Approximately 1 in 5 adults in the United States experience mental illness in a given year.*
Color the Conversation is a movement to end the stigma around mental illness through the arts & social media. By participating in online and physical experiences, viewers are invited to share their personal stories and connect with others. Simultaneously, Color the Conversation gathers data from participants both in the gallery and online to draw correlations that help to further understand the relationship between social media and mental illness.
The participatory process with Color the Conversation is integral to the project’s success. The project began weeks before the exhibition through an online survey that gathered over 750 participants’ data about their experience with mental illness. This process of gathering quantitative data works in tandem with the handwritten stories from other people found in the gallery. Hanging with the gallery stories are portraits of individuals who have found hope during their darkest times. The portraits were taken with 120 film in front of a white backdrop and then soaked together in “film soup,” a combination of household liquids such as energy drinks, lemon juice, and/or alcohol, which causes unique color distortions on the photos. It’s a process which excites me because no two photos come out the same, much like how no two people are the same. Embracing these results, especially the flaws that come from working with film, encourages us to embrace our own imperfections.
After walking through the hanging photos, viewers arrive at a wall where they are prompted by three statements in which they can choose to anonymously add their commentary through stickers that correlate with their age and identified gender. They also have the option to share their personal experience with mental illness by writing it in the gallery or submitting it online, thereby coloring the conversation with their own story. The audience’s engagement can serve to further our understanding of mental illness and inspire others to find hope and get the help they may need. You can help to color the conversation by participating with the piece here and using the hashtag #ColorTheConvo online or visiting colortheconversation.com.
*Statistic from NAMI, National Alliance on Mental Illness
Cat Boyce grew up in Bristol, Connecticut where at a young age she began taking photos with her mother’s film camera. Compelled by her passion for visual storytelling, she pursued a BFA in photography from the University of Connecticut and completed a senior thesis titled In Touch, a series of photographs of her peers from high school sharing where they were four years after graduation and what has influenced them to get to where they are then.
After graduating in 2015, Boyce helped spearhead a new community arts effort in her hometown. This led to her work with Bristol All Heart and then to her role as the Marketing & Events Assistant at The Central Connecticut Chambers of Commerce. During this time, Boyce realized the power of bringing the arts and marketing together. She hasn’t looked back since.
