Drawing by Elisif Bruun.
The theme draws its name from the groundbreaking 1996 book Touched with Fire: Manic-Depressive Illness and the Artistic Temperament, by renowned psychologist Kay Redfield Jamison. The same driving discomfort leading to substance misuse and desperate behaviors also may yield extraordinary creativity: grand gifts to the rest of us born of incomparable urgency. Touched with Fire: Behind the Curtain presents uplifting and life-affirming art alongside words and journal entries that reveal a harrowing darkness: how to reconcile these two internal forces?
Artists featured in the exhibition include Elisif Bruun, Emily Ruggles Holman, Christopher Kojzar, Jonathan P. Maser, and Rob Waalkes.
Art Gallery, Arts & Humanities Hall, CCBC Essex
October 9, 2015, 6:00 - 8:00pm
Opening reception for Touched with Fire: Behind the Curtain, an exhibition featuring uplifting and life-affirming art alongside words and journal entries which reveal a harrowing darkness: how to reconcile these two internal forces? Exhibiting…
Arts & Humanities Hall, Recital Hall, CCBC Essex
October 17, 2015, 5:00 - 7:00pm
Part of the New Day Campaign 2015 Film Series, and shown in conjunction with Touched with Fire: Behind the Curtain at CCBC Essex, Crazy Art (2009) is a compelling, revealing examination of the therapeutic relationship between art and mental illness.…
Arts & Humanities Hall, Recital Hall, CCBC Essex
October 28, 2015, 1:00 - 2:30pm
In the first of a three-part 2015 Talking Touched with Fire Series, creative people come together to share their reflections on the relationship between mental illness, addiction, and creativity. The event opens with a mindfulness experience led by…