The Sunshine Coast Private Hospital is calling on local artists to share their experiences of mental health by contributing artwork to its fourth annual Mental Health Week Art Exhibition.
The ‘Path to Wellness’ exhibition will be held at the hospital’s Cooinda Mental Health Service on Thursday 13 October and will feature works of art in the categories of painting, calligraphy, indigenous, recycled, photography, craft and sculpture.
Mental Health Week aims to increase community awareness about mental health issues between October 9 and 15, including World Mental Health Day on October 10.
The Sunshine Coast Private Hospital General Manager, Wallis Westbrook, said each artist can contribute a maximum of two artworks in any medium and can submit their artworks by visiting www.sunshinecoasthospital.com.au/artexhibition.
“This event aims to bring people together to raise the profile of mental health in the community,” Mr Westbrook said.
“Mental health is too often misunderstood and hidden away behind closed doors and as a result people are made to feel embarrassed or ashamed,” he said.
“But there’s no need for people to feel embarrassed because one in five Australians suffer from mental illness each year and practically everyone knows someone who is impacted by conditions such as depression or anxiety.”
The exhibition will be a combination of art and entertainment by local musicians and a ‘People’s Choice Award’ will be presented on the evening.
The Cooinda Mental Health Service is an $11 million 33-bed facility which The Sunshine Coast Private Hospital at Buderim opened in 2013 to meet the growing need for mental health services on the Sunshine Coast.
The Sunshine Coast Private Hospital has been serving the community since 1980 and is part of UnitingCare Health - one of the largest not-for-profit private hospital groups in Queensland which operates more than 1000 licensed beds across four hospitals.