Now through November 30 | Miller Nichols Library | Link Gallery, Ground Floor
The traveling exhibit “The Art of Being ME,” a project of the Burrell Foundation, will be hosted at Miller Nichols Library from October 19 – November 30. The 25 portrait panels will be on display across several floors of the library: the ground floor Link Gallery, the First Floor Gallery, and the west end of the third floor. The exhibit’s one sculpture is displayed on the first floor. Visitors should begin their journey at the ground floor Link Gallery, easily accessible from the library’s north entrance.
This art exhibit focuses on bringing the human aspect of mental illness to the forefront of that larger discussion. Each installation in the exhibit focuses on a single individual and their unique journey with mental illness.
The Art of Being ME is an extraordinary project created to ignite important conversations around mental health, and to amplify the human experience as we traverse it both individually and collectively. We are never alone, and this is a conversation that must be normalized and talked about in all spaces with total transparency.
Randy Bacon, photographer
October is Emotional Wellness Month, and an excellent time to explore this multi-faceted exhibit. The library is also displaying “Below the Surface” through December 16, by UMKC sociology student Jacob Lobdell, whose work consists of a series of self-portraits depicting different mental disorders. The exhibit’s installation in our First Floor Gallery coincides with Mental Illness Awareness Week, observed October 2-8. UMKC designates October as Social Justice Month, so visitors can also take advantage of our Social Justice Book Display centered around Kim Nielsen’s “A Disability History of the United States” and the experiences of disabled individuals.
Join the conversation today and take in “The Art of Being ME.” The exhibit can be viewed any time the library is open.
