Only a few spots left for “I’m Fine.”

The Dark Parlour proudly hosts “I’m Fine.” Project – a limited series workshop building mental health awareness, conversation and community support through art.

Cost: $35.00 per person for series: TICKETS ➡️ https://www.eventbrite.com/e/256472465047

Includes: Workshop series (3 in-person workshops listed below), materials, education, community bonding, snacks and beverages.

Workshops will be conducted within the Dark Gallery of The Dark Parlour on Wednesday evenings from 6pm to 8pm, February 23rd, March 2nd, and March 9th, with an opportunity for a private tour and exhibition to be determined at a later date.

Workshops include:

February 22nd:
“Art Tools”: The Healing Powers of Art and Community Engaged Art

March 2nd:
“My Mask”: Ceramic Mask Making & Articulating Our Struggles with Mental Health. “What Mask Do You Wear to Diminish or to Portray Your Own Struggles?”

March 9th:
“Glazed Over”: The Impact of Color on Our Masks. Reaching Out to Yourself and to Someone Else.

LEARN MORE 
Statement from “I’m Fine. Project”:

“Our communities are currently facing a mental health crisis, without even knowing the collateral damage from the pandemic. I’m fine., a phrase we often say when we are not fine, is a community-engaged project dedicated to healing through the arts, to sculpting mental health conversations and to providing educational resources.

The project consists of a series of community workshops in which participants create the ceramic mask they wear to portray, to overcome or to minimize their mental health struggles. In the workshops, participants are introduced to the concept that art can tell their story and can be a lifelong learning tool to reduce pain and anxiety. The workshops also strengthen Pennsylvania communities by bringing people together to engage in dialogue and, in turn, to help individuals to feel less isolated and alone in their mental health struggles.

The I’m fine. workshops culminate in a series of interactive community exhibits and public art installations which showcase the masks and meaningful stories of the participants. The art installations educate the viewers in a new light, create dialogue and conversations and, in the process, destigmatize mental illness. I’m fine. will continue to initiate workshops and exhibits in a number of Pennsylvania communities over the next two years.

In 2024, hundreds of masks and stories from across the Commonwealth will come together for a city-wide exhibit in Harrisburg, the state’s capitol. The series of I’m fine. art installations will be the thread that ties Pennsylvanians together to validate that mental illness does not discriminate, that it is real, and that there are resources to help.

I’m fine. was initiated by Maureen Joyce, a ceramic artist whose son died by suicide in 2018, and Carrie Breschi, a community-engaged artist who works with teens who suffer from anxiety and depression. Joyce is the founder of Arts Live!, a collaborative arts program with Hempfield Behavioral Health’s Red Tomato Day and Prevocational Programs for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She also initiated Suicide Loss Survivors Creating Together. Breschi is the past Executive Director of Carlisle Arts Learning Center and Coordinator of the after-school programs for vulnerable teens, ArtWorks! and CONNECT.

The ginkgo leaf, which has been incorporated into the I’m fine. logo, is a leaf which Maureen’s son, Patrick, loved to collect. It is also a symbol of resilience and longevity. The ginkgo tree utilizes outside resources to survive and its extracts have been linked to mental health well-being.

In 2021, I’m fine. was awarded a 2021 Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Creative Catalyst Grant as well as a number of PCA Artist in Education Residencies. To date, Breschi and Joyce have worked with over 300 participants and have installed four exhibits and public installations.”

For an in-depth look or to donate, please visit imfineproject.com

Are you in a crisis? Please call 1-800-273-8255 or text “Talk” to 741741 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

The Dark Parlour graciously thanks the Cultural Alliance of York for covering additional participation costs to help offset the fee and maintain an affordable community building experience.