About BWL

Brushes with Life: Art, Artists, & Mental Illness is a patient art gallery located on the 3rd floor of the UNC Neuroscience hospital in the halls approaching the Psychotic disorders inpatient unit. The Psychotic disorders inpatient unit is a part of the Schizophrenia Treatment and Evaluation Program (STEP) which provides inpatient and outpatient care of patients dealing with psychotic symptoms or illnesses such as Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective disorder. The gallery features artwork from former STEP inpatients, current STEP clinic outpatients, or clients from Club Nova, a local clubhouse for the mentally ill in Carrboro. The gallery first opened in December 2000 at UNC Neuroscience hospital.

We change the entire gallery exhibit every 6 months and are currently housing our 8th exhibition which was installed in March 2005. Approximately 125 patient-artists have had their artwork displayed in the five exhibitions of the permanent gallery. The initial goal of the STEP art gallery was to give our patients a permanent art space to display their creativity and art to a wider audience. Additionally we hoped to promote art and healing. We also target stigma associated with mental illness demonstrating people with serious mental illnesses such as Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective disorder and Bipolar disorder can be productive and creative. It has also brightened the hallways in the space leading to the STEP inpatient unit where we work each day and made the unit more appealing to patients, friends, and families.

To review the gallery's history, the ideas for a gallery formed in the spring of 2000. Wen Crenshaw, one of the Recreational therapists on the staff, had the original idea for the gallery and was the initial chairman of the STEP art gallery committee. A volunteer art gallery committee was formed with representation from mostly Psychotic disorders unit staff and included Recreational therapy, Medicine, Nursing, Interior Design, Occupational therapy, Social Work, Public Relations for the UNC Dept of Psychiatry, and one of our artists. Work was undertaken to have a permanent art gallery on the 3rd floor of UNC Neuroscience hospital and our first exhibit was installed in December 2000. After numerous staff and volunteer hours, the committee celebrated the gallery's opening and first showing with a reception to celebrate with the artists on January 9, 2001. Currently, Paula Mayence, RN and Nancy Clayton, MD serve as co-chairs for the STEP art gallery committee.

The initial installation of permanent frames and lighting was funded by UNC hospitals through the Facility Enhancement Committee. The UNC hospital facility enhancement committee continues to fund our subsequent exhibitions with matting and framing needed and maintenance of our gallery on the 3rd floor UNC Neuroscience hospital.

In addition to our permanent gallery on the 3rd floor of the UNC Neuroscience hospital, a traveling exhibit has begun. The idea of a traveling exhibit began over two years ago to bring our patients' artwork to a broader audience in the community and also add educational information about mental illness such as Schizophrenia, Bipolar disorder, and Depression. We have had smaller traveling exhibit displays at two local churchs in Chapel Hill in January 2002 and fall 2003 and Arts United in Lexington from May to June 2002.

A larger traveling exhibit was on display at Raleigh Durham International Airport in Raleigh from October 2002 to May 2003. The traveling exhibit at RDU also included educational posters about mental illness and the gallery for the first time in our traveling exhibits. Next, we collaborated with the NC Museum of Art (NCMA) in Raleigh, NC for over a year and brought a larger exhibit at NCMA from April to August 2004. We also collaborated with the NC Museum of Art to bring art studio classes to our artists in May and October 2003 in hopes of inspiring work for this larger exhibit at the NCMA. This traveling exhibit at NCMA is now available to travel to art centers around North Carolina over this year in 2005.

As you can see, a lot has been happening with the Brushes with Life Art gallery since its beginnings. The public is free to view the gallery during the day and evening during usual visiting hours of the UNC hospitals. UNC hospitals operator for hours and directions is 919-966-4131. Our contact is stepart@med.unc.edu or by phone 919-966-0011.