Date:
November 5th at 1:00pm - February 21st at 1:00pm
Location:
RIT's City Art Space - 280 E Main St., Rochester NY
“Beyond Addiction: Reframing Recovery” is on view from Nov. 5, 2020 through Feb. 21, 2021 at RIT's City Art Space downtown. Face masks are required in the gallery.
There are millions of people in the U.S. who have successfully resolved a problem with drugs or alcohol, but we rarely see or hear their stories compared to depictions of addiction in media, art, music, and film. The goal of this exhibit is not just to show that recovery is possible, but also to highlight some of the ways people have rebuilt their lives: reconnecting with their families, finding work and stable housing, and developing meaningful relationships with partners, peers, and others who offer support. It also features some of the treatment providers and harm reduction services that many people rely on, often at times when they feel isolated and overwhelmed. Recovery is rarely a solo journey and it sometimes involves setbacks and hurdles, but the more we talk about it, share ideas, and embrace different paths, the more people will find their way.
Listen to a podcast of WXXI's Connections with Evan Dawson, recorded live on Thursday, November 5th to hear a conversation with Graham MacIndoe and Susan Stellin about the fall CES Storycraft Workshop they led on Storytelling About Addiction and Recovery . Curators Graham Macindoe and Susan Stellin on WXXI Connections.
Workshop participants included RIT students, such as Cheyenne Boone, local medical professionals and care providers, and artists in recovery or dealing with these subjects in their work and collaborations to come.
There will also be a panel discussion featuring our exhibit curators, Graham MacIndoe and Susan Stellin, and contributors Josh Meltzer, Nina Berman and her collaborator Kimberly Stevens, which will be shared via webinar on Tuesday, November 17 at 6:00 PM.
See the exhibit web site - www.reframingrecovery.org - for more information about the nationally renowned photographers it features, including Joshua Meltzer in RIT's School of Photographic Arts and Sciences. He collaborated with exhibit curators, Graham MacIndoe, MFA, a photographer and part-time Associate Professor at Parsons, and Susan Stellin, MPH, a writer, researcher, and adjunct professor in the Journalism + Design department at The New School.
The Center for Engaged Storycraft , which supports interdisciplinary projects and community-based collaborations of this kind, worked with Joshua Meltzer to organize this workshop, bring the exhibit to Rochester, and host our guest curators. Witht the support of the Rochester Academy of Medicine, CES was able to provide Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits to eligible workshop participants.
Additional articles and press about this workshop and exhibit include:
- Interview with Graham Macindoe and Susan Stellin on The Impossible Network
- Recovery Boot Camp article on the discussion, exhibition, the course, and everyone involved.
- "Students, community teacm up to change narratives around addiction and recovery" by Aaron Garland in the College of Art and Design News with great background on participants and the workshop and exhibit's larger aims.