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(ST. JOSEPH) - Corewell Health and Krasl Art Center have unveiled a Pop-Up Art and Wellness project thanks to a $55,000 grant from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund. The project is based on the principles of the Trauma Resource Institute’s Community Resilience Model (CRM) that helps address the behavioral health challenges faced by the community. 

Community members can learn about mental wellness through permanent art installations located throughout the community including at the YMCA of Greater Michiana, Benton Harbor Public Library, Maud Preston Palenske Memorial Library in St. Joseph and the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Southwest Michigan. In addition to the permanent art installations, there is an online digital archive showcasing all the artwork and artists, as well as a printed storybook launching in July. 

Findings from the Community Health Needs Assessments, conducted by Corewell Health in Southwest Michigan, revealed that the most urgent community-identified health need is support for mental health and underlying stress and trauma. The goal of this collaboration is to provide the community with an educational and participatory experience that uses the arts to increase understanding of mental health, destigmatize mental illness and build resiliency skills.