Exploring Art through the Lens of Faith and Mental Health
Throughout history, people have used art as an emotional outlet and as a way to tell their stories and connect with others. Whether it be from making art or experiencing it, art has proven to reduce cortisol, which is released in the body as a response to stress, and increase dopamine, which is released when one experiences pleasure. That’s why Faitherapy founder Marilyn Shaw says she is hosting Faitherapy Expression, an evening that will connect faith, art, and mental health.
“Mental health is misunderstood, and many have a limited perspective about how it could impact someone’s life,” Shaw said. “Through art, people can gain a creative visual understanding of mental health for themselves and others. Through faith, they can find strength.”
The event will be held from 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 2 at the Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art at St. Petersburg College, 600 East Klosterman Road in Tarpon Springs. Shaw promises a night of creativity and inspiration.
“My hope is that this event will inspire people to use art as a tool to reduce stress and increase happiness,” Shaw said.
The evening will begin with hors d’oeuvres and music, followed by a tour of the Leepa-Rattner collection, including a few select pieces by one of the museum’s founders, Abraham Rattner. Shaw will lead the tour herself and make connections between art, faith, and mental health from the lenses of color, shape, and other methods artists use to evoke emotions and ideas.
“It’s fascinating how some of Mr. Rattner’s pieces were depictions of what people felt during World Wars I and II,” Shaw said, “but even now, they are relatable, though the trauma we experience today might have to do with different global events.”
The event is also a fundraising effort to benefit Faitherapy, the nonprofit organization that Shaw founded in 2021. Faitherapy is geared toward women of faith, offering resources to deepen their belief and improve their mental well-being through faith-based counseling, community support and devotionals.
“Our goal is to provide group counseling for women,” Shaw said. “It builds community and truly helps people move forward in their mental health journeys. The proceeds from this event will allow us to facilitate our first few cohorts of therapy for women, at low to no cost to them.”
Tiered admission tickets allow two levels of support: The general admission ticket offers entry, tour and hors d’oeuvres, and the deluxe admission also includes a t-shirt, a bee pendant, a daily journal and a free one-hour session.
“It’s a form of decompression when you enter a serene gallery,” Shaw said. “Then you see pieces that pull you away from everyday life, which can be chaotic at times. Art therapy offers a chance to connect with art to say, ‘This piece portrays how I’m feeling in this particular moment’.”
Register and learn more here.
Thank you to the sponsors: Bay Area Events, Top of the Line Cleaning Solutions, Well Life, Alikay Naturals, Massage Envy, Shaker and Peel, Wines for Humanity, and Ambee Stephens Consulting.
