It's opening night tonight for graduating students from the UQ Master of Mental Health (Art Therapy) program, whose art works will go on display in Brisbane at 6pm.
The works will form the inaugural exhibition for the Kids in Mind Art Gallery at the Mater Community Services Building in South Brisbane.
The exhibition will showcase the artwork of the students, who are in their third and final year of the UQ program, and who will graduate at a UQ Health Sciences Faculty ceremony next month.
The exhibition, which is open to the public, will continue at the Kids in Mind Gallery, level two, Mater Community Services Building, Annerley Road week days 10am to 3pm until July 18.
Artworks represent individual interpretations and responses to the research students conducted in areas of personal interest.
For example, Jane Griffin, from Yeronga, based her artwork on research into how art therapy enhanced a refugee youth’s well-being and reduced behavioural trauma symptoms; Tabitha Ford, from North Lakes, studied at-risk adolescents, including those affected by poverty, grief and loss, and behavioural issues; and Jannie Olsen Leach, from Bardon, worked with mothers of children with autism.
Consultant psychotherapist, Mater Child and Youth Mental Health Services (CYMHS) and Senior Lecturer, Master of Mental Health (Art Therapy) at UQ, Tom O’Brien said attendees could expect a very high quality of art at the exhibition.
“The exhibition will include stimulating and thought provoking works from seasoned exhibiting artists, as well as less experienced artists, who employ a variety of mediums including painting and sculpture,” Mr O’Brien said.
The artists will graduate at a ceremony on July 16 at the UQ Centre at St Lucia at 11am and become art therapists for children, adults and the elderly.
“17 percent of young people have mental health difficulties in Australia,” Mr O’Brien said.
“Art therapy is a form of expressive therapy that uses art mediums such as drawing, painting and sculpture to improve or maintain mental health and well-being, and an increasing body of evidence indicates it is a highly effective tool to help combat this issue.”
Art therapists are trained to recognise the nonverbal symbols and metaphors that are communicated within the creative process, and symbols and metaphors which might be difficult to express in words or in other modalities.
The UQ Master of Mental Health (Art Therapy) program is the only post graduate art therapy program offered in Queensland.
For more information about the Masters of Mental Health (Art Therapy) program, contact program Coordinator Claire Edwards. The next intake of students is in February 2009.
Who: UQ Master of Mental Health (Art Therapy) students, in conjunction with Mater Health Services Kids in Mind
What: Graduating students art exhibition opening night
When: Thursday, June 5, 6pm to 8pm
