Anne Duff from Rivendell EACH with her stencil art Ship of Courage.
ALL In The Same Boat, an exhibition of stencil art opened at Warburton on Saturday as part of Mental Health Week.
The diverse series of works was created by users of mental health services, young people, U3A and Indigenous participants especially for the exhibition which will be on show at the Upper Yarra Arts Centre until 26 October.
The groups came together in a series of workshops with artist Dave Ray and Poet Sandy Jeffs to explore life’s ups and downs and what connects us all.
Councillor Jeanette McCrae opened the exhibition and commented on how moving and profound many of the art pieces were.
“The shire fully supports projects like this that bring community members together to creatively express shared life and connecting experiences.
“The art work is stunning and more than the sum of its parts,” Cr McRae said.
Merran Macs, Program Manager of EACH, spoke of the need to break down the silence and stigma of mental illness.
“Projects such as All in the Same Boat, that bring so many different ages, groups and experiences together, is important in promoting the message that mental health affects all of us,” she said.
