Heart of Hope Exhibit

4th Annual Heart of Hope Exhibit

Celebrating hope and perseverance through the arts

September 9 through October 7, 2022

Artist Submissions due August 29th

Opening Reception on September 9 from 5-7 pm

For more information  and to PRE-REGISTER your artwork for this show, contact us at 209-256-8166, info@amadorarts.org.

CALL TO ARTISTS: The Amador Arts Council is seeking artists to display their work for public viewing during the fourth annual Heart of Hope Exhibit, September 9 – October 7, 2022. Heart of Hope is an educational arts exhibit produced in partnership with the Amador County Department of Behavioral Health and the Amador Suicide Prevention Coalition (“Amador SPEAK”).

All Amador County-based artists are invited to submit work for this show, which are due by August 29, 2022. Artists need to contact Amador Arts ahead of time to pre-register your entries to this exhibit. Non-juried. No fee to participate. Limit 4 pieces per artist. Pieces may be for sale with 30% commission going to support Amador Arts free art classes in the public schools. Submissions can be made at the Amador Arts office located at 229 New York Ranch Road in Jackson, California and must be ready to display. Artists of all ages are welcome to submit works that honor our theme of hope, perseverance, and/or mental health awareness. This exhibit is open to artists of all modalities, including but not limited to visual arts, music, dance, media, theater, literary, and industrial arts. Previous shows have included a range of works from poetry to traditional painting, woodworking, and weaving.

The Heart of Hope showcase will be on display for public viewing within the Amador County Senior Center, and will open with a reception on September 9 from 5-7pm at First 5 Amador 975 Broadway Jackson Ca 95642. This event will feature performances from local singer-songwriter C.H.A.D. The Guinea Pig and Friends, along with resources and speakers from Amador SPEAK and Amador Department of Behavioral Health.

“We know that the arts have a huge impact on mental and emotional wellbeing,” says Amador Arts Executive Director Meghan O’Keefe. “So we are very happy to create opportunities for both showing art and talking about those benefits in relation to suicide awareness in a face-to-face environment.” 

According to data compiled by Americans for the Arts, a national nonprofit arts organization, access to the arts is a crucial resource for those struggling with mental and physical health challenges. “As our collective understanding of healing, prevention, and next-generation practices and therapies evolve, it is becoming increasingly clear that arts and culture-based interventions offer promise in new and surprising ways,” the organization stated. 

The Americans for the Arts Research Round-Up 2022 also found that arts participation is a social determinant of health and children who participate in the arts are approximately 20% less likely to experience loneliness. Seniors are similarly likely to benefit from arts exposure, with research from the same report showing senior citizens are half as likely to have disabilities and age-related health issues when engaged with the arts and culture. Similarly, according to data from Duke University, 50% of hospitals offer arts programming to increase positive outcomes for patients and shorten hospital stays. Reference.

“While this show happens just once a year, we have a 365-day-per-year commitment to talking about mental health and suicide awareness as a community,” says O’Keefe. “Amador Arts is here all year to provide access to arts resources for everyone so that we can all experience the mental and physical benefits of the arts. Amador County has alarmingly high rates of suicide and self-harm. It is only together as a community that we can make positive impacts on our collective mental health and wellness. We hope that all local artists contribute to this inspiring and educational exhibit.”

For more information on the Amador Arts Council, the Heart of Hope show, or to speak with one of our representatives about supporting this critical work please contact Deja Douglas at (209) 256-8166, deja@amadorarts.org.