“I really needed that space to escape – because a lot of the time you don’t realize how stressed you are and holding it in – and while I was busy painting, I didn’t think about any of that.” – Bryce, Hang Time attendee
Through the MoCA Gives Back initiative, MoCA Westport is able to offer equitable access and meaningful experiences, including employment, to those who are under-resourced in our community. With the generous support of our volunteers and donors, MoCA Gives Back has been able to partner with organizations to provide healing arts classes and employment for adults with disabilities; offer scholarships to summer camp and educational opportunities for those experiencing financial need; and provide regularly scheduled healing arts classes to high school students and collaborate with professional artists to bring events to under-resourced schools.
As part of the program, MoCA was recently able to host Hang Time Mobile friends and family at the Museum. Hang Time provides specific ex-offenders, group and gang members diagnosed (and/or yet to be diagnosed) with Post and Present Traumatic Stress, options in mental health treatment. Learn more about Hang Time and its sister program Her Time.
After marveling at neon suspensions, colorful hay bale abstract sculptures, and the imaginative repurposing of found materials in our Rainbow in the Dark exhibition, approximately 22 men, women, and children had an amazing opportunity to create their own painted canvas artwork guided by MoCA instructors. Most attendees had never visited a museum, seen artwork up-close and in-person, let alone had the chance to exercise their own creativity.
“It’s an amazing space and the artist’s exhibit was great … the people that work there were lovely and embracing and yes, we did a step-by-step project, where we were all doing the same thing, but it was amazing to see everyone express themselves, People were really out of their comfort zone and out of their usual environment and it’s wonderful to be with each other when we’re going through things like that.” – Sara, Her Time Attendee
To learn more about how to get involved in MoCA Gives back, please contact mocagivesback@mocawestport.org.
