VIP Tickets for Opening Night available!
Mental Health Awareness of Michiana (MHAM) is excited to present its second year of a specialized art exhibit, ‘Journey of the Mind through Artistic Visual Expression’, in partnership with the downtown Elkhart Public Library and St. Joe County Public Library, running Feb. 21-March 26, 2026.
OPENING NIGHT
Saturday, February 21st, 2026
VIP Early Access – 5-6:30 p.m. (tickets required)
Public Opening – 6:30-8 p.m.
Elkhart Public Library, 300 S. Second St.
This second annual Journey of the Mind exhibit facilitates connection through the healing power of art. This year, we have a traveling exhibit in partnership with the Elkhart Public Library and the St. Joe County Public Library. This event features local professional and amateur artists of all ages and backgrounds who use the creative process as a tool for mental and emotional wellbeing. Journey of the Mind not only exhibits artwork; it also highlights the story behind the art.
Creative expression has the power to heal. For many, the creation of art is a meaningful way to promote self-discovery, self-expression, and the cultivation of joy. Journey of the Mind is a place for those who have found healing through art, specifically as it relates to mental health.
From an inaugural artist:
“Thank you for all the kindness, understanding, and a platform to share my work AND
my art therapy/ healing journey with other amazing experiences to relate and connect
to. And the opportunity to connect to mental health advocates. This has been one of the
best open calling posts I was sent. I was feeling alone, and I needed this. Thank you.”
VIP TICKETS AVAILABLE!
Works will be exhibited at the Elkhart County Public Library’s main branch (located at 300 S. Second Street in Elkhart, IN) from February 21, 2026 – March 11, 2026, and at the St. Joe County Public Library’s main branch (located at 304 S. Main Street in South Bend, IN) from March 12, 2026 – March 26, 2026.
MEET THE ARTISTS
This year, we are pleased to accept 29 artists and 56 total pieces from Michiana artists, ranging in age from 9 to 74:
@leighamakenzie
“My mental health journey is a continuous process of letting go of what doesn’t work anymore and learning new ways to become the person I want to be. I’m focusing on how to work with my brain, grow from my past, and navigate the present.
“As of late, I’ve been struggling to figure out what to do next and how to get there. What I want and where I’m at just seem so far from each other. I see myself down many different paths, and I’ve been overthinking how to get to the finish line. I’ve come to find that putting my energy into each footstep and keeping a steady stride feels way better, and allows me to release control and find peace in the unknown.”
Eye Spy (My Little Eye)
Two to Look, One to See
Ying & Yang
Christopher Anderson
“My mental health journey is a continuous process of letting go of what doesn’t work anymore and learning new ways to become the person I want to be. I’m focusing on how to work with my brain, grow from my past, and navigate the present.
“As of late, I’ve been struggling to figure out what to do next and how to get there. What I want and where I’m at just seem so far from each other. I see myself down many different paths, and I’ve been overthinking how to get to the finish line. I’ve come to find that putting my energy into each footstep and keeping a steady stride feels way better, and allows me to release control and find peace in the unknown.”
Soothing
Slides in Heaven
Wonderfully & Simply
Beth Kane
“I have worked in mental health since I was 16. For myself I know depression, and I’m a believer in the power and healing that expressive therapies give… to myself and others. I work with victims of violent crime and have seen transformation when supported to express, speak truths and share through art.”
It Makes Me Happy
Don’t Stop
Timea Brassei
“Art has been my lifeline for as long as I can remember. Since I could pick up a pencil. Even through music. As a sensitive child, a sensitive person, I needed some way to cope with the stresses of this violent world we live in. I needed a way to express myself. For a long time, I was a quiet child who was both directly and indirectly pushed to be quiet so I could be easier to deal with. I made sure to make myself small so I wouldn’t be too much. I learned to listen out for the intensity of footsteps, I became fearful of shouting and yelling. So many things contributed to my loneliness and isolation. Art, whether it be through music or drawing, has always been there to hold my hand. It remains as an anchor in my heart. It is my direct line of communication to my inner child.”
Power of Perception
Shayna Breslin
“I’ve struggled with clinical chronic treatment resistant depression since I was 14. I’ve been hospitalized 3 times and I currently do therapy and ketamine therapy. I am mostly stable today.”
Dreams of Flying
Where I Escape
Dorothy Carter
“My mental health and 2025 has been a true experience. Being a cancer survivor in 2015 compared nothing to 2025 and all the health challenges. Two strokes, a pacemaker and a couple other procedures and continuous in and out hospital stays over 90 days has definitely created a mental journey. But through prayer, meditation, music, and art it is all made tremendous difference.”
The Mind of a Woman Who Has ADHD
Creativity of an ADHD Mind
Medicated and Quiet
Lacey Dilly
“I have struggled with OCD for several years, and recently got diagnosed and medicated. My art has served as a way for me to focus on something completely positive throughout these years. Having an outlet where I can turn mud into mugs and occupy my brain with something besides my obsessive thoughts has been very special to me.”
