Healing hidden hurts through the arts

April 04-- Apr. 4--PANAMA CITY -- Almost six months after Hurricane Michael roared through Bay County on its destructive path, the survivors are still in desperate need of recovery.

A big component of that is the healing of their invisible wounds. To that end, Panama City Center for the Arts has partnered with Big Bend Community Based Care and the ArtLife Organization for a free, family-friendly workshop focusing on "healing arts." The workshops will lead participants through different methods of expressing their feelings.

"After the hurricane, we wanted to put arts at the forefront of recovery efforts," said Colleen Cox, music therapist and founder of the ArtLife Organization. "Tapping into your creativity can allow you to confront and deal with emotions that you might otherwise ignore. It's also a way to take a break from the day-to-day life of repairing houses and dealing with insurance companies."

ArtLife, founded in 2012 by Cox and representatives from mental health and wellness agencies, provides art events that raise awareness of mental illness and traumatic brain injuries. Big Bend Community Based Care serves as the network management agency for child welfare and substance abuse and mental health services in northwest Florida.

The day will start at 10 a.m. with two 90-minute workshops running concurrently. A writing workshop will be led by writers who contributed to The Syndicate Studio's "Survivors" book. At the same time, Cox and fellow music therapist Ashley Carroll will lead music workshop students through a songwriting session and other fun activities.

Participants will then be on their own for lunch at 11:30 a.m. Anyone participating in the morning or afternoon sessions is eligible for special discounts at these downtown restaurants: Tom's Hot Dogs, Vinny & Bay's, and Millies. They must pick up their coupons at the Center for the Arts.

Afternoon workshops will run from 1:30 -- 3:30 p.m. The movement workshop will be led by Global Arts Society, taking participants through creative movement. At the same time, local artist Melinda Hall will lead a collage workshop using magazine cutouts, melted crayons and items participants bring from home, such as hurricane debris or other meaningful items, to express their feelings and look to the future. No prior experience with any of the methods of expression is required.

"We're excited to be able to partner on such a meaningful program. We know that the community has been through a lot and are still going through it," said Jayson Kretzer, director of the Center for the Arts. "The recovery process is going to take years, and we want people to have accessible, creative methods to reduce stress and express their emotions."

Panama City Center for the Arts will also set up "Stars of HOPE" painting stations in the parking lot from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., where visitors can paint stars with messages of hope to be delivered to other natural disasters zones.

"We have almost 100 stars left from our first Stars of HOPE program. We figured that this was the best time to put them out for others to paint," said Dixie Clough, marketing and public relations coordinator for Bay Arts Alliance. "Once the rest of our stars are painted, we'll send them to Lee County, Alabama, where they went through that horrible tornado. We want them to know that we're thinking of them and that they can get through this."

There is no age limit, but event organizers suggest participants should be at least 5 years old.

In addition to this event, One Heart Yoga will also be holding its final session of a 4-week yoga workshop to relieve tension and stress. It will take place in the Center's main gallery from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 6. The yoga event has a $15 suggested donation. For more information, see the events link at Facebook.com/OneHeartYoga.

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