“Unpack Your Mind”: A group show by artists with Mental Health challenges
Schedule
Sat, 11 Apr, 2026 at 06:00 pm
UTC-07:00Location
3015 Ocean Park Blvd., Santa Monica, CA, United States, California 90405 | Santa Monica, CA
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EXHIBITION: “Unpack Your Mind”: A group show by artists with Mental Health challengesEXHIBITION DATES: April 11 – June 20
RECEPTION: Saturday, April 11, 6-8pm
EVENTS: Artist-Patient/Medical Professional Conversation, Open Mic, Webern Quartet (and a complete list at opening reception)
GALLERY HOURS: Thursdays – Saturdays, 11am-5pm and by appointment
LOCATION: dnj Gallery, 3015 Ocean Park Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90405
CONTACT: [email protected]
WEBSITE: https://www.dnjgallery.net
Pamela Schoenberg, owner/director of dnj Gallery, and Ted Meyer, founder of Art and Med, are delighted to present the exhibition, “Unpack your Mind”: a group show by artists with mental health conditions. The Art and Med program, curated by dnj Gallery, includes a ten-week exhibit and corresponding, community-focused events, all highlighting a chronic disease. The Art and Med program is designed to increase awareness, further education, and raise funds for charities.
In the Spring of 2024, Pamela Schoenberg brought the Art and Med program to dnj Gallery. During the pandemic, she studied nutritional science, and then, in 2023, she received her certification as a registered Health Coach. By combining her two passions—art and health—Schoenberg currently displays fine art that calls attention to certain health illnesses. She stresses the current mission to provide a platform for sharing experiences related to these chronic conditions.
The Art and Med curriculum highlights the voice of the artist/patient. Originally, the program was designed by Ted Meyer, artist-in-residence at the USC Keck School of Medicine, for use in medical schools. These visual lessons were used by the schools to illustrate the specific illness and thus emphasize the perspective of the patient. In other words, Meyer reveals a commitment to utilizing art as a tool to support individuals.
Our next exhibition deals with mental health conditions. Globally, more than a billion people live with mental health issues. A state of mental well-being allows individuals to manage the stresses of life, work productively, realize their abilities, and contribute to their community. Mental health usually exists in a range. Everyone is different. Some people who are given difficult situations are at a greater risk for developing mental health conditions. These conditions include mental disorders, psychosocial disabilities, and other mental states associated with significant distress, impairment in functioning, or risk of self-harm.
dnj Gallery will join with Didi Hirsh Mental Health Services as our community partner for this upcoming exhibition. Didi Hirsch provides compassionate mental health, substance use, and suicide prevention services to individuals and families, especially in communities where discrimination and injustice limit access. They have nine locations throughout the Los Angeles area, offering direct treatment and support, crisis services, and community education and training. The Art and Med program at dnj Gallery is very thankful for this partnership.
Art is an expressive method used to process emotions, reduce stress, and boost self-awareness. Some might say that it is a means to survival. Similarly, as Mila Fejzo states, “I use the imaginary realm [the paintings] as a way to cope, process, and make sense of intense internal experiences.” No matter the media, it is the development of the art piece that aids in healing. In her artist statement, Kristine Schomaker explains: “[it is] making the invisible visible. Getting it out of my head and onto a surface where I can actually look at it and ask: is this real? Is this concrete? Or, is it made of dots and color and light?” The remaining artists in this group exhibition react to their mental health experiences through art-making as well.
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Where is it happening?
3015 Ocean Park Blvd., Santa Monica, CA, United States, California 90405Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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