USUE presents: fourth annual MOVE Art Show

The 4th Annual Motivating Others through Voices of Experience (MOVE) Art Show, a compilation of artwork from young adult artists in Utah who want to break down the stigma or misconception of mental illness and addiction, is on display in the USU Eastern Central Instructional Building’s foyer from Feb. 1-19.
The artists share their stories through visual art which seeks to educate the community and encourage those who are struggling, or those who know of others struggling, to seek help instead of shaming or ignoring their mental illness or substance abuse.
Research shows that mental illness and addiction touch many young adult lives. In Utah from July 2012 to June 2013, approximately 45 percent of the population were youth ages 16 to 26 who were served in either Utah’s public mental health or public substance abuse systems.
It also shows that people can and do get better – if they get the proper treatment or help that they need. We want to break down the stigma so more people can get better and so we will have an educated community that helps those who are struggling with drug addiction or mental illness instead of shaming and ignoring them, said its organizers.
Because of the stigma associated with help and recovery, many youth delay their recovery and proper treatment.
Formerly called the Youth Recovery & Resiliency Art Show, the MOVE Art Show is an ongoing exhibit that started in Salt Lake City in December-January, continues in Price in February and concludes in Vernal in March. It is expected that over 3,000 people will view this year’s display.
Prints of the artworks will be sold with 60 percent of the proceeds benefitting the artists and 40 percent benefitting the Youth MOVE Utah chapter, a program of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI-Utah) and 401C-3 nonprofit that aids in expanded awareness around this effort.
An open house for the exhibit will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 17 from 7-8:30 p.m. in the CIB foyer. The Price MOVE Art Show display & Open House are a partnership between USU Eastern, Four Corners Behavioral Health, NAMI-Utah and the State of Utah’s Department of Human Services as a part of the UT-YES (Utah Transitioning Youth Empowered to Succeed) program.