Photo by Guttenberg Arts.
The most powerful thing you can do is exist.
And that’s what Mercy Villa and Rocky Tishma are trying to amplify through their soon-to-start art therapy program at Guttenberg Arts called “Narrative Expressions.” Both Villa and Tishma explained to Slice of Culture the importance of expression in different forms, especially in times of “marginalized depression,” and how the meaning and comfort becomes even greater when you have a group of people to do it with—which is one of the goals of Narrative Expressions.
“When I was growing up, it felt like there were a lot of programs that were just very segregated. There were things for LGBTQ, there were things for people of color…,” Tishma said.
“And so I was really excited that we are trying to create an art therapy program that is for everyone because when we get to share our stories and share our empathy, we get to learn more about the people who look and act like me and maybe the people that don’t think as much like me to create a more cohesive community.”
Guttenberg Arts Narrative Expressions is a free nine-week art therapy program that is designed to “support youth in exploring identity, self-expression and emotional literacy through art.” This means that the participants will mesh therapy and art techniques to navigate their way through self-discovery and creative self-empowerment.
It’s slated to launch in March, but until then, Villa, Tishma and other Guttenberg Arts members are working on fundraisers and community events to help fund the art therapy program and ensure it won’t cost a dine to the students.
Creating Art → Creating Community
Narrative Expressions was born between Villa, Tishma and Russ Spitkovsky, the Guttenberg Arts director.
Villa works with a number of local youth programs, Tishma is a therapist and Spitkovsky runs the 6903 Jackson Street center. Leaning into their strengths, they questioned: “How can we come together to create something needed?”
Soon enough, they found their answer, and choosing Guttenberg as the hub for this movement made even more sense.
“[There’s been an] inaccessibility to earth spaces. So not just transportation wise, but also financially [inaccessibility for] art classes. Even accessing an art creative space is not something youth or many families can afford, especially with our local public educational systems, [they] sometimes [fail] at providing youth with enough artistic creative spaces and outlets,” Villa explained.
“This is just our way of giving back and making sure that our youth feel cared for and nurtured here in a space like Guttenberg Arts.”
Villa and Tishma told Slice of Culture that they were motivated to do this type of give-back-to-the-community-through-your-expertise work because of their own upbringings.
Villa always found art to be healing; whether it be journaling, reading, writing, photographs or painting, they explained it was a way to connect to not only themselves, but to others. To them, “the healing of art and being able to tell our stories in a way that is authentic to us, that is colorful to us is very beautiful.”
For Tishma, he has his own private practice in New York and primarily serves the youth. He emphasized that he chose his profession to be able to give back to “all” communities by offering resources, his knowledge and therapeutic skills to those who are being nurtured to become the future generation.
And for all of them—Villa, Tishma and Spitkovsky—Guttenberg Arts became a type of sanctuary for them.
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Expressing Yourself At Guttenberg Arts
The 4,500 square-feet artist studio was founded in 2014 and has since become a one-stop shop for printmaking, glassblowing, sculpture and ceramics. They consistently offer artist residencies, exhibitions and free and subsidized art classes.
The Jackson Street space also serves as a community garden and community event place—you might have seen their Squash Thing event or even Mosh For Art fundraiser.
And with the creation of the Narrative Expressions program, the roots of Guttenberg Arts’ mission continues to run deep.
“It feels especially good to know where and how your funds are specifically impacting youth and communities and artists who deserve to have a way of creating [art] and deserve a way of creating community with each other,” Villa said. “It feels really good to have Guttenberg Arts just being very transparent about how their funding supports our community and the accessibility to arts here.”
“The way in which this program was built is what I really love about this. And so being able to put into this space where it is a holistic thing… It’s mind, body, spirit and that includes art and creativity,” Tishma added.
“It leads into these interdisciplinary things that happen… We’re planting little seeds that will then grow into larger bits of the community.”
There will be an art component and then a group processing component in each week of the art therapy program. They will also utilize psychoeducation and therapy, pulling from modalities like Narrative Therapy, Internal Family Systems, Polyvagal Theory and identity exploration through social ecological mapping.
And for many, especially the local youth, they may have never experienced group therapy or any type of therapy; Tishma said this proves how now is a “great time” to start teaching them about these techniques.
Villa added that 10 middle school students and 10 high school students will get in for free, thanks to sponsors and donors, who they thanked in advance for allowing “our youth to experience for free at no cost to them.”
For anyone thinking of joining Narrative Expressions, Villa leaves you with this message:
“The most powerful thing you can do is exist. And the most powerful thing you can do is create, especially during times of marginalization depression, it’s important to really let your voice speak up and to just be who you are,” Villa said.
“I hope that our art program is a safe space for them to explore that together and to build solidarity with each other. One of our biggest hopes is that with creating together [and] spending time together, they’ll create connections that will feel like family, that will feel like [they] care and that will last so much.”
For further information on the program or where to donate, you can visit guttenbergarts.org/narrativeexpressions. You can also follow them on Instagram @guttenbergarts where they will announce any fundraiser or community events.
