Artwork from Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute patients has gone on display at the City Hall.

The MindFrame PhotoVoice exhibition aims to reduce stigma for patients, allow them to express themselves and help them build bridges with the public.

It features artwork and photography from 30 clients at the Substance Abuse, Intellectual Disabilities, Community Mental Health Services and Child and Adolescent Services programmes.

One woman who uses one of MWI’s counselling services said that she had relit a childhood interest in art since retiring two years ago.

She said the exhibition gave her a chance to share all that she had learnt since then.

The artist, who asked to be referred to only as Frances, has contributed numerous photographs taken during a group outing to St George’s as well as framed watercolours and charcoals.

She told The Royal Gazette: “I loved art when I was young, but I had to drop it.

“Art doesn’t cut the mustard when you want to get into physiotherapy school.

“After I retired two years ago, I started going up to Bermuda College for their art classes.

“Now I do one of the art programmes at MWI and it has helped me immensely. It is nice to have a guide and a critic in the best sense of the word.”

The woman said she had learnt basic techniques about colour tones, composition and placement.

She added: “I like to focus on buildings — old and classic buildings and preferably ones that are falling down.

“I have got a sketchbook, but these are the first pictures I have finished and it has helped to have the exhibition to focus on.”

Jordan Fairn, an art therapist who is running the exhibition, said: “The PhotoVoice programme allows service users to express themselves through artwork and photography, communicate with the public and bridge the gap between our service users and the general public.

“The objective of the show is to reduce stigma. It’s a way to educate the public on mental health and on MWI’s services.”

The Bermuda Hospitals Charitable Foundation donated $5,000 to help buy new cameras for the programme.

• The MindFrame PhotoVoice Exhibition opened yesterday in studios A and B at the Bermuda Society of Arts. It runs until October 29