Community invited to view and vote on artwork, take the pledge, and spread hope
Traverse City, Mich. – Munson Healthcare today announced the opening of the Voices for Recovery Digital Art Exhibition, an innovative virtual gallery designed to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and inspire hope for individuals impacted by substance use disorder (SUD). Over the last six weeks, community members submitted more than 90 artworks as part of Munson Healthcare’s annual community health “Voices” initiative.
Munson Healthcare launched the Voices art contest during the pandemic. Each year, a new theme is selected, and community members are invited to share artwork telling their story around that topic. This year’s theme is: Recovery from SUD. The virtual exhibition features a diverse collection of artworks including paintings, photographs, poetry, mixed media works, and more, each piece contributing to a larger message of hope and healing.
“Our Voices for Recovery Art initiative is a unique way to raise awareness and reduce stigma around substance use disorder and better tell the very real stories of our community members battling this disease,” said Megan Brown, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer for Munson Healthcare. “We invite the public to view this virtual gallery and provide your votes, feedback and reactions in support of these talented artists and neighbors in recovery.”
It includes work from artists like Munson’s own Peer Recovery Coach, Paul Bock, who shares how he reflected on his life and healed in treatment, achieving recovery while polishing the Petoskey Stone he submitted to this contest. His stone is submitted along with a poem that he wrote for his daughter while working toward recovery.
“That [gifting my daughter this stone and poem] was a special moment for me. I hope that someone may read this, know and understand that they are not alone. Recovery IS possible,” said Paul Bock, Munson Healthcare Peer Recovery Coach.
The community is invited to view Paul’s work, along with more than 90 other submissions by artists who bravely submitted their stories. The exhibit may be found online at: recovery.voicesforcommunityhealth.org.
Viewers can provide support through digital gallery comment features and by taking the pledge to use person-first, stigma-free language when talking about substance use disorders.
About Munson Voices for Recovery:
Munson Voices for Recovery is a program dedicated to supporting individuals affected by substance use disorder through education, advocacy, and community-based initiatives. We work to reduce stigma, provide resources for recovery, and empower those on their journey to a healthier life.
For more information about the exhibition and to take the pledge, please visit recovery.voicesforcommunityhealth.org or email voices@mhc.net.