A
Support Group
for
Artists
with a
Mental Health Diagnosis
Art Showcase
Spotlight on Talent
Patrick Closser
I've been doing art since I was 7 years old. I studied drawing and painting at
SMU and UNT (Southern Methodist University and University of North Texas).
I worked at Twin Hills Animation Studios, Jamieson Studios Animation, and
Keitz and Herndon Studios in Dallas. I also worked at Stage Animation
Studios. I also worked at KBFI-TV, Channel 33 Art Department, in Dallas.
We’re all affected by mental illness. Some of us are manic-depressive, some of us are paranoid, some of us are schizo-affective, or schizophrenic, or hebephrenic, but we were born that way. We were lucky to find MHA (Mental Health America) and we happen to be good at art, painting, design, watercolor, oil paintings, or pastels. Therefore we were able to form an organization called “ATTA,” which means “Achievement Through The Arts.”
We had some members who were good in music also. We have had exhibits at various places, including Market Hall. We have KeLaine Kvale, who does ink, and pen work, Julie Sutton, who does needlepoint, Liz Olsson, who does paintings, Allison Leonard Rappaport, Mike Courtney, who does colored drawings, and paintings, Liam Rumpel who does designs, and myself, Patrick Closser, and I do acrylic paintings, water color, and oils. Some of us have made money, selling paintings. Actually, my family, the Clossers, were Dutch Catholics, from Amsterdam, or Totterdam, Holland.
Thank you MHA for helping us.
—Patrick Closser
KeLaine Kvale
Art has always been all I’ve e a red about in life. I’ve loved people and places and things, but art has always been my main priority. I have been dedicated to being an artist since age 3. I have studied life drawing for over 60 years, done printmaking, collage, drawing, watercolor, oil painting, and sculpture, ceramics, singing, dancing, and java made jewelry since I was 16. I’ve sold a lot, donated and given away art. I’m still in college because I love learning new things. I’ve been a member of ATTA since about 2004?. I became President in 2008. No one will let me quit! I love these people with all my heart. I’ve always been bipolar, AADD, OCO (and other alphabet soup…), though as a child this disease that ran rampant through my father's family was called manic-depressive. I’ve been in and out of therapy since I was 16. It took a long time to find the right meds, years of ups and downs, trials and errors. Mental Health America has been very good to sponsor us and we’re presented a lot of excellent shows. Thank you for allowing us to grow stronger and healthier!
Michael Courtney
I was introduced to art at an early age as my mother was an art teacher and my father an accomplished photographer. Though I had other interests in grade school, I took some art classes at junior high and became serious about art in high school. In my senior year my art teacher awarded me with a scholarship to a summer art camp at the University of Kansas. It was there that I suffered from what seemed like bipolar depression, but was later diagnosed as schizo-affective disorder. Pursuing art through out my life since then, has been a key factor in coping with and managing this illness. When I was fortunate enough to join what later became Achievement Through the Arts I truly began to grow as an artist. The friendships and peer support I gained
from ATTA have been instrumental in sustaining my mental health. In the future as I continue on my artistic journey I would like to contribute to the growth of ATTA and its members even if only in a small way.