Anthony Benavidez is honored to be the featured artist of Transitions-Mental Health Association’s 2016 Opening Minds art show. So much so that he created a mosaic piece specifically for the show called Skull Therapy.
“It is a celebration of life and my road to recovery. The decorative skulls are a tribute to my culture and favorite holiday Dia De Los Muertos, which is a celebration of one’s life,” Benavidez said. “Since my suicide attempt I have been on an inspirational movement that has turned my life completely around, so my piece is dedicated to a few of the organizations that have made an impact on my life and recovery and I thank them.”
Skull Therapy #1: “Transitions-Mental Health Association (TMHA) and the Wellness Centers is where I got my start in my mental health movement and I’ve never looked back.”
Skull Therapy #2: “The Peer Advisory & Advocacy Team (PAAT) was the first group I went to and met some of the most amazing people that have become a huge part of my work, friendship and recovery.”
Skull Therapy #3: “Each Mind Matters and the lime green awareness ribbon helps me promote mental wellness. I believe Each Mind does matter and that is with me at all times since having it tattooed on me. I really resonated with their message and their goal to advance mental health and equality.”
Skull Therapy #4: “The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) hosts an Out of the Darkness walk that I helped to organize along with my teenage kids. It was a huge inspiration when I saw the turnout on that hot day in October, knowing that we affected that many people’s lives. My son has since become an advocate and shares his experiences with his classmates at school.”
Skull Therapy #5: “The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and their Family-to-Family class was one of the greatest classes I have ever taken. I met several families that were dealing with some of the same issues my family and I were having and I thank them for all the coping skills. I am still involved with NAMI and the people I met through that class. I also took NAMI’s Peer-to-Peer class to explore the recovery process. The course has helped many people learn to live WITH their mental illness, as opposed to living IN and being trapped by their mental illness.”
Skull Therapy #6: Project Semicolon aims to restore hope and confidence in people who are troubled by addiction, depression, self-harm, and suicide. “My oldest child introduced me to this project and we recently got our wrists tattooed with the semi-colon to let people know our stories aren’t over and our life shall continue.”
Benavidez’s piece and over 100 other works will be on display at the Steynberg Gallery located at 1531 Monterey Street in San Luis Obispo from May 6 to May 29. An opening reception will be held Friday, May 6, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The show is open daily from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. The reception and show are open and free to the public.
Opening Minds is a community art show in celebration of living mentally well. The Opening Minds art show was first developed in 1995 to offer people with mental illness an avenue for personal expression and a venue to share art with the public. The show has since expanded to include the entire mental health community: those in recovery, their family and friends, service providers and more. TMHA’s goal remains the same today: to help the community see that people should not be defined in terms of their illness but by their strengths, gifts and by the contributions they make to society.
“People of all ages from the mental health community are invited to submit entries of artistic expression to the 2016 Opening Minds Art Show,” said show coordinator Meghan Madsen.
This year’s featured artist, Benavidez has lived in San Luis Obispo since 2011 and first connected with Transitions-Mental Health Association a few years ago while exploring services for a family member. “We had a loved one who was struggling and that made me concerned for all of us as a family,” said Benavidez.
Someone recommended that he check out the Hope House Wellness Center in San Luis Obispo. “I met some amazing people who I felt connected with during that first visit,” said Benavidez. “I realized that in order to help my loved one I first needed to help myself.” He became a volunteer at the Wellness Center and continued to learn about mental health services in the community. “There is help out there if you make the effort to look for it.”
It was at Hope House that he learned about the Peer Advisory & Advocacy Team (PAAT). PAAT is a committee of peers that work to advocate for those served by the mental health system, educate our community about mental illness, promote wellness and recovery, reduce stigma, and provide support for those living with a mental illness. Benavidez attended a meeting and fell right into place. He became an official member of the group in January 2015. Through his engagement with PAAT, Benavidez often volunteers with Growing Grounds Downtown Store at Farmer’s Markets. “That is a great was to outreach to the community about mental health and the services that TMHA offers,” said Benavidez.
Benavidez was hired by TMHA over a year ago, first as a program mentor, and then in October he joined the Forensic Re-Entry Services team. As a Personal Services Specialist, Benavidez provides support for adult offenders with a severe mental illness who are being discharged from the jail to the community. Benavidez connects them to appropriate health and community services for mental health treatment, physical health treatment, food and clothing assistance, transportation assistance, drug and alcohol recovery, housing and vocational referrals. “This approach is designed to assist clients in their transition to the community to avoid criminal recidivism, reduce harm from substance abuse, and recover functioning while managing mental illness,” explained Benavidez.
Benavidez is a member of the Suicide Prevention Council of San Luis Obispo County, which meets quarterly and aims to prevent suicide and respond to the impact of suicide in a culturally sensitive way through community collaboration between agencies, organizations and citizens by means of public education, training, advocacy and the sharing of resources.
Art runs in Benavidez’s family and he has been artistically talented since childhood winning many art contests. “It just came to me and really touched my heart,” said Benavidez. “After a bad week, a blank canvas can just shift me from a negative to a positive place. I just zone out with music and create. A finished piece is comforting and when my art is appreciated it gives me a calming feeling.”
Benavidez uses acrylics, pencils, pens and markers most often, but has also worked with watercolor. He was also a tattoo artist for 10 years.
Opening Minds is presented by Transitions-Mental Health Association’s peer advisory and advocacy team and San Luis Obispo County Behavioral Health Services. The show is funded by the Mental Health Services Act (Proposition 63).
For 65 years, Mental Health America has led the observance of May is Mental Health Month by reaching millions of people through the media, local events and screenings. TMHA supports this effort locally by hosting Opening Minds during this time.