Interactive art at Pinellas County parks bring out inner child, draw attention to mental health
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - It may look like children are just teetering on a seesaw at a Pinellas County playground, but they are actually using an interactive piece of art. It is part of the "You Good?" campaign, a mental health initiative sponsored by the Foundation Working for a Healthy St. Petersburg.
"People really received it well, they've really enjoyed it," said multi-media artist Stephen Oliver. "I’ve had people of all ages, kids and adults. Sometimes you've got to coax the seniors on a little bit, but they get on."
The campaign's goal is to encourage people who are dealing with mental health issues to realize there are resources in the community that can help.
"Everything about the program, including murals that people have done, postcards of other artists have done, this t-shirt that I did for the program, it's all geared towards making it more accessible, making it attractive for people and making people want to, you know, share," Oliver commented.
Oliver calls his project "Saw the Past and See the Future." It took him about three months to finish it.
"This, of course, is a lighthearted thing meant to bring out a little bit of the child out of everybody," Oliver explained. "It’s meant to evoke happiness."
Oliver is taking his interactive art display to Pinellas County parks for children young and old to experience.
"This is almost like a mood ring, but it evokes the fact that you're looking through maybe it's somebody else, you know, the circular seat," Oliver said.
Three local Pinellas County agencies collaborated on the project including Creative Pinellas, St. Petersburg Arts Alliance, and the Warehouse Arts District.
LINK: Learn more about the "You Good?" campaign at https://pinellaswellnessconnection.org/you-good.
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