Glen Ellyn church displaying art from Awaken
A skillful and versatile artist, Irene O'Neill's life once was tough to manage.
Living with a serious bipolar disorder, O'Neill recalls times when she was desperately lonely, had little or no self-confidence, and went through a "revolving door" of hospitalizations.
Then there were other times when she was full of manic energy and engaged in outlandish and risky behavior.
"For years I was in and out of hospitals, in and out of colleges, and in and out of jobs," she said.
Through resolve, the support of friends and family, and proper medical treatment, O'Neill has been able to take hold of her life. She credits a Wheaton-based artists' alliance, The Awakenings Project, with being central to her recovery.
For many years O'Neill has been a moving force in the group while working full-time as a psychoeducation trainer.
Established in 1996, The Awakenings Project is a Wheaton-based nonprofit organization founded to support and advance artists with mental health issues in all areas of artistic endeavor.
Aside from exhibiting fine art, the group supports a drama initiative, produces original music, and publishes a literary magazine, The Awakenings Review.
The group now is displaying the diverse works of a score of artists through June 24 at St. Mark's Episcopal Church, 393 N. Main St., Glen Ellyn.
In a show titled "Awakening the Spirit Within," St. Mark's will display the art throughout the church's sanctuary, host a reception so the congregation and general public can meet the artists, and hold a reading of a play written by group member Robert Lundin.
Lundin lives with schizoaffective disorder, a type of schizophrenia that emerged when he was a graduate student in 1979.
"I've lived with mental illness for nearly 40 years, and nothing has better shaped my attitude toward life than my work with The Awakenings Project," said Lundin, who has worked full-time as a writer and mental health professional for 22 years.
Having a strong background in studio art, Cecilia Smith leads the St. Mark's Visual Arts Committee. Each year the panel selects three to four exhibits to hang throughout the church.
Smith was so impressed with The Awakenings Review, that she went to the group's website to explore its fine arts component.
Smith said the visual arts committee "unanimously and enthusiastically" selected the group for a show, one of only three it will install this year.
An oil painting of the Virgin of Guadalupe is the centerpiece of the exhibit, but not all the art will have a religious theme.
"Some work falls into the genre of spiritual art while other pieces reference the spiritual in a celebration of nature and personal experiences," Smith said.
One issue that pervades the exhibit is the stigma attached to mental health issues.
"All people have been given gifts," Smith said, "and we all carry struggles as well. To see these expressions as created by some who struggle specifically with mental illness is an opportunity for understanding and unity."