Big Fish Lake mug
I Love to Scream mug
Coo. mug
Sue Elfin
“On the best of studio days, my art practice enables me to enter “the zone,” completely focusing on the process; attending to detail to my heart’s content; and allowing time to fly by. Extraneous thoughts and anxieties fade away. This experience brings me peace!
“My designs are inspired by bringing into focus simple, peaceful lines observed in nature—forms that sometimes go unnoticed in our rushed lives. Creating simple, uncluttered art brings me the sense of tranquility I think many of us seek. I hope my paintings might evoke a feeling of tranquility for others as well.”
Indigo Crescent #3
Laura Elliot
“My mental health journey has looked like a road with mountains and valleys. It has had numerous periods of dark (depression) grey skies, traumas breaking apart the earth, floods of pain and emotions from which came resilience, rebirth, insight after I sought help in a healing community of faith, counseling and support groups, nature, prayer and literature. I process my emotions and thoughts through writing (journaling) and art making. Art allows me to process visually what I am experiencing inside. It often provides additional insight to my inner life (soul) and brings HOPE.”
Serenade
Enough – Balancing Opposition/Change
EvelinTheMelone
“I’ve dealt with a lot of mental health issues, majorly struggling with anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Drawing out my feelings is therapeutic, and helps me get it out in a healthy way. It helps me to keep going, despite the challenges.”
Memories Looming Above
Donna Fecher
“I never thought much about the abuse I endured most of my life. I believed it was normal & that I was “fine”. As I became older, I realized this wasn’t true & sought professional help. Art has always been a big part of my life, but I never considered its role in my mental health journey. Until now.”
Journey of Healing
GemFaery
“I struggle with mental health daily. I have been diagnosed with complex depression, severe PTSD, borderline bipolar – it was never a surprise to get the diagnosis. I will say the boom of info on mental health has helped me tremendously. I am a mother of four children so having something like art as a outlet is so important. Everyday I reset, refocus, and restart again. Art is a saving grace for me and always gives a way to express the things words fail me at. Painting is my favorite art form, trying new mediums and styles never looses its way of captivating me and bringing me peace.”
Appearance
Megan Gettinger
“My mental health journey has been long. I have been in and out and back into counseling since high school. Since then I have seen multiple psychiatrists and tried many, many medications. I have had 5 babies. What began as a struggle with anxiety was later diagnosed as Treatment Resistant Depression and anxiety and has recently been re-diagnosed as Bipolar 2 and anxiety.
“I have always known that art had a positive impact on my mental health but the past 10 months have really opened my eyes to just how much I need to create. There were times in this past year that I felt like I was drowning, or hollowed out, or crushed. In moments where my anxiety had me reeling, I discovered the soothing power of painting watercolor circles over and over and over again. When my depression felt crushing, I released the pressure by scribbling hard with oil pastels. When joy peeked through, I gave it space and painted blueberries, countless blueberries, in vibrant watercolor blues.
“While there are many factors that go into managing and living with my mental health, I’ve found that whether or not I’m taking time to create makes a huge difference in how I feel, which affects everything else. I want to help others discover how healing and revitalizing art can be.”
In My Deepest Wound
Breaking Point
SUPER BLOOM
Kariina Gorski
“I’ve dealt with a lot of mental health issues, majorly struggling with anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Drawing out my feelings is therapeutic, and helps me get it out in a healthy way. It helps me to keep going, despite the challenges.”
My Guardian
“Be Well”
HQM
“My art has been a way to express myself as I often struggle to communicate with other kids. Art has helped me get out feelings and get through hard experiences that have been out of my control. Divorce, abuse, and loss have impacted my life, and art lets me get emotions out.”
In The Dark
What Makes Me, Me
Jess H *
“I spent 6 years in and out of hospitals and programs for chronic suicidality, gambling addiction and self injury behavior. 3 years ago I bought a finger painting kit to give myself a creative outlet and taught myself to paint. Since then, I have not needed a higher level of care again.
“Art has given me a way to express feelings I don’t have words for so I can release them and move forward with my life. It’s my single most effective healing tool/coping skill that I use when things seem dark.”
You’re grounded young lady
The Great Lie
Spencer Krall
“I faced a lot of trauma and have PTSD, depression and anxiety due to this trauma. I’ve been in and out of hospitals for my mental health and bit by bit I’ve been putting myself back together and healing. I was in a domestic abuse situation and it felt like the only escape was my art. My art has helped me capture my struggle the way nothing else can.”
Dumb Tr*nny
Elizabeth Kuntz
“The array of joyful experiences and exciting adventures along my path have oftentimes been overshadowed by diverse personal challenges. The reigniting of my passion for art, in combination with learning the ancient arts of Tai Chi, Qigong and meditation, have empowered me by fulfilling my life and spirit in unimaginable ways. Over time, I developed the ability to draw on an intuitive level, allowing my creative inspiration to unfold through meditation. This process helps me to get in touch with repressed emotions, and gain wisdom, inner strength and peace of mind from my lessons of heartache. While suffering through many personal struggles in silence, art has given me a voice, an outlet to express my uniqueness which has spent far too much time in hiding. Infused with energy and emotion, each drawing tells a small story on my big journey of healing and self discovery, offering a glimpse into the magic of nature and the resilience of the human spirit.”
