How does art benefit our mental health?

                                            How does art benefit our mental health?

 

 

 

Art is truly beneficial for our lives in many ways. According to Be Brain Fit, it does not matter what type of artistic activity you are doing, it can help to relieve stress, as well as help you to feel mentally clear and calm. Doing artwork can give your brain a break from your usual thoughts and allow you to put aside your worries.

Art in general also helps to promote creative thinking and improve problem solving skills.

Being involved with artistic activities is an amazing way to increase a person's self-esteem by giving them a sense of accomplishment. Creating art actually increases the level of dopamine, which is known as the "feel good"neurotransmitter, in the human body. A higher level of dopamine helps to increase a person's drive, focus, and concentration.  As a result, a person is much more likely to feel like "I did it!" when performing any type of art such as painting, drawing, sewing, sculpting, gardening, photography, and many others.


One of We Care Arts main goals is to help improve the lives of people with all abilities through art.

Our clients truly enjoy coming to our safe studio regularly, to explore and experience a wide range of artistic activities, as well as socialize with their friends.

If you were one of the proud employees, like me, you would definitely hear people with a variety of situations and backgrounds, talking about how much being involved with art at WCA really helps them!

ICYMI: We Care Arts Annual Auction!

Last month, We Care Arts held our annual spring auction.  The auction is the single largest internal fundraiser held by We Care, and this year was no let down.  With over 350 generous guests in attendance, the evening was primed for success from the get go.  This year’s was the highest attendance on record, a massive success for our organization.

Throughout the evening, guests at the Presidential Banquet Center danced to music provided by a DJ, and enjoyed a delicious dinner and drinks.  The main event of the night, the auctions, stimulated great amounts of excitement as guests hope to take home some of the many wonderful donations we received from local sponsors.  Auction items in both the silent and live auctions included projects completed by both our clients and professional artists, one being the beautiful finished Bockrath rug project (more about that collaborative design project

HERE), golf outings at almost every golf course in the Dayton area, deluxe baskets stocked with goodies such as cigars and wine, spa, theater, and restaurant gift cards, all very generously donated by local companies.

 One of the highlights of the auction was receiving donations of around $6,000, more than doubled from last year, solely in bus and Project Mobility passes for our clients, which is a tremendous success.  Many of our clients do not drive, so public transportation is a necessary, but expensive requirement for them to be able to get to We Care and enjoy our programs.   This is consistently the main reason clients are not able to come to We Care, so donations of this nature are supremely and directly beneficial to our clients.  Additionally, many guests volunteered to sponsor clients for the year, paying the cost of their attendance at We Care.

All of us here at We Care would like to extend the most sincere of thank you's to all of our donors and guests, we could not do what we do without your support!  Cheers to another fantastically successful year at We Care Arts!

Arts and Drafts is Saturday, August 1st!

 

On Saturday, August 1 from 4:00 to 10:00 PM, We Care Arts, along with Hollywood Gaming, will host ARTS AND DRAFTS, a community event that will feature art created by nationally renowned tattoo artists, craft beers from local breweries, great food, and live music.

 

The event will be held at We Care Arts, 3035 Wilmington Pike in Kettering. Music will be provided by Dayton’s own The Motel Beds, Splendor, and Wasted Potential.

While there, attendees can enjoy craft beers from the Eudora Brewing Company, Toxic Brew, and Heidelberg Distributors and food from Zombie Dogz, Classic and Gourmet Grilled Cheese, and Orange Leaf.

 

Terry Schalnat, the Executive Director of We Care Arts is excited about the event. “It’s really hard to come up with a fundraising idea that’s unique. Shannon and Justin Woleslagle, who own Trivium Tattoo in Centerville,

 

 

approached us a couple of years ago with the idea of auctioning art created by tattoo artists to benefit our clients. Over the past two years, we’ve been fine-tuning the idea and we’ve come up with Arts and Drafts!”

 

 

Tattoo artists including Florida native Jerry Pipkins, Chris Cooper from California, and local artists Matt Clemmer, Josh Wiley, and Justin Woleslagle are working on original art using vinyl albums as a canvas. Their pieces will be up for auction prior to and during the event.
 

 

All proceeds will help to underwrite programming provided by We Care Arts, which turns disabilities into possibilities through art. 

While at Arts and Drafts, attendees can also browse We Care Arts’ gift shop to find distinctive home accessories, jewelry and more. 

 

 

For more information, contact Christine Corba, We Care Arts’ Special Events Coordinator at 937.212.3777 or at ccorba@wecarearts.org.

Chalk Vases and Sugar Scrubs in Mason Jars in our Gift Shop

We have just designed a new line of chalk painted vases and sugar scrubs in mason jars for our gift shop at We Care Arts. 

The vases are decorated on the front with a few simple natural objects.  They are painted with the current colors of chalk paints, distressed and protected with a matte varnish.

The vases are left unpainted on the inside for your favorite flower arrangement and they are perfect for silk flowers.

These vases are a popular centerpiece in wedding decorations or for your home.

The sugar scrubs are made by We Care Arts and come in several scents.  They make your hands so soft and smell nice.

 

The containers are mason jars, again painted with the chalk paints and decorated with natural and other objects. The sugar scrub container can be used for decoration and match our vases.

The vases and sugar scrubs are priced at $15.00 and $12.00. Stop in our gift shop at 3035 Wilmington Pike in Kettering for these and other great gifts for yourself and others!

Students are Falling into Space Self Portrait

Here is a fun project that the Beavercreek High School students created to make themselves look like they are falling in space. 

 

First they traced their shoe at the bottom of the paper and added the shoe sole pattern. Then we traced their hands on each side. 

An oval was drawn for their head and the students drew in their personal hairstyle and face.

Then the clothes were drawn in smaller to look further away and were filled in with the clothes they were wearing.

This is such a fun project to make a self portrait!

Delaney

 

 

Scrambler

 

 

 

Spring Flowers with Pastels

These beautiful flower pictures were drawn with pastels by the Centerville High School students who come to We Care Arts each Thursday morning for their art class. They were created on mat board scraps that were donated to us from a frame shop. The pictures can easily be propped up by a wall for display!

 

 

 

 

We Care Arts Auction Baskets Sneak Peak!

The Annual We Care Arts Auction is happening this month on March 13! Here is a peak of a few of our baskets for your silent auction bidding!

 

 Do you have kids or grandkids? This basket will keep them busy in the house or at the Kettering pool and ice rink!

This basket from Brunings is for wine lovers.

Do you enjoy Dragon's baseball? Here is a Dragon's grouping for any fan!

Here is a great basket for dog lovers!

Are you ready for a romantic evening to get away from it all? This basket will help you buy an outfit for the evening, have a dinner at J.Alexander's, go to "Taking Shakespeare", and spend the night at Residence Inn with a bottle of wine to enjoy.