Art for mental health’s sake
Kiwi hoops star Finn Delany is tapping into his passion for art to help raise money and awareness for mental health in Nelson.
The Tall Blacks forward and Nelson Giants’ top scorer is cocurating the Nelson Youth Art Exhibition together with fellow young artist Alexandra Dissmeyer.
The 22-year-old top sportsman said mental health was an issue both he and Dissmeyer felt ‘‘very strongly’’ about.
He said mental health challenges had touched friends and colleagues.
Delany said he had taken up painting as a way to ease the pressure of performing at the top level.
Most of the funds raised from the sale of the art works in the exhibition will be returned to the artists, and a portion will go to the Nelson community art studio, Magenta Creative Space.
The space is a free walk-in art studio which offers access to art for people with mental illnesses.
Delany said the aim of the exhibition was to highlight mental health and the way art helped people to heal.
Dissmeyer, 25, said mental health issues were ‘‘everywhere’’ and people weren’t ‘‘talking about it much’’.
‘‘There’s a new trend that people are finally starting to bring it forward.’’
She said she and Delany wanted to normalise mental health, and hoped the exhibition would help with this.
Dissmeyer said she had dealt with her own set of mental health issues a few years ago, which was why she picked up the paintbrush.
‘‘This is our outlet as well, that’s how you release it.’’
Dissmeyer said she and Delany found the 11 artists showing works in the exhibition through Instagram.
‘‘There’s a really nice Nelson hub of artists on Instagram and Facebook and whatnot.’’
The works on display will be in a variety of different styles, with each artist occupying about two metres of wall space.
The Nelson Youth Art Exhibition will be on at the Refinery Artspace from July 30 at 5.30pm, until August 4.