Season Three
Season three Episode One
The Art of Healing
Art has a special way of resonating with people, bringing to light complex emotions that cannot always be conveyed through words. We’ll meet the people & organizations using art a powerful tool for healing —from Diné fine arts photographer Eugene Tapahe to award-winning spoken word artist Jaruwat Maendl to a new interactive play from the Utah Shakespeare Festival entitled “Every Brilliant Thing.”
Watch Stories from this Episode
The Jingle Dress Project
Fine arts photographer Eugