Some new art installations promoting mental wellness are up at locations around Berrien County thanks to a partnership between Corewell Health and the Krasl Art Center. Corewell community programs supervisor Ashlee Offord tells us the two created a travelling exhibit focused on the nervous system. It was posted in several locations.
“The YMCA, the teen center at the Boys and Girls Club, the Niles Library, the St. Joe Library the Benton Harbor Library, each of those sites then had the opportunity to work with an artist from Krasl to develop their own permanent installation,” Offord said. “So, all of those permanent installations are now there.”
Ossord says the health system’s last two Community Health Needs Assessments revealed the most urgent community-identified health need is support for mental health, chronic stress, and trauma. That’s why the exhibits are now up and providing information about stress, trauma, the body, and healing. In addition to the permanent art installations, there’s also an online digital archive showcasing all the artwork and artists, as well as a printed storybook launching in July.
