Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute Presents 'Insights at the Institute'
"Being Bipolar in a Polarized World #4" by Kelly Mathews
Florida Atlantic University’s Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute will host “Insights at the Institute: Creativity and the Bipolar Brain,” a juried art exhibition designed to bring awareness to bipolar disorder, from Thursday, March 14 through Tuesday, March 19, at FAU’s John D. MacArthur Campus, 5353 Parkside Drive, Jupiter.
Private receptions will take place on Thursday, March 14 and Friday, March 15, while the exhibition will be open to the public Saturday, March, 16 from 1 to 5 p.m., as well as Monday, March 18 and Tuesday, March 19 from 5 to 8 p.m. Admission is free.
The annual “Insights” competition is hosted by the Ryan Licht Sang Bipolar Foundation and features original artwork created by individuals living with bipolar disorder. This year’s theme is “What It Feels Like to Have Bipolar Disorder.”
“Art is a powerful form of expression, and we are thrilled to join forces with our friends at The Ryan Licht Sang Bipolar Foundation in fighting social stigmas around this disease and underscoring the need for more early-onset bipolar disorder research,” said Randy D. Blakely, Ph.D., executive director of the Brain Institute.
In the United States, the annual prevalence of bipolar disorder is estimated at 2.8 percent, though this number is likely underestimated due to a number of factors, including difficulty to diagnose. Joyce and Dusty Sang established their foundation in memory of their only child, Ryan, who struggled with the disease and passed away at 24 years old. The foundation is dedicated to fostering awareness, understanding and research for earlier diagnosis of bipolar disorder. The foundation’s signature initiative, called “Quest for the Test,” is aimed at funding research to develop an empirical biomarker test for bipolar disorder to aid early detection and intervention.
“Understanding the mechanisms and causes of mood disorders will open an enormous door through which new therapies and treatments will be discovered,” said Dusty Sang. “The work of FAU’s Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute, under the outstanding direction of Dr. Randy Blakely, has come online at a time when discoveries, once thought to be science fiction, are becoming a reality.”
The “Insights at the Institute” exhibition is part of the Brain Institute’s annual “Brainy Days” series, which includes free community events and educational lectures with world-renowned experts to promote brain health, share neuroscience discoveries, and reduce the stigma associated with brain disorders.
“We are honored and excited to bring Insights VI to the institute,” said Joyce Sang. “Together, we are shining a bright light on the path to greater societal awareness and understanding of bipolar disorder.”
“Insights at the Institute” was made possible by support from Palm Health Foundation. For more information, visit fau.edu/brain/insights-at-the-institute/.
To learn more about “Brainy Days,” email BI-outreach@fau.edu or visit fau.edu/brain/brainydays.
-FAU-
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