MIND:FULL puts focus on the arts and mental health
As the mothers of little boys, Amber Slaughter and Megan Olivia Ebel are always working their maternal magic — and not just for their flesh and blood.
This weekend, the working moms will present MIND: FULL, an art exhibition and silent auction that will showcase 35 artists in and around Houston. Things will officially kick off April 9, starting with two panels early in the day before the exhibition is officially open to the public. (There will also be a ticketed, VIP performance showcase later that night.)
It will be the first event in more than two years for Artists for Artists, the nonprofit organization (co-founded by Slaughter, an artist herself ) that’s all about creating accessibility to health care for artists. “We have this huge issue when it comes to the creative workforce, or lots of different, vulnerable workforces, right?” says Slaughter. “They just don’t have that access to health care, and we’re trying to change that.”
With MIND:FULL, mental health will be the main focus. Not only will this be the exhibit’s theme, but some of the proceeds will go to Artists for Artists’ Creative Wellness program, which covers therapy, health care emergencies, funding for artists, etc.
Slaughter and Ebel also want to give many of the artists in this town their props/flowers by introducing their work to fresh eyes that’ll hopefully take some of it home with them. “We’re simply acting as a connection point — and, then, we also pay the artists that we connect,” says Ebel.
“That’s a huge, core belief of our organization and as individuals,” adds Slaughter. “You pay artists — you don’t ask them to work for free. It’s wage equity. Like, the creative workforce has been undervalued for so long, it’s time to stop expecting them to give away their work for free.”
Another way Slaughter and Ebel have been giving artists their time to shine is with US:TX Little Galleries, a project where miniature art installations have been popping up in various parts of the city. Launched in fall of last year, 10 mini-galleries have surfaced (mostly in the Heights), with more to show up in the next couple of months. The goal is to branch out all over the country, mostly in underserved areas.
“It takes a period of time to, you know, order them, have them fabricated, painted,” says Slaughter. “Then, we commission an artist to create a miniature, fine-art installation. So, that takes time as well, you know. We come up with a concept.”
“We come up with a location,” continues Galleries curator Ebel. “We’re taking into account where the box is gonna be and what artist will fill that space and, like, the kind of dialogue that needs to happen in that community as well.”
Artists who are involved with MIND:FULL appreciate that Slaughter and Ebel have created a venue that spotlights Houston’s art community. “I want people to see that artists come together to help each other,” says Peter Healy, who will have a colorful abstract painting for the show.
Erika Alonso, who will have a couple of pieces up for auction, would like attendees to do more than enjoy the art. “I also hope that attendees are inspired to support artists through programming that continues to pay artists: things like exhibitions, public art, community outreach, emergency grants, and other health care resources,” she says. “TX:US Little Galleries does all of the above, which is why I’m super excited to help support their work.”
Slaughter and Ebel ultimately want to bring more art out in the open, making sure people who don’t regularly go to museums and galleries know it’s for them, too. “I’ve worked in the CAM (Contemporary Arts Museum Houston) and worked at the Center for Contemporary Craft,” says Ebel. “I’ve worked in schools and all sorts of things, but it’s always been in the arts. And you are very able to quickly see the disparity between who has access to those institutions and programs and who does not. So, like, why not just create something that evens the playing field and makes everything a little bit more upfront?”