How can art help to improve mental health and wellbeing, particularly in communities of color? Join visual artist J. Travis and art therapist Stacy Blecher for a free conversation on artistry and mental health. Travis will discuss her experiences developing Assuage HER, a local program that provides free tailored art classes to support women experiencing anxiety and stress, with a focus on Black women and women of color. Blecher will then discuss the formal profession of art therapy and how art can be utilized in a structured therapeutic environment. Following this discussion, J. Travis will lead attendees through a guided, hands-on art experience.

This event is free to attend, but registration is required.

This event is presented as part of The University of Akron’s annual Rethinking Race event series. It is presented in partnership with Direction Home Akron Canton and ZipAssist, with financial support provided by the ODHE Mental Health Support grant.

Location

The event will take place on the 3rd floor of the Cummings Center for the History of Psychology. The street address is 73 S. College Street Akron, Ohio 44325-4302 (on the corner of Mill and College Streets).

Accessibility

A wheelchair accessible ramp is located on the northeast side of the building, near the main entrance. The event will take place on the 3rd floor, accessible via an interior elevator. A wheelchair is available to loan for those visiting. Please contact us ahead of time with any accessibility requirements so we can work together to make your visit comfortable.

For more information, see our accessibility page: https://uakron.edu/chp/about-us/accessibility.

Parking

Paid parking is available in the lot directly adjacent to the building. This lot contains a dedicated accessible parking spot near the museum entrance. Parking can be paid via QR code or text message. Additional paid parking is available in Lot 30 on the corner of College and Market Streets, and 2 hour metered parking is available along College Street.

For rates and meter fees, visit our Accessibility page.

Transit

Local bus service is provided by Akron Metro. Stops closest to the Cummings Center are at Mill & College; E. Market & College; and Main & E. Bowery St. Further route details are available from Akron Metro.

For University of Akron students, faculty, and staff, the Roo Express stops at the nearby College St. Circle and at Fir Hill Towers.

About the Cummings Center

The Drs. Nicholas & Dorothy Cummings Center for the History of Psychology (CCHP) cares for, provides access to, and interprets the historical record of psychology and related human sciences. The Center is the home to the Archives of the History of American Psychology (AHAP) and the National Museum of Psychology (NMP), as well as the interdisciplinary Institute for Human Science and Culture (IHSC). Visit https://uakron.edu/chp/