Creative art and wellness went hand-in-hand at a new art show spotlighting Filipino American youth in downtown Los Angeles.
The young artists participated in a summer workshop program in North Hollywood that centers on creativity and mental health, using comics as a way to channel emotions and tell their own stories. Their comic strip-style art projects were celebrated at an exhibit on Thursday, July 11 at ArtShare L.A., a “high-quality” space for Filipino representation in the arts, organizers said.
Thursday night’s public exhibit was curated by The Human Beauty Movement, a wellness company focused on personal growth and mental health, in partnership with the L.A. County Department of Mental Health’s Asian Pacific Islander Underserved Cultural Communities subcommittee.
Ciara Putnam and her brother Matthew attend the Filipino-American Youth Wellness Comic Book Exhibit at Art Share L.A. in DTLA’s Arts District on Thursday, July 11, 2024 where their sister Natalie, 17, was showing her work. The Human Beauty Movement’s creative wellness program for Filipino American youth is a partnership with LA County Department of Mental Health’s API Underserved Cultural Communities subcommittee. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Kane Meyer’s “Things Are Different” is seen in the Filipino-American Youth Wellness Comic Book Exhibit at Art Share L.A. in DTLA’s Arts District on Thursday, July 11, 2024. The Human Beauty Movement’s creative wellness program for Filipino American youth is a partnership with LA County Department of Mental Health’s API Underserved Cultural Communities subcommittee. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Jennifer Norman, CEO of The Human Beauty Movement, speaks during the Filipino-American Youth Wellness Comic Book Exhibit at Art Share L.A. in DTLA’s Arts District on Thursday, July 11, 2024. The Human Beauty Movement’s creative wellness program for Filipino American youth is a partnership with LA County Department of Mental Health’s API Underserved Cultural Communities subcommittee. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
People attend the Filipino-American Youth Wellness Comic Book Exhibit at Art Share L.A. in DTLA’s Arts District on Thursday, July 11, 2024. The Human Beauty Movement’s creative wellness program for Filipino American youth is a partnership with LA County Department of Mental Health’s API Underserved Cultural Communities subcommittee. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
People attend the Filipino-American Youth Wellness Comic Book Exhibit at Art Share L.A. in DTLA’s Arts District on Thursday, July 11, 2024. The Human Beauty Movement’s creative wellness program for Filipino American youth is a partnership with LA County Department of Mental Health’s API Underserved Cultural Communities subcommittee. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Jennifer Alquijay, of the LA County Department of Mental Health, speaks during the Filipino-American Youth Wellness Comic Book Exhibit at Art Share L.A. in DTLA’s Arts District on Thursday, July 11, 2024. The Human Beauty Movement’s creative wellness program for Filipino American youth is a partnership with LA County Department of Mental Health’s API Underserved Cultural Communities subcommittee. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Nicholas Azagra, 17, of Glassell Park, talks about his comic strip “Concrete Symphony” during the Filipino-American Youth Wellness Comic Book Exhibit at Art Share L.A. in DTLA’s Arts District on Thursday, July 11, 2024. The Human Beauty Movement’s creative wellness program for Filipino American youth is a partnership with LA County Department of Mental Health’s API Underserved Cultural Communities subcommittee. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Ralph Bajo, of Granada Hills, and Macey Dullas, both 17, of Glendale, look at work in the Filipino-American Youth Wellness Comic Book Exhibit which they also showed in at Art Share L.A. in DTLA’s Arts District on Thursday, July 11, 2024. The Human Beauty Movement’s creative wellness program for Filipino American youth is a partnership with LA County Department of Mental Health’s API Underserved Cultural Communities subcommittee. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Studies show many Filipino American youth experience higher rates of depression and mental health issues than some of their peers, due to cultural and strict familial pressures, stigma around mental health, and experiences of discrimination. The rate of seeking help for Filipino American youth is also much lower when compared with other Asian groups or general U.S. populations, according to The Human Beauty Movement.
“We are interested in helping the next generation break the stigma of intergenerational concerns about mental health, and being okay to really express themselves in creative and healthy ways,” said Jennifer Norman, founder of Human Beauty Movement.
At the three-week summer workshops, participants talked about empowerment, mindfulness practices and communication and worked each week on developing their comic book project, starting with theme and character development. Participants also learned how to storyboard and put together a narrative through characters and dialogue.
Comics were used as a way to not only help participants express themselves through art therapy, but to help youth tell their stories, Norman said. She noticed a significant improvement in their understanding and awareness of mental health by the end of the program. Attendees also passed along skills and knowledge to their friends and family, starting important conversations around mental health at home.
The final comic book projects were purchased by L.A. County, making these Filipino American youth officially paid artists.
“Their understanding of what they can do in terms of tips and techniques, they’ve really taken to heart in order to mitigate that in the future.”
For mental health resources and support, including crisis support, anyone can call the L.A. County Department of Mental Health’s helpline at 1 (800) 854-7771, or text 988 for immediate private support, 24/7.
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