( ENSPIRE Community Spotlight ) A New Chicago Art House Exhibit Exploring Feelings and Positivity
ENSPIRE Contributor: Petra Wolf
Inside the Water Tower Place Mall in Downtown Chicago, the Exhibit House opened in April 2023 and welcomes all to view their exhibits of experimental artworks. Celebrating Mental Health Awareness Month, Exhibit House is closing out the month of May with a new exhibit in their Mood Room. The Mood Room is a dreamlike space for visitors to explore. This exhibit invites visitors to process their emotions by using color psychology to display how color affects mood. Each color represents a specific mood and meaning within the exhibit.
According to Mental Health America, Anxiety is the highest reported mental health issue in the US. 42.5 million Americans suffering from this illness. The Exhibit House’s goal this month is to educate visitors on mental health and create healthy conversations around the stigma of it. Visiting The Mood Room at Exhibit House is a fun way to educate oneself about the importance of mental health in a peaceful setting. The Exhibit House is also using its social media channels as well to highlight how colors play a role in mental health.
The colorful exhibits each have a sign explaining the meaning behind the chosen color in feeling. The example above is Red representing Anger, which the caption describes as “A strong feeling of displeasure. Negative feelings can be expressed with a pen and paper. We can allow anger to motivate us to find solutions to problems we don’t understand.” The caption also encourages visitors to scribble down either what is making them angry or a motivational message. The strong red light draws the eye toward the written text. This shows how even when someone is angry, kind words can mean the most to people.
Another part of the Mood Room is Dark Pink, representing Passion and a more positive shade of Red/Anger. The caption for this section is “A strong, loving feeling toward something. A strong feeling of enthusiasm or excitement for or about something. Passions are often something you would like to pursue consistently. What are you most passionate about?” Below the caption, visitors can place marbles into different tube pathways. This signals if they are passionate about their career, friends, family, education, relationships, or sleep.
Founder and Owner of Exhibit House Janine Williams recently opened up about why this installation was created. In her interview with WGN and how journaling and art contributed to her journey. She discussed another permanent exhibit, The Secret Garden. She based it her own experiences with depression. The Secret Garden is a very calm environment, full of floral scenery and soft lighting. The exhibit is interactive as well with hidden drawers and shelves filled with serene scenes and inspirational items like a journal Williams created.
You can get tickets to see The Exhibit House here.
Related Articles: New Art Experience Presented By The Exhibit House of Chicago (EHOC), Indigenous Arts Gallery at Tucson Museum of Art Creates A Community-Based Approach To Exhibition Development,
