The Living Museum at FIERMAN

  

    

    FIERMAN’s show, featuring artists from the Living Museum at Creedmoor Psychiatric Center, is one of those rare exhibitions that feels genuinely alive. The Living Museum has been around since the 1980s, offering space for psychiatric patients to make art freely—no pressure, no rules, just creative expression. This show brings those feelings of raw creativity to an established gallery space through a mix of paintings, drawings, collages, and sculptures made over the past 30 years.

    The show features a wide range of styles, mediums and approaches, however, it is tied together through a strong sense of individuality and uniqueness. For example, Christina Constantine’s paintings are bold, and seemingly spontaneous with large sweeps of color, whereas John Tursi seems to work with a more calculated approach. He utilizes intricate geometric shapes through use of spirographs and french curves. Though each piece tells a unique story, together they create a cohesive narrative of lesser featured artists. 

    That being said, the exhibition feels slightly cramped. The space at FIERMAN doesn’t quite give the works room to breathe. Each piece is packed with emotion and energy that I believe needs a little more room to shine. Regardless of the lack of space, the power of these works are expressed loud and clear. The show reveals how creativity often thrives in the most unexpected of places, and how the Living Museum continues to foster a creative safe-space for artists in psychiatric care.