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The Manning’s annual ‘Brushes with Life’ art exhibition is enjoying a well-earned coming of age as it steps up to display at the Manning Regional Art Gallery for Mental Health Month.
More than 50 participants from across the Manning and Great Lakes have prepared more than 200 pieces of art at workshops in Taree, Cundletown and Forster.
The works include paintings, drawings, sculptures, photographs and paper mache pieces and will go on display at the Manning Regional Art Gallery in Taree from Wednesday October 10 to Sunday October 14.
The exhibition will be launched at 5.30pm on Thursday, October 11 at the gallery.
A landmark initiative of community based mental health support provider Flourish Australia, the Brushes with Life program involved a series of art workshops that give insight to mental health issues and promote mental wellbeing.
Most participants are people who have a lived experience of a mental health issue, although the program is also open to anyone with in an interest in mental health including relatives and carers and the public.
Flourish Australia Manning and Great Lakes Manager Chris Cassar said it was a thrill to hit the ‘big-time’ of exhibiting at the regional gallery.
“Brushes with Life started six years ago as a loose idea of banding people together to teach and promote art as mental health therapy,” Chris said.
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“It’s got bigger every year and we’ve found ourselves shuffling from different premises on an ad hoc basis to make the exhibition possible.
“Exhibiting at the regional gallery is an enormous breakthrough, a validation that the concept has come of age as a premier annual fixture.”
Two awards will be given to winning participants during the exhibition.
The first is the people’s choice award.
The second is the Brushes with Life equivalent of the Archibald Prize, the Packers Award.
The prize of which will be tailored to suit the winner.
Last year’s winner was able to turn his art into t-shirts.
“He just loved them,” said Chris.
The transition from turning up at the workshops to quietly work on his art to then creating t-shirts worthy of selling has been hailed a Brushes with Life success.
The black t-shirts feature bright, quirky designs that “really pop.”
“They look fantastic,” added Chris.
Family and friends have flocked to purchase the t-shirts and the public will get a chance to buy them during the exhibition. Selected art will also be for sale.