Students participating in the 5th Annual Washington State University Cougs for Recovery Art Exhibition on Friday, Nov. 13, consider it a unique opportunity for them to be seen, heard, and felt on campus.
The exhibition, officially titled By Light & By Darkness Art Catalog Release Party, will take place in the WSU Fine Arts Center (across from the IT Building on the Pullman campus), 5-7 p.m., in room 7062. It is free and open to the WSU community.
Cougs for Recovery (CfR) is a program in Cougar Health Services (CHS) that supports students in recovery or who are contemplating recovery, and allies, to enhance academic success and wellbeing.
Patricia Maarhuis, manager of WSU’s Harm Reduction & Recovery Services (HRRS) in CHS, said the event is organized in partnership with the Department of Art, and it is much anticipated every year in the CfR community. The exhibition will feature visual and written artwork exploring recovery, identity, perseverance, and transcendence.
“When people are in a healing process, or trying to make changes in their life or make sense of what happened, it is often important to share it and feel as if you belong to something bigger than yourself,” Maarhuis said. “That’s what the art show is about.”
Creative outlets aid recovery
Christian Wentzell, a Ph.D. candidate in chemistry and CfR recovery coach, is both excited and nervous to share his art in the exhibition. Wentzell has been struggling with behavioral addictions since the age of 11 and said he needs a creative outlet to help him in his recovery.
Always one to doodle in class, Wentzell decided to submit a photo and created two art pieces for the show. One of the art pieces uses symbolism to convey the message that some people struggling with addiction have a perfect life but somehow still feel empty. The other features imagery hinting at self-harm.
Creating this art, he said, has led him to bear his soul more than anything he has done in his life, and he is hopeful others will understand and relate to it.
“I think a lot in concepts, and words can only convey so much,” Wentzell said. “Art is a way for me to let out some of the intangible things that I can’t articulate, while also letting other people in.”
Students are not alone
Some student artists will talk about their art during a panel discussion and answer questions. Information about the artists and their artwork will also be featured in the exhibition’s By Light & By Darkness Art Catalog, made available to every attendee.
Lexani Barajas, a junior communications major and CfR coach, is the catalog’s digital editor and curator. She has been working feverishly for weeks gathering and editing content and laying out the pages.
The experience she gains meeting deadlines, interacting with the artists, and making key decisions, will be a nice addition to her resume, but she said her devotion to the project is more about providing support for students in the recovery community by helping them get published and raising awareness about students in recovery.
“I think the way these students are sharing their experiences through art is very fascinating, smart, and courageous,” Barajas said. “By being included in the catalog, they can see they are not alone and they have this special bond with each other.”
For more information about the art exhibition, email cougs.forrecovery@wsu.edu.
