FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 7/22/2024
Contact:
Camille Tibaldeo
camille@fountaingallerynyc.com
212.246.6543
Fountain House Gallery and Studio’s “Meditations on Medication: The Pill Bottle Project” Nears Completion on Governors Island
Three-month Enterprise Will Conclude in August
On view:
Through August 11, 2024
Friday – Sunday, 11am-5pm
NEW YORK CITY – Fountain House Gallery and Studio, representing artists living with mental illness, is nearing completion of its second year as an Organization in Residence on Governors Island, New York, NY. During this year’s three-month term, which began in May and will conclude in August, Gallery and Studio artists have been at work on Meditations on Medication: The Pill Bottle Project, on view Friday – Sunday, 11am-5pm, through August 11, 2024. The Fountain House space is located at Nolan Park #8B.
Meditations on Medication: The Pill Bottle Project was conceived by Fountain House Gallery and Studio artist Alyson Vega. The Project comprises a variety of striking installations constructed entirely of (empty) orange prescription bottles, including sculpture, a chandelier, wearable art, and a chess set. The aim is to generate conversation around medication, routine, recycling, plastic waste, insurance, accessibility, and more. A dozen Gallery artists and over 40 Fountain House members have participated in the Project.
Rachel Weisman, Director of Fountain House Gallery, said, “The response to this intriguing Project has been gratifying. To date, we have welcomed more than 4,500 visitors, and over 100 have accepted our invitation to join in working on the installations; many have shared their thoughts on mental health on a “Message Wall” in our designated house. Our artists will continue to work on the Project through the August 11 closing date, and we look forward to sharing the final results with visitors yet to come.”
Pill bottles for the Project have been collected from a diverse network of Fountain House members and staff, the tri-state users of NextDoor and BuyNothing groups, Hell’s Kitchen neighbors, and a substantial donation from M:25 Ministries. Collections are ongoing until the conclusion of the Project.
One pill bottle donation resulted in a moving exchange between donor and artist. The donor had sent a number of pill bottles, which Alyson Vega was inspired to repurpose as chess pawns. Upon seeing a photo of the completed installation, the donor wrote to Vega, “Thank you for sharing! I’m thrilled. I have several chronic illnesses and autoimmune diseases . . . I feel like I play a game of chess with my body every day, trying to figure out how disabled I will be that day. What tasks do I not do or do first before I can’t move or am in crippling pain? This visual is very impactful . . . with your art, you have totally represented the emotional experience people have. Thank you!”
During the spring, summer, and early fall months each year, more than two dozen arts, culture, and education organizations utilize space inside Governors Island’s historic former military houses through Governors Island Arts’ annual Organizations in Residence program — presenting exhibitions, holding free public programs, and hosting artist residencies.
Fountain House Gallery and Studio is funded, in part, by generous support from the Renate, Hans and Maria Hofmann Trust, and the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund.
About Fountain House Gallery and Studio
Fountain House Gallery and Studio supports the careers and creative visions of contemporary artists living with mental illness. Founded by Fountain House in 2000, the Manhattan-based Gallery sells original artworks and collaborates with a wide network of artists, curators, and cultural institutions. The Studio, located in Long Island City, is a collaborative workspace that furthers the professional practice of our artists. Embracing artists who are emerging or established, trained or self-taught, Fountain House Gallery and Studio cultivates artistic growth, makes a vital contribution to the New York arts community, and challenges the stigma surrounding mental illness.
About Fountain House
Fountain House is a national mental health nonprofit fighting to improve health, increase opportunity, and end social and economic isolation for people living with serious mental illness. Founded in 1948 in New York City, Fountain House originated the clubhouse model of community mental health that has been replicated more than 300 times in nearly 40 U.S. states and in 30 countries around the world.
Fountain House Gallery
702 Ninth Avenue at 48th Street
NYC 10019
212.262.2756
Hours: Tues.-Fri. 12-6/Sat. 1-7
More than a gallery. A movement.
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