The Fresh A.I.R. Show: Artists In Recovery is an ongoing creative project conceived by Michael Hamers in the spring of 2013. The main message is one of displaying strength, hope and joy that many have found through their artwork and recovery. The inaugural public group show took place in January 2014 at the Firehouse Art Center in Longmont followed by another group show in August – September at NCAR. An ongoing intermittent series of shows is in the planning and they will be taking place in various public access venues across Boulder County.

CALL FOR ENTRIES — “ART AS MEDICINE” (until Dec. 15th, 2016)
The 3rd Fresh A.I.R. group art exhibit, entitled “Art As Medicine”, will be hosted by Boulder, Colorado’s Dairy Arts Center from January 13th to February 26, 2017. Fresh A.I.R. Shows celebrate the power of art to heal and/or cope with overcoming debilitating human circumstances.

  • We are currently seeking visual artists who have used “art as medicine” in their Recovery — from chronic depression, recovery from alcohol or drugs, PTSD, severe physical trauma, overcoming grief or life-threatening / life-altering diseases like Parkinson’s, cancer, etc. Previous Fresh A.I.R. exhibitions were held at the Firehouse Art Gallery, Longmont, CO and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), Boulder, CO. (See below.)
  • Art that is submitted need not relate directly to the artist’s healing process, although submission of art on this theme is strongly encouraged.
  • Each artist must submit an ARTIST’S STATEMENT (limit 250 words max.) of the role that making art has had in their healing or recovery process. These statements will be included in the exhibit to accompany your artwork and may influence your acceptance into the show. Submittal details and online registration is at https://ArtAsMedicine.ArtCall.org.

SPONSORSHIPS AND DONATIONS
Both the Fresh A.I.R. shows and ENLIGHTEN UP! programs are in constant need of sponsorships and donations from the community to help pay for marketing, advertising, rental expenses associated with the call for entries, artist awards and other expenses.

Both programs were created and organized by Michael Hamers and are approved to seek tax-deductible contributions through the Fiscal Sponsorship 501c3 Re-granting Program of Boulder County Arts Alliance (BCAA). If you wish to be a Sponsor or to make a donation and receive a tax-deductible receipt for your taxes, please contact Mike Hamers for quick and easy procedure at mike@lightspeedca.net.

If you wish to DONATE without paperwork you can do so with your PayPal (or major credit card) account. Click the “Donate Here” button to the secure PayPal donation page. All donatations, big or small, are greatly appreciated.

ENLIGHTEN UP! is a one-day Conference, open to the public, based on various modalities for creating joy through a combination of understanding the science and psychology behind depression and addiction and the role that knowledge, art, music, dance, yoga, language, journaling, leadership skills, and humor have on the human psyche to elevate the spirit to rise above and flourish again.

The talks cover a wide variety of topics including: dealing with Grief, overcoming Depression, the role of Spirituality, the Body-Brain Connection, Humor, the use of Language and taking Effective Action, Neurosculpting, Art Therapy, releasing past Trauma and more. — Event details to be posted in early 2017

Firehouse Art Center

JANUARY 2014 / FIREHOUSE ART CENTER, Longmont, CO
Theme: “Out of the Black and into the Blue”
This inaugural group art show had 12 artists showing 21 pieces that opened on the New Year celebration. The show was well-attended and a good amount of artwork was sold or commissioned at the month-long event.

NCAR COMMUNITY GALLERY

AUGUST & SEPTEMBER 2014 / NCAR GALLERY, Boulder, CO
Theme: “Through Art, Visions and Dreams the Light Comes Through”
18 “artists in recovery” displayed 79 pieces at this 2-month long publicly-viewed show. We held two Artist Receptions, one in each month — both with food and live music. Again, the show was well-recieved and the receptions were well-attended.