Upon entering the Gaithersburg Arts Barn, you’re greeted by a plethora of chairs, all varying in color, texture and shape.
However, these chairs aren’t just for sitting on or admiring. Each seat holds its own meaning and represents some aspect of mental health, as part of Gaithersburg artist Sandra Davis’ “Pull Up a Chair 2.0” exhibit.
According to the official Gaithersburg website, Davis’ exhibit “seeks to move beyond the mere act of sitting down” by encouraging conversations about mental health conditions including depression, schizophrenia, and grief.
Take Zandra Chestnut’s “Rocking with the Disenfranchised,” which features a recycled and repurposed rocking chair adorned with the names of every D.C. mayor; or Jaree Donnelly’s “Keeping You from the Abyss,” utilizing two chairs connected by a bench for support above a black circle representing despair. With a chair as their starting canvas, Davis and 14 other artists told their own story about mental health, some with regards to religion, politics, and culture, with the hope of encouraging more conversation on such matters.
“A chair becomes something more just to sit on; it becomes a canvas for expression,” Davis said in her artist bio. “Especially now, after everything we’ve been through with the pandemic, it’s clear we need spaces where we can talk openly about how we’re really feeling.”
The Arts Barn will hold a Meet the Artists Reception on Sept. 15 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. The exhibit will continue to be on display through Oct. 6 of this year.
