Behind the Mask: Finding Art Through Trauma Exhibit

06/05/2025

Thanks to everyone who came to experience the TRANSFORMATION: Finding Art Through Trauma Exhibit this past May, we were able to raise $1100.00 to support ! THANK YOU for your generosity!

Being able to not only connect artists and create a safe space for our community to break the stigma of mental health by sharing our gifts and stories, is such a huge honor for us.

Let's do it all again next year!

THANK YOU AGAIN!

05/14/2025

There is a podium when you enter the Gallery, adorned with red theads and butterfly's. This is what it reads:

TRANSFORMATION:
FINDING ART THROUGH TRAUMA EXHIBIT

To all those who enter this safe space, all are welcome here.

Though this exhibit holds difficult images and words of trauma, grief, pain, loss, self-inflicted harm, assault, ptsd, cptsd, depression, and many other forms of visible and invisible afflictions - it also holds within these gallery walls powerful imagery, beauty, empathy, kindness, healing journeys, successes, resilience, friendship, hope and most importantly… Transformation.

Once you see and read these stories, you yourself will be transformed.
The red treads overhead and binding the art together are a reminder of how we are all tethered together in our traumas. No trauma is any harder or bigger than anyone else's - we all experience it the same.

It is our choices that make the difference. The connections we make, the ones we allow to help us, the ones we choose to help because of the life lessons we have experienced.

With these connections, we change - We Transform… Like a butterfly.
"The butterfly does not look back upon its caterpillar self, either fondly or wistfully; it simply flies on."
Guillermo del Toro

Though we all have been down different paths, some easy, some not, we have all found ourselves here today.
Sharing stories.
Sharing laughs.
Sharing tears.
Sharing hugs.
Sharing the most vulnerable parts of our journeys.
And still, we fly.

It is my hope that this exhibit brings with it a better understanding of mental health acceptance - helping to end the stigma that many of us have faced for so long. Finding art through trauma is how we as artists communicate and bring change. Through bravery and courage we tell our stories with paint, photos, music, dance, scribblings, writings, and a myriad of other artistic forms and mediums.

It is my honor to share the art of so many with you today.
May you find the message you needed to hear.
May you share your own story, as well.

Joey Marsocci - Curator & Artist

I hope you will come visit for yourself over the next two weekends ❤️

The Gallery Viewing Schedule for the remaining days are:

Friday 5/16 - 6-9pm
Saturday 5/16 - Artist Talks 12-8pm
Sunday 5/18 - 12-6pm
Friday 5/23 - 6-9pm
Saturday 5/24 - Artist Talks 12-8pm

05/11/2025

I want to sincerely thank everyone who came out to the opening reception of TRANSFORMATION: Finding Art Through Trauma Exhibit 2025 at the Hartford ArtSpace Gallery last night! It was so humbling to see you all and hear your stories!

I want to thank all of the artists who bravely shared their art and stories with us, and made this exhibit so much more than just an art show.

I want to thank my friends and chosen family for their support and physical help with putting this monstrosity together, Including:
Rachel Sclare, Brendan Wilson , Amy LaBossière, Kyle Pasciutti, Claudia Isabel, Zak Lane, and Quentin too!

Thank you to the vendors who came to share their art! The musical accompanyment of Ed Cleveland, and the food donations of Dante Paul Cistulli of Zephyr’s Street Pizza, GoldBurgers, Justin Michael Morales & Ben Dubow of Fire by Forge, and Pure Love Gluten Free Bakery - the food was AMAZING!

And, of course, NAMI Connecticut for all they do to support mental health assistance! We will continue to raise funds for them throughout the exhibit!

The exhibit will be up for

04/30/2025

Somehow we made it to 44 amazing artists for this years TRANFORMATION: Finding Art Through Trauma Exhibit!

That's double last year's artists!

We hope to see you there!

04/29/2025

We are very excited to bring you this new exhibit. We will be posting a lot of information in the next few days about the Participating Artists, sponsors, events and times.

Please note that the opening reception is on May 10th from 6-9pm. Paid parking is across the street from the Hartford ArtSpace Gallery, not behind the building.

Please note also that there is NO SOFT OPENING public event on Friday, May 9th.

