A Moment in Time

Join us from 6-8 PM on May 14 for our second installation of  “A Moment in Time”, a free speaker series in partnership with WLRH celebrating art, culture and self-expression!

In recognition of May as Mental Health Awareness Month, conversations in this installation will explore the intersection of art and mental health. Hear from local creatives who teach art as a healing practice, use their creative process as a form of therapy, and examine societal pressures and cultural norms and their impact on mental health in their works. Be sure to stick around for the closing open-mic session, where individuals have an opportunity to share their own creative thoughts, literary work and expressions in a casual and intimate setting. 

MEET THE SPEAKERS

Ashlee René Thompson (@artbyarthompson) is a contemporary visual artist from Montgomery, Alabama. She earned her MFA and Certificate in Museum Studies from The University of Alabama in 2022. In prior academia, she earned her MLA and BA Fine Art from Auburn University at Montgomery. Her artworks have been displayed in juried exhibitions both nationally and internationally. Thompson is currently the Assistant Professor of Drawing and Painting at Alabama A&M University in Huntsville, AL

Sherry Fanning (@modernpours), creator-painter born and based in northern Alabama, captures the mystique of non-representational art. With a background in knitting, weaving, paper-craft, and beading, Sherry celebrates texture, emotive color, and unintentional design. Through a process similar to cooking from a recipe, she mixes paints and chemicals part to part. These unique combinations then react in surprising ways. As paint is released from an inverted container, a master composition flows across the canvas, unstoppable and irreplaceable. No two pours are alike. 

C.S. Stocks (@poetamadeusblue) is a Southeast Texas poet, a member of Out Loud HSV, and is currently developing her craft in the MFA Creative Writing program at the University of Denver, University College. Her poems have been published in Cordelia Magazine and A Year in Review Out Loud HSV 2023 anthology. Stocks finds writing poetry to be a form of therapy and essential to her mental health exploring her anxiety, depression, and trauma through the linear and fractured narratives of her personas.

Dariá Hammond (@hammondstudio.co) is a Louisiana-born community artist, established muralist, and arts & wellness facilitator who resides in South Huntsville. Hammond uses muted colors and character work to present positive messages, igniting conversation and changing perspectives of what we think, act, and feel in everyday life. Her work and collaborative projects with local artists aim to enhance community health and well-being, and spark dialogue on mental health stigmas in creative communities. Her latest commercial murals for Trader Joe’s, in addition to hidden gems in North Huntsville, have raised the bar for the size of work she aims to create.

John Schmitt is a songwriter and community leader who brings over 20 years of military experience, including service as a two-tour combat veteran, into his work.  John’s passion for songwriting has served as a healing force in his personal journey through trauma and recovery, and he continues to advocate for the healing power of music. His dedication extends as a biotechnology executive, focusing on PTSD research and the development of biochemical tools to aid in the early intervention for victims of trauma.

Alan Little, a native of Huntsville and multi-instrumentalist, has been a key figure in the local music scene since he was sixteen, known for his unique fingerpicking style. He co-founded Listen Local, a showcase highlighting local talent. Throughout his diverse career, Alan has consistently excelled in connecting people and building community.