Local Artist's Custom Painting to Benefit Erika's Lighthouse
Angelina Vivant, a Glencoe-based artist and mother of two, is using her talent to support Erika's Lighthouse and its mission to raise vital awareness for children and teens' mental health.
In collaboration with the nonprofit organization, Vivant created a custom 12" x 12" oil painting that beautifully captures the themes of hope and replenishment. The artist's customized piece will be revealed during her upcoming feature exhibit at Vivid Art Gallery (895 Green Bay Rd.) on October 1 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Vivid Gallery will be accepting bids in-person or via email (info@vividartgallery.net) and will award the painting to the highest bidder on November 1, in which 100 percent of the sale proceeds will be donated to Erika's Lighthouse.
"We are all affected by depression in some way, and the global pandemic adds weight to it all," said Vivant. "I love that Erika's Lighthouse brings light to mental health, supporting our children by offering resources and techniques to help them speak about it and manage it better."
For children and adolescents around the country, including those throughout Winnetka and the surrounding New Trier Township, Erika's Lighthouse provides them, their educators and parents, with important tools to talk about mental health. Providing a suite of programs to the community, the nonprofit works to educate and empower teens with an introduction to mental health, depression-literacy, help-seeking and what it takes to promote good mental health. Focused on grades 4-12, the no-cost, skills-based programs use diverse teen voices to spread awareness and reduce stigma.
"We are so excited to partner with Angelina to raise awareness of depression and mental health. Art is such a powerful medium to express emotions," said Erika's Lighthouse Executive Director Brandon Combs. "Angelina is using her talents to help advance meaningful conversations while raising funds for our mission. We are honored she has chosen to work with us as we embark on a challenging school year with millions of children and teens struggling."
The Erika's Lighthouse mission and its offering to local residents and across the country is what inspired Vivant to spread the organization's message. In fact, her dedicated piece, which is a part of her "Replenish" art collection, intentionally includes elements of water and nature as a nod to the nonprofit's lighthouse symbol. Portraying water and nature in an unexpected way, Vivant uses these components to evoke a sense of serenity.
"Water is life-giving, calming ... so many things that contribute to our well-being and healing. Hopefully, this piece will make someone feel a little bit of that," added Vivant.
For more information about the art gallery event, please visit vividartgallery.net/events; and to learn more about Erika's Lighthouse, please visit www.erikaslighthouse.org.
About Erika's Lighthouse
A Beacon of Hope for Adolescent Depression is a non-profit organization committed to raising awareness about teen mental health and depression in middle school and high school communities at no cost to schools. Erika's Lighthouse works to eliminate the stigma surrounding depression and empower young people to take ownership of their mental health. Erika's Lighthouse offers a suite of programs designed to allow educators to empower adolescents with an introduction to mental health, depression-literacy, help-seeking and what it takes to promote good mental health. Focused on grades 4-12, these no-cost, video-based, skills-based programs use diverse teen voices to spread awareness and reduce stigma. Erika's Lighthouse also provides countless other web-based resources. More information is at erikaslighthouse.org.