Living Museum Exhibit To Open

The Living Museum exhibit will open at the Ethical Humanist Society of Long Island, located at 38 Old Country Road in Garden City, from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 28, and continue from noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 29. Admission is free.

The Living Museum is the first museum in the United States dedicated to the production and collection of art by people with mental illness. Under the direction of Dr. Marton and located on the grounds of Creedmoor Hospital, the Living Museum has been for 25 years the creative home of more than 800 mentally ill people. It is not only a facility for art therapy but has also become an outlet where people come together to celebrate art. At the museum, says Dr. Marton, "There is a freedom from convention. Everyone fits in. Everyone has something to say. And personal expression helps play a positive role in one's self-esteem and recovery." Client artwork has been shown at SoHo galleries and is currently traveling in an exhibit to various art galleries around the country. Come view, and purchase, the work of these gifted artists.

The HBO film "The Living Museum," featuring Dr. Janos Marton and the artists talking about their lives and their work, will be shown on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

On Sunday at 11 a.m. Dr. Marton will give a talk on "From Art Therapy to Art: The Living Museum." An artist himself, Dr. Marton has always been interested in the therapeutic use of media and art. The Living Museum houses the first and largest collection of art created by people with mental illness in the United States. Following his talk, the writers and poets of the Living Museum Writing Project will read from their work and answer audience questions.

All events are free and reservations are not necessary.

For more information, call Anne Kaleysen at the Ethical Humanist Society at (516) 741-7304.