Stay tuned for more Info!

03/30/2025

LAST DAY TO APPLY FOR THE CALL TO ARTISTS! The participation form closes at midnight on March 31st!

Email FindingArtThroughTrauma@gmail.com to get the participation form!

03/21/2025

ONLY 10 DAYS LEFT to fill out your participation forms for the upcoming TRANSFORMATION: Finding Art Through Trauma Exhibit!

March 31s is the submission deadline to be part of this heartfelt multi-artist exhibition peeking into the world of mental health acceptance.

This exhibit will be held at the Hartford ArtSpace Gallery May 10th - May 25th and all donations will be collected to support NAMI Connecticut!

For information on participating please email FindingArtThroughTrauma@gmail.com.

Visit www.grymmstudios.com/art-exhibits.html for event info

03/12/2025

ARTISTS! Check your emails! We've sent out another update about the TRANSFORMATION Exhibit, specifically more information about the installation and submission criteria with an example image created to demonstrate a sample look of the exhibit!

We are less than a month away from the submission deadline closing on March 31st! For those still interested, email FindingArtThroughTrauma@gmail.com for information!

This exhibit is a fundraising for and will be held May 10-25th at the .

02/23/2025

ATTENTION: There has been a change to the ENTRY FEE for the exhibit.

It is now $5.00 per piece with a 6 piece maximum limit.

As "process elements, pictures, drawings, or notes" describing the finished pieces are part of the criteria, the $5.00 covers those additional elements as well. Those "process elements" can be made pre or post the finished piece. They are only to help illustrate the process or "transformation" of the piece from its inspiration to finish.

I hope this clarifies some questions.

For all those who have already applied or shown interest, I will be emailing you with these changes to the participation form.

Thank you.

02/19/2025

CALL FOR ARTISTS! HARTFORD CT & SURROUNDING STATES!

TRANSFORMATION: FINDING ART THROUGH TRAUMA EXHIBIT 2025 - MAY 10-25

Artists of all mediums wanted! Photographers, painters, assemblage, sculptors, writers, audio/video, dance & movement, puppets, etc! All are welcome!

Please help spread the word if you can for the Behind the Mask: Finding Art Through Trauma Exhibit. Deadline to enter is March 30th!

Email me at findingartthroughtrauma@gmail.com for more info!

NAMI Connecticut Hartford ArtSpace Gallery Grymm Studios

02/18/2025

02/14/2025

CALL FOR ARTISTS!!

TRANSFORMATION: Finding Art Through Trauma Exhibit 2025 is now seeking Connecticut (or local to CT) artists to be part of this non-juried art show. This fundraising exhibit will be at the Hartford ArtSpace Gallery this May 9-25, 2025 to help raise awareness for mental health issues with NAMI Connecticut receiving 100% of all donations.

Hosted by local artist and educator Joey Marsocci of Grymm Studios, this exhibit will feature artists who use art of any medium to cope with various mental health issues such as: depression, ADHD, PTSD, CPTSD, anxiety, grief, trauma, and other afflictions.

Grymm Studios Exhibits tend to lean towards an immersive, themed experience, not only in sight and sound but with emotion and story. The theme of this exhibit is “Transformation”. As such, this exhibit will be installed to show the process from beginnings of the idea to finished piece of art, either through concept sketches, rough paintings, rough sculptures, or notes; which will be displayed along with the finished pieces. It is my goal that through the written story behind the art and showing your process, it will allow this safe space to be a vessel for being vulnerable and showing how the process you experience leads to the transformation of the final piece. Similar to the internal work and self care that we need to process to heal from our traumas.

Artists may include up to 6 (six) pieces of artwork. (along with any process notes/art that accompanies those 6 finished pieces)
PARTICIPATION ENTRY FEE: $5.00 per FINISHED piece of art submitted. (The $5 also covers the “process art” that will be displayed with the final piece.)

Deadline to enter is March 30th!

Come and be a part of this powerful event! For more information on participating in this exhibit, please email FindingArtThroughTrauma@gmail.com. (No DMs Please).

Hartford ArtSpace Gallery NAMI Connecticut Grymm Studios