Mad arts news, announcements

Anna Schuleit’s Flower Art in “Mass Mental”

Just before the infamous “Mass. Mental” (formally known as Massachusetts Mental Health Center) was being shut for good, artist Anna Schuleit created an art installation with nearly 28,000 potted flowers. Here are news items about the art event.

“Alphabet,” world social forum, psychiatry

A creative individual submitted an ‘alphabet’ about the mental health system to MindFreedom, that is intended to educate the World Social Forum.

Mad Arts Artist Wins Half Million Dollars

A New York City-based artist who works on transforming abandoned psychiatric institutions into memorials with art (such as Northampton State Hospital in Massachusetts) won a MacArthur “Genius Award” of $500,000.

Altered States of the Arts

The website, created by Ed Pazicky of Florida, is to celebrate the artistic spirit, the artists who have experienced the mental health system and who have used their talents in their recovery, and to demonstrate how art can be used for social change. We also provide information about arts programs in the country, give updates on arts events, and plan for a MAD Arts Festival in 2008.

New Album by Psychiatric Survivor Activist

Below is a press release concerning the release of Leah Harris’ new spoken word album, ‘Take Refuge.’

Reading Kafka Improves Learning, Suggests Psychology Study

A psychology study seems to say that ‘mad’ art — such as an absurdist Kafka story — may at times help the mind. The MAD PRIDE movement knew this already! The mind is neither chaos nor order, it’s ‘chaordic,’ on the edge twixt the two. (In other words, as we might say in a MindFreedom Normality Screening, “Why do turnips rotate counter-clockwise while floating around Pluto?”)