Local business and community leaders are discovering hidden talents in an effort to do something good for children, teenagers and adults who benefit from art therapy.
The Art Station in Fort Worth will host an event next month called Public Figures, Private Artists.
People whose day jobs have nothing to do with painting or sculpting are stepping out of their comfort zones to create works of art that will be auctioned.
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Mike Micallef, the president of Reata, is one of the public figures who learned he has some artistic talent.
"I never really thought of myself as an artist, you know, and if you looked at my handwriting and my fine motor skills, you could actually see that. But what I did is something that I'm, I'm a welder in my garage. So, I started doing base metal sculptures every year," Micallef.
Micallef was so moved by the work of The Art Station he agreed to be the Honorary Chair of the 2023 Public Figures, Private Artists.
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"We all go to a lot of charity events. A lot of those charity events, you know, they'll have an ask. They'll have a table sponsorship. They'll have an auction. This is a different because you're actually buying artwork many times, artwork of your friends or people that you, that you respect out here in the city of Fort Worth," Micallef explained.
The annual fundraiser helps provide art therapy to the most vulnerable in the community. In 20 years, therapists at the art station have provided more than 200,000 sessions to help clients work through life challenges.
"Art therapy is more about the process of make of making the art, not the finished product. We're not teaching art skills. It's more about the process and the processing of whatever art form it is but in that you're able to use that as maybe a metaphor or a story or about what's going on inside. And a lot of times if emotions are tangled up inside using art can help detangle those so you can see clear and you can address the problem or the challenge and work through it and find a breakthrough," said Peggy Marshall, the CEO at The Art Station.
The Public Figures, Private Artists is on Wednesday, October 4th. Tickets and sponsorships are still available. Information is here.
