New Exhibit Opens to Destigmatize Mental Illness
Looking for the Light is an art exhibition and event series in Metro Detroit at Galerie Camille dedicated to the destigmatization of mental illness. In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month (May) the event’s mission is to confront the issue of mental illness in a celebratory, informational, and inspiring way – eschewing the shame and promoting help options. The event will be a three-week offering of art, counsel, education and fun, highlighting the unique spirit of artists and focusing on all aspects of mental health.
Inspired by the memory and collected works of late Detroit artist and musician Michael Francis Miller, Looking for the Light kicked off on May 13 with an opening reception featuring Miller’s -- and other local artists — works.
“My brother was such a beautiful, talented soul, and his cruel disease really wreaked havoc. As an artist, Michael kept fighting the disease, and in a sense, kept fighting to paint,” says event creator Dan John Miller, brother of the late Michael Francis Miller. “After his death in 2001, we stowed away his paintings in the basement, and I thought, 'I’ll organize a show of his work next year to honor him.”
“Then last year my stepdad died, and we moved my mom in with us. My sister challenged me to do something with Michael's paintings, and we discussed selling them cheap at the estate sale we were doing for my mom. That notion was a wake-up call. I felt like I’d been in a coma. I couldn’t believe 20 years had passed, and I’d done nothing.”
“We had a bunch of the paintings set up at the estate sale, and I looked at them with fresh eyes. The contrast of his exuberant colors and textures with the deep, emotional and spiritual heartache he'd felt was overwhelming. We knew we needed to honor not only his artistry, but also his advocacy, so we decided to put together a show of his work, with the goal of taking away the shame and fear of mental illness. But the show really didn’t get going until I talked to our friend Gretchen, who grabbed the bull by the horns and…"
“When Dan John called to brainstorm ways to honor his brother and his artwork, we thought a gallery reception and event series would be an impactful way to get the community involved,” says co-creator Gretchen Gonzales Davidson. “Mental health impacts us all. We want to shift awareness to remove its stigma, bring light to useful resources, and help people feel like they are not alone.”
Looking for the Light will feature different events including an Michigan Human Society panel focusing on the mental health benefits of pets, performance art by Biba Bell, music by Seedsmen to the World and Dan John Miller, a Midtown shopping fundraiser, meditation sessions with Afro Moone and Detroit Opera, and a meaningful caregiver panel at BasBlue presenting Dan John Miller and the much-honored Rabbi Daniel Syme, a beloved local religious leader and well-known suicide prevention advocate. Both Miller and Syme (both named Daniel) lost brothers (both named Michael) to mental illness.
About Michael Francis Miller
Michael Francis Miller was a prolific painter, poet and founding member of the storied Detroitbased psychobilly band Goober & the Peas. After receiving the daunting diagnosis of schizoeffective disorder (bi-polar and schizophrenia), he became an enthusiastic advocate for people struggling with their mental health. Looking for the Light is a way of continuing the important work Miller began many years ago, as sadly, he succumbed to the disease in 2001.
