On Friday, March 29, I attended the opening of the art exhibit, the Incredible Intensity of Just Being Human, which is a provocative art exhibit designed to explore the stigma of mental illness. The event, which took place at artEast Art Center in Issaquah, WA, was very well-attended, with a talks given earlier in the evening by Ellen Forney, award winning author and graphic novelist, and Kate Vrijmoet, exhibit curator. Live music by Issaquah School District Evergreen Orchestra String Quartet, including selections from composers with known mental illnesses.

I had my camera in hand, so I shot a little footage of the festivities, which you can watch below. I will be back in Issaquah over the next few weeks to record several panel presentations with artists and mental health care professionals involved in this exhibit. Congratulations to Kate for a great kick-off to this incredible series of important events!