Photo Slideshow: How a Community Uses Art to Teach About Health
Text and slideshow by Michelle Badash of Wakefield, Massachusetts Artwork from Health Through Art in Berkeley, California
Think about how many ads you see or hear each day. Billboards, radio, TV, internet, direct mail – the mediums have multiplied, and the range of products is virtually endless. And frequently, the biggest advertisers promote products and lifestyles that undermine health: glamorous spreads that feature anorexic models, and ads for alcohol, soda, fast food, junk food, medications to make you speed up, slow down, sleep, lose weight are everywhere.
Twenty years ago, Tisha Kenny, a registered nurse with a master’s degree in public health and an avid interest in art, started to think about the effect of this relentless advertising– not only on individuals, but on communities as a whole. What would happen if communities were instead exposed to messages that promoted healing and healthy lifestyles in a vibrant, arresting, and unique way?
With this idea, she founded Health Through Art (HTA) in Berkeley, California – an organization that focuses on promoting health and wellness of the community, and helps "counteract the power of advertisers and mass media to entice citizens into unhealthy attitudes and behaviors."
How do they do this? Every 2 years, HTA puts out a "Call to Art" which encourages people in the community to submit original artwork that expresses a healthy, positive theme. Suggested themes are derived from HTA’s active work with community members, focus groups and public health organizations to identify issues that are the biggest obstacles to physical and emotional health in the Bay Area community. Previously, these have included issues such as substance abuse, smoking, racism, violence, and stereotyping.
Close to 2,000 community members have participated in the HTA project since its inception. Some have been professional artists, Vietnam War vets, homeless mothers, people in recovery, graphic designers, musicians, teachers, and prisoners. Artists have ranged from age 5 to age 90.
All art submissions become part of a Roving Art Show, which is posted free by request in libraries, community centers, businesses, etc. for a minimum of one month. A total of 5-10 pieces of art are selected as the winning entries for media campaigns, such as billboards, posters, and banners that are posted throughout the community.
During the last two decades, HTA has posted more than 8,000 outdoor and transit billboards and tens of thousands of posters, magnets, stickers, and cards. "It’s a way to let community health speak instead of the advertisers," says Kenny. And the impact on the community has been significant and heartfelt.
As one viewer of the Roving Art Show wrote: "I wanted to thank you for the connection to family that your art provided to the men who come to The Society of St. Vincent DePaul of Alameda County’s Champion Guidance Center. It is a privilege and a vital resource to have had your help and the exhibit here at the center. The message to our men is and was undeniable: "What we do has an impact: on our spouses, children, and ourselves." Healthy and unhealthy behavior has its consequences. This is how we change a culture."
For examples of Health Through Art posters and media campaigns, please view the slideshow below.
