CAMBRIDGE - Dorchester Center for the Arts invites the community to a colorful Second Saturday reception on Jan. 14, 5-7 p.m. Enjoy light refreshments, music and the opportunity to meet featured artists and representatives from the current exhibition “The Healing Power of Art.”

This exhibition includes work from the show “Look Closer - Reduce the Stigma” by the patients of the Eastern Shore Hospital Center, a special exhibition on loan from the Ocean City Art League titled “Stigma Highlighted,” which focuses on challenging misconceptions and negativity toward individuals battling addiction, and large-scale works by the local, regional and national chalk artists who participated in the Hoopers Island Chalk Festival, which premiered in 2022 in support of mental health awareness.

The reception will also kick off a silent auction for these visually stunning 8’x8’ chalk art panels. All work in this exhibition represents the usage of art as a healing mechanism to address mental health and the impact of substance use disorder.

So how does art contribute to healing? According to Mallory Montgomery, an art therapist at Henry Ford Health, “Art is healing because it forces you to forge a connection between your mind and your body. Unlike exercise, which works your body, or meditation, which clears your mind, art-making accesses both mind and body to promote healing. Every time you sit down to write a song or paint a picture, you are using mental processes in a physically engaging activity. It is hard to be bogged down in negative feelings and fear when you’re creating a piece of art. Instead, you experience a grounding, present and rewarding sense of connecting with yourself.” This work will be on exhibit through Jan. 28.

Additionally, DCA invites the public to contribute to the Affirmation Wall that night, or throughout the exhibit, by painting positive messages on small canvases for display.

“The goal of this project,” states DCA Visual Arts Coordinator Jennifer Hartfield, “is not only to be part of creating a beautiful wall but to also create unity with the community. It takes a village to support mental health.”

For more information on additional activities at the Dorchester Center for the Arts, stop by 321 High St., call 410-228-7782 or visit online at dorchesterarts.org. DCA is open Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday noon to 8 p.m., and Second Saturday until 8 p.m. Programs at DCA are supported by the Maryland State Arts Council. Find DCA on Facebook.