The power of art extends beyond its ability to uplift, inspire, and ennoble. Art is also a great healer. It can be a comforter; a teacher; a guide to understanding and growth for our mind, emotions, and spirit. Under the guidance of a professional art therapist, art is used in two ways at Louisville’s Center for Women and Families: as a tool for expression and healing by the women, men, and children who have been victims of intimate abuse and economic hardship, and as a way to educate the public and generate awareness about these issues.

In February 2005, Mixed Media paid a visit to “Recovering Is a Beautiful Thing,” a collection of works created at the center that illustrate that healing power.

The exhibit, on display through mid-March at the Louisville Free Public Library, was organized around six themes: “Finding Hope in My Heart,” “Tiles Us All Together,” “Walk a Mile in My Shoes,” “Out from Behind My Masks,” “Head and Heart Dolls,” and “Paper People.”

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Wood carver LaVon Williams; the African American Theatre Program at the University of Louisville; the “Recovering Is a Beautiful Thing” art exhibit; and music by the Big Maracas, a Latin band from Lexington. (#718)

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Wood carver LaVon Williams; the African American Theatre Program at the University of Louisville; the “Recovering Is a Beautiful Thing” art exhibit; and music by the Big Maracas, a Latin band from Lexington. (#733)