More than 50 individuals from Transitional Services for New York, Inc. had their work displayed at the Courier-Mittman Gallery as part of an exhibit opening on Thursday, March 17.
Formed in 1975, Transitional Services is a not-for-profit mental health agency that serves approximately 2,500 individuals every year. In addition to being located in Queens, it also has a facility in the Bronx and recently expanded into Nassau County. It works with people over 18 years of age and offers residential and outpatient programs.
Transitional Services chief executive officer Larry Grubler explained that the organization’s ultimate goal is to help individuals integrate back into the community.
One way that Transitional Services assists people is through art therapy. Grubler said art therapy puts people in a relaxed atmosphere where they’re able to be creative, show off their strengths and express themselves verbally and artistically.
Grubler added that the end products show how talented they are.
The exhibit at the Courier-Mittman Gallery will feature more than 75 pieces by over 50 artists. Transitional Services mental health professional Wesley Usher, who installed the exhibit, said the artists are excited to show their works and feel that what they have created is now valued.
“I’m just so excited they’re having this opportunity,” Usher said.
She added that she has seen the difference that engaging in the creative process can have on a person.
Grubler said, “It’s really nice for them to be able to exhibit their work in the community.”
Additionally, Grubler said the exhibition could help decrease the stigma of mental illness by acknowledging that the consumers have skills that can be shown.
He also said knowing others and accepting them can give participants a sense of self-worth.
To mark the opening of the exhibit, a reception with wine and cheese, was held at 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 17, at the Courier-Mittman Gallery, located on the second floor of 38-15 Bell Boulevard in Bayside.
“It’s always exciting when our consumers are acknowledged for their creativity, for their intellectual abilities,” Grubler said, adding that it is also an opportunity for them to further integrate at a community event.
For more information on Transitional Services, visit www.tsiny.org or call 718-746-6647.
