Vickie Bowman posed for pictures next to her bright pink dog sculpture. She was flattered and surprised that so many people loved the rainbow and lady bug she had painted on its back.
"It takes the stress away," Bowman said about her experience painting the sculpture. "It's very relaxing."
It’s usually a rare sight to see dogs at the Chapel Hill Public Library, but not too rare when it advocates for mental health.
The Dog Parade Art Exhibit, held Friday, featured 11 hand-painted, fiberglass dog sculptures, which formed a semicircle around the room. In the center was a fiberglass fire hydrant painted by Grayson Bowen, the coordinator of Brushes with Life.
“It’s been a lot of work to get the dogs done and to get them finished — it’s a lot of pride,” he said.
Brushes with Life, which began in 2001 under the UNC Center for Excellence in Community Mental Health, enhances the recovery of patients through art. The program features art classes taught by Bowen to patients at clinics like STEP (Schizophrenia Treatment and Evaluation Program), as well as other select community programs.
Bowen, who is also a patient at the STEP clinic, is no stranger to the arts. He received his B.F.A. from the School of Visual Arts and his M.F.A. from Western Carolina University. While Bowen remains humble about his accomplishments, many artists in his classes hold him in high regard.
“I am grateful to the program for showcasing our work and giving us an outlet into the community,” said Tanya Pace, one of the artists featured in the dog parade. “I want to give credit to Grayson. He’s wonderful to work for and he’s leading the program wonderfully.”
Pace said it took eight hours to paint her work and wanted to make it look as realistic as possible.
