NSMT To Host I AM MORE Exhibit From Sept 24 - Oct 6

The exhibit, I Am More, featuring sixteen paintings of individuals accompanied by essays about how they are more than their mental challenges, will be hosted by Bill Hanney's North Shore Music Theatre during the run of "Sunset Boulevard" from Sept. 24-Oct. 6, 2019.

"It is our honor to host the 'I Am More' exhibit throughout our production of Sunset Boulevard," said Bill Hanney, owner and producer of North Shore Music Theatre. "It is a great opportunity to put a positive spotlight on those living with mental illness and to give them their "close-up" to help in promoting deeper understanding and awareness."

I Am More is a public art and writing project founded by Gloucester artist, Amy Kerr, who was inspired through her own struggle with depression to share the faces and words of subjects who describe how they are more than their own mental illness or life situation. The pain they live with is just one facet of a person with skills, gifts, loves and hopes that are sometimes overshadowed by the struggle for mental health. The purpose of I Am More is to shine a light on these gifts and start a conversation about these often-taboo subjects with the hope of encouraging others to reach out for help and support, and to feel less alone.

The pastel and colored pencil portraits feature the subjects in their favorite place, accompanied by an essay about how they are more than their grief, depression, anxiety, PTSD, eating disorder, dysphoria, bipolar disorder and more. The portrait subjects range in age from fifteen to seventy-eight and come from eastern Massachusetts.

SUNSET BOULEVARD performances are September 24 - October 6, Tue - Thurs at 7:30 pm, Fri & Sat at 8 pm, matinees Wed, Sat and Sun at 2 pm. For tickets and information call (978) 232-7200, visit nsmt.org, or visit the box office at 62 Dunham Rd., Beverly, MA.

Image: Patrick and York, 2018. Colored pencil on paper, 16x20 inches