Our Unsung Minds
Participant FAQs

Our Unsung Minds: A Photographic Journey Exploring Mental Health

Inspired by a loved one's battle with mental health, this project seeks to illuminate, through photographs and writing, some of the challenges faced by those affected by mental health struggles.

Art Display: 5/2/19 – 5/25/19 (during Mental Health Awareness Month).  Please see PCPA website for gallery hours.
Art Reception: Thursday, 5/16/19 (6:30PM-8:30PM)
Location: Poway Center for the Performing Arts [PCPA], Poway, CA

Summary:
The purpose of this body of work will be to help bring awareness to the subject of mental health and to do our part in trying to help end the stigma of mental health.  We will not profit monetarily from this show.  All proceeds from any of the sales during the art display show will go to the PCPA art gallery (15% gallery fee on sales) and to the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance organization, a mental health related nonprofit (85%). 

Images from this project will be a result of collaboration between San Diego area volunteers who struggle with mental health and ourselves (photography/creative concept creation). Images will employ creative photographic/visual and lighting techniques to convey various moods and messages. The art display will also include writing/poetry from the volunteers and ourselves.  We would like to try and take parts of your story/journey and express it photographically, and we’d also like to try including any ideas you may have!

All participants are invited to the art reception, and you are free to bring along any friends and family members as well.  Participants, if they wish, can speak with show guests about the meaning behind the images and their writing.

Guidelines:
Participants who serve as photographic subjects must be at least 18 years old by the start of the art display, must have or must have had a personal struggle with mental health at one time, must be willing to have their final (edited) photos displayed at PCPA for this art display, and must be willing to potentially have print versions of their photos mailed to donors of our crowdfunding campaign (see below).  If an opportunity or need arises in the future to have a photo used for any other purpose aside from the actual display at PCPA, I will request permission from anyone shown in said image. 

Although mental health often consists of very dark themes, since this display will be located in a public gallery where there may be children and young adults, there will be no gore, no nudity, no objectionable material, and no extremely dark visual themes in any of the displayed photos.  Written word/poetry will need to be free of foul language.  And if we have speaking events/poetry readings in the PCPA auditorium during the art reception, spoken word will also need to be free of foul language. 

Funding:
Unfortunately, we’ve been unable to successfully land any grant money to help us cover the costs for this art show.  So, in order to maximize the amount of proceeds given to the mental health related nonprofit organization, we will be starting a separate crowdfunding campaign to try and cover the costs of professional frames/ink/photo paper, banners, supplies for the show, and to help cover our costs of digital and print advertising of the show itself.  If we don’t reach the crowdfuning goal, we’ll be prepared to cover the remaining costs.  If we exceed our crowdfunding goal, all extra funding will go towards additional advertising for the show in an effort to get more people talking about mental health.

Poway Center for the Performing Arts event page:
https://www.powaycenter.com/597/May-Juxtaposition-Photographic-Arts

Facebook event page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1629338990550377/

The Inspiration:
Juliet, my wife, battles severe bipolar depression, anxiety, PTSD, and many health issues that come along with those mental health battles.  She has been battling these conditions since her early teens.  With the help of great doctors and therapists, even though those conditions have worsened over time, she has learned and used many tools to try achieving and maintaining stability in her life. 

With the support of family and friends, she learned that being open with others about her struggles with mental health helped reduce the pressure we call the stigma of mental health.  In her journey to attaining greater balance, we all realized the importance of battling the stigma.  This is the inspiration behind Our Unsung Minds. 

Questions:  Info@JuxPhoto.com