stigma of mental illness. Experts uniformly contend that the whole community should be educated on the impact of mental illness and advocate for its complete parity with physical illness.
NAEMI collaborates with international arts organizations, local civic leaders, and artists to provide penetrating presentations and creative workshops on issues relating to mental illness, creativity, and advocacy.
Featuring the works of artists from the U.S., England, Spain, Chile, Mexico, and Paraguay. The exhibition is open to the public and sponsored by Miami Dade County Cultural Affairs Council and the Miami Dade county commissioners, Johnson & Johnson and Janssen Pharmaceutica.
All 40 works featured in the exhibition will be available for sale with proceeds benefiting the artists and NAEMI’s goal of helping artists with mental illness from around the world.
The exhibition begins with an opening reception May 27 from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. – offering attendees a chance to meet the featured artists – and will continue through June 24.
NAEMI an international organization dedicated to discovering, promoting and exhibiting work by artists with mental illness launches a new exhibition with an opening reception Borders Art Gallery.
For more information about local openings and events, please visit www.miamiartguide.com