Initiate
Valley of the Soul
Waves of Ascension
Emma Laidig
“I haven’t had it as hard as some people regarding mental health journeys, but of course, there are many times when I’ve felt awful with how I look, or the cards that my life was dealt with. Listening to music is a big part of my life, and it helps me relax and feel better when I’m hurting inside, whether the problem was something I did to someone or they did to me, or if I’m feeling insecure. As music reaches my ears, creating art, like poems or pictures, also helps me to relax and get out of my head. I can express myself with how I’m feeling, and making art is when I can be however creative I want to be and proud of how what I’m creating is turning out. There’s never been a time when I haven’t felt better from when I started after I create art, even if it was only twenty minutes’ worth. I’m not saying these mundane, everyday things I struggle with are worse than someone else’s problems, but the truth is that it still hurts, and music and art, along with God, are big things that release my hurt, anger, or regret.”
Amidst the Storm
Laura Pour’a
“During the 2020 COVID lockdown I struggled with anxiety and depression. During this time I created a special paint recipe and technique to make fluid and pourable paint that works with my style of creativity. I use everything BUT a paint brush. Such as tools like spatulas, chopsticks, blow dryer, palette knives and various brands of paint to create contemporary works of eye popping art.”
Green Grass Botanicals
Grey Flowers & Foliage
Abstract Sunflower
Tara Lisciandro
“While I was an undergrad student I discovered that anxiety was something of a battle – as per many students. However, when some very ugly panic attacks started, I was quickly given therapists, meds and many recommendations. The journey took me to understand that part of this, a family history, was in fact very real. My father’s battle, returning home after Vietnam, also attributed to some mental health factors in our household. In all, it took almost 8-10 years for me to try, and not do well, with medical solutions and find MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) to be what worked best. I was certified as an MBSR instructor in 2005 and I have worked with students, who, like myself, suffer from anxiety and depression disorders for almost a dozen years. Having a mom who was an artist, then residing in Italy for almost 7 years, art came into my life early – and has been a very important part of what I do. I bring creative artwork into my practice and almost always offer it to students as well. Between MBSR, mindful movement, better nutrition and art I’ve seen amazing solutions and powerful journeys.”
Woven,,, Where I learned to breathe
Mary PB
“We all have joys and sorrows. To get though life asking God to guide me and give me strength and guidence.This is what keeps me level. My Art is my ‘ Buddy ‘ People are fascinating. Music is great. Friend are priceless. Laughter is the key. The 10 commandments keeps me centered.”
Like You
Moon Adventure
Marsha
“My journey is one of awareness and curiosity, growth through adversity and resilience. Art has been my access to reflecting on pain, harm, doubt, resignation, fear, sadness, anger, frustration, insecurity, anxiety and the life of an earthling with an ADHD brain. Art has kept me alive by giving me a place to explore and escape; to clarify and complete; to express and engage. Putting what words cannot say into an art form is a liberating process and a powerful communication vehicle. Most of all, it connects me with others. Thank you for this opportunity.”
Don’t cry over spilled candle wax: Ike and Tina never got it right.
Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall, Who’s the Most Codependent of All? The Triptych of Codependency: Awareness, Mitigation, Recovery
Mauricio Mejia
“The artwork reflects the mood and/or mental health of the artist. Great figures in art clearly reflected their mental health. Personally, I haven’t been exempt from the mental factor in many of my works.”
Thank you Keith
Thank you Keith 1
Mary Morgan
“As a child, I knew I was different…the label did not yet exist… Adult Diagnosis, ADHD… but I had coping mechanisms… Officer in the Army, graduate degree, Licensure, Private Practice … Always sewing.. evolving as an avid Quilter: fabric as my medium. I Found A Quilted Heart is my recent therapy trending as a pay-it-forward sewing/art project!”
Mirror Me
Janice Purnell
“Surrounded by men, who are hurting and expected to live by an unrealistic standard of manhood. I have been abused, cheated and lied to by men. Yet, not only have I not been the only one. The resources to support and help men from the trauma is far less available compared to women. Men are victims too. Let’s help them instead of always victimizing them.”
The Silent Hurts of Men
RMM
“I’ve always loved darker things, yet I never understood why I felt so different from everyone else. That confusion followed me through my worst moments, even bullying. Art became my refuge—I’d pull out my sketchbook and draw, turning isolation into expression.”
Epiphany
Self Reflection
Still Life
Knute Rosser
“Late adulthood diagnosis of ADHD and 5+ years of being alcohol free has been quite the ride. Photography has been one thing to keep me grounded and moving forward.”
Train Log
SMB Paints Creations
“Late-diagnosed and surviving trauma, disability, and raising neurodivergent kids, I create art as my voice and refuge. Each piece turns my battles into light – offering hope, joy, and connection so others never feel the pain I’ve lived through.”
Finding Peace
Mossy Mushroom Glow
Growth
(Please take note of changes via this page, the MHAM newsletter sign-up or MHAM Facebook page.)
VIP TICKETS AVAILABLE!
Questions or concerns? Call 574-393-8809, option 3 or email info@mhamichiana.org.
