Self-Care September: Finding Light Through Creativity - September 2025

September is National Suicide Prevention Month—a time to raise awareness, foster conversation, and remind our community that no one is alone in their struggles. While mental health can feel like a difficult subject, small acts of care and reflection often play an important role in healing. At Gallery500, we believe art is one of those powerful tools of self-care and connection.

Our current exhibition, Mark//Mind, highlights abstract works that invite viewers to pause and look inward. These pieces are not meant to tell one singular story, but rather to open a dialogue between the art, the artist, and the viewer. Standing before these works, you may find yourself reflecting on your own emotions, experiences, and inner thoughts. You may question what you see in the work, why the artist created it, what does it mean. In this way, the art becomes an opportunity for self-discovery.

Abstract art speaks in color, gesture, and form rather than words. In Mark//Mind, some works may feel bold and energetic, others meditative and soothing. Just spending a few quiet moments with these pieces can offer a sense of grounding, helping viewers to slow down and reconnect with themselves and/or the world around them.

Each piece in the exhibition carries traces of the artist’s own thoughts and feelings during its creation. When viewers engage with the work, they are engaging with the human story behind it—an exchange that reminds us we are not alone in our experiences. That shared understanding, even across silence, is at the heart of both art and community care.

One of our featured artists, Heather Wolynic, exemplifies this connection through her work both on and off the canvas. In addition to creating art for Mark//Mind, Heather serves as the Outreach Manager of the Halifax Arts in Medicine Program, which offers patients and their caregivers the opportunity to experience the therapeutic benefits of the arts during difficult times. Her work is a powerful reminder that art is a powerful form of expression and a source of healing for both the creator and viewer. Click here to learn more about the Arts in Medicine Program

Taking time to engage with art—whether in a gallery, in your home, or in your own creative practice—can offer moments of calm, inspiration, and strength. Mark//Mind encourages viewers to look deeply, think expansively, and honor the ways that both making and viewing art can sustain us.

This September, we invite you to experience Mark//Mind at Gallery500 and join us for a special event: Heather Wolynic will be painting live at Rose Villa Southern Table during the Ormond Beach Art Walk on Saturday, September 6th. This is a unique opportunity to see the process unfold in real time and to connect with Heather’s art in an entirely different way.

Art cannot replace professional help, but it can serve as a powerful companion on the journey toward healing.

If you or someone you love is struggling, help is available. Call or text 988 to connect with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Together, let’s honor Suicide Prevention Month by embracing creativity, compassion, and community.