For artist Malcolm Tuffnell, the Santa Barbara Mental Wellness Center is nothing less than a lifesaver.
“It’s been really kind of a saving grace because I have somewhere to go now. Before, I was pretty lonely. Painting is usually a kind of solitary thing. It wasn’t doing me any good being in the house all day,” said Tuffnell. “So now, at least, I can paint and I can sort of give my gift to other people and show them some things.”
Tuffnell is one of the nearly 60 artists living with mental illness who will be featured in the Mental Wellness Center’s 28th annual Artful Minds Arts Faire on Saturday, May 4, as a part of their ongoing Mental Health Awareness Month initiatives this May.
Tuffnell, a Santa Barbara native, was trained at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and specializes in oil and acrylic work. For years, he has painted sensitive and stirring images, primarily of ballet dancers.
“I’ve really been a captive of the magic of ballet since I was very young,” he said. Tuffnell describes being handed down a love for the art form from his father, who was British and used to attend the Royal Ballet at Albert Hall in London. Tuffnell is now a patron of the State Street Ballet, where he does charcoal and pencil sketches of the dancers that he incorporates into his paintings.
Tuffnell draws much of his inspiration from weather, dance, and artists such as the painter George Ennis or the composer Gustav Mahler. His impressionistic slant with a modern twist makes for unique works, of which more than 20 will be available for purchase at the art faire.
Tuffnell’s connection with the Wellness Center began after he was briefly hospitalized last year while struggling with depression and anxiety. He learned about the center upon release and quickly joined the Fellowship Club. Through the club, he began attending the Wellness Center daily and found support, connection, and a space in which he could paint freely and help others in their artistic endeavors.
“The positive feedback has been great. There’s a lot of different people in the art room at different levels. I’m probably the most conservative in terms of doing landscapes and that kind of thing. Probably the most representational,” he said. “It’s just a lot better to have human contact than to sit alone and feel like what you’re doing is kind of hopeless.” Along with the artists being shown, the faire will also include a community-led activity in which patrons are invited to share in the afternoon of art by creating a colorful tile as part of an installation called the “Tile Paint Zone.” The installation will be showcased throughout the month of May at the Mental Wellness Center (617 Garden St).
The faire is set to take place on Saturday, May 4, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on the beachfront opposite Chase Palm Park. To learn more about Mental Wellness Center, and its annual Artful Minds event, visit mentalwellnesscenter.org.
Related Posts
