Just a few days ago, the sounds of an auctioneer accompanied the site of art at the newest art gallery in Hollywood, a venture that helps some of the area’s homeless residents while providing them a chance to use their imagination.
April 18 has been circled on Sean Cononie’s calendar for a while. It was the day for the official opening of Sean Anthony’s Art Gallery, which houses nearly 100 paintings, many of which were created by clients of the Coalition of Service and Charity (COSAC) homeless shelter in Hollywood.
"I needed something to help me not smoke five packs of cigarettes a day," says Cononie, founder/director of the shelter, who started painting to help himself deal with the stressful schedule associated with managing 300 homeless people and his staff.
He noticed it made not only a difference in his own health but in the health of his clients, many of whom he says talk to themselves and hear voices.
According to Cononie, the April 18 auction was about a lot more than showcasing great artwork. It showed a community embracing the cause of the homeless through giving of themselves in a way that makes a big difference in the lives of his clients.
"They’re not just donating art; they’re bringing paintbrushes. They’re donating time," Cononie says. "Therapy is what it is."
An opportunity to do therapy
Giving the general public the chance to view and bid on the paintings is just one dimension of this venture, which serves to extend COSAC’s efforts to assist those with mental illness.
"Medication alone doesn’t always help," says Yvette Tucholski-Dekeles,
a licensed mental health counselor with COSAC. "The fact that this resource is here is a plus."
Budget cuts have reduced the number of peer centers and studios where homeless artists can do paintings, which are more than just visual renderings.
"Art lowers the voices in their head[s]," Tucholski-Dekeles says.
Tucholski-Dekeles — who assists those with problems such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and substance abuse — says several of her clients already see the difference that creating these paintings can have on their health.
Chance to improve and use one’s imagination
For COSAC resident Anita Cooper, 41, having two of her paintings available for auction wasn’t just about the benefits she and the shelter receive, but the consumer of the art as well.
"It gets someone to use their imagination. Everybody sees something different," she says.
"It gives you a chance to escape your bills and relax."
While Cooper enjoyed the auction because of
its benefit to the consumer of her art, another client at the shelter, Gary Gagné, has a personal objective in mind.
The 55-year-old recently suffered a stroke, and being able to create three paintings and have them available for auction has given him a new interest in improving his skills as an artist.
Gagné has two more sketches that he wants to paint in a way that reflects more detail.
"I think I did pretty well. It’s coming along, but it could be better."