From Studio to Set to Gallery: Illuminate!
September 19, 2016– Local at-risk youth and young people with mental illness will see their art featured in the newest exhibition at the Endicott College Manninen Center for the Arts. Express Yourself: Illuminate 2016 includes works made through the Beverly-based arts immersion program Express Yourself, Inc., which helps members learn to express themselves in healthy, positive ways using a variety of creative means, and in the process, discover inner strengths and a sense of connection with others.
The exhibition Express Yourself: Illuminate 2016 is the culmination of artwork from over 300 youth along with nationally recognized guest artists who collaborate, create, and perform at the annual year-end celebration at the Citi Wang Theater. The exhibition is located in the Walter J. Manninen Center for the Arts at Endicott College from August 26 – October 17, 2016. The reception for this exhibition is on Thursday, September 22, from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. Free and open to the Public
Express Yourself also collaborates with schools from neighboring towns and cities, including Endicott College Art Therapy Students. This year in an effort to bring together the arts and science, Express Yourself staff and staff from the Hannah School in Beverly created a STEM core curriculum exploring the characteristics of bioluminescence through the creative arts. Sixty youth from the Hannah School created multiple art pieces throughout the sessions that culminated the bioluminescent cave, a large scale set piece on exhibit. Hannah students processed in front of their bioluminescent cave piece across the Wang Theater during the Express Yourself performance in May 2016.
Over the past 26 years, Express Yourself has developed a team of creative professionals who care deeply about their community. Co-Creator Paula Conrad states, “We know that art can heal and change lives — we see it happen every day. Our team is committed to being a positive, consistent presence in the lives of the youth we serve.”
Meet the Express Yourself creative team on Thursday, September 22 from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. for a lively reception where you can dance to the music by the Express Yourself musicians and be mesmerized by the Express Yourself Drummers along with jazz musician Stan Strickland. The exhibition, reception, and performance are free and open to the public.
This program is made possible in part by the support from the van Otterloo Family Foundation and Endicott College.
If you have any questions regarding the Express Yourself: Illuminate Exhibition and reception, or any of the related programming, or you are interested in having a gallery talk for your group, please contact Kathleen Moore at 978-232-2655 or kmoore@endicott.edu. If you are interested in learning more about Express Yourself, Inc., please see their website at: www.exyo.org
Express Yourself: Illuminate Exhibition
Friday, August 26 – Monday, October 17, 2016
Carol Grillo Gallery and Desnoyers Overlook
Reception and Performance: Thursday, September 22nd, 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Express Yourself Musicians and Drummers
Free and Open to the Public – Handicap Accessible Building
Gallery Hours: Monday – Friday: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
After September 11, Monday – Thursday: 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Friday: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Saturday + Sunday: 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Closed on September 5, October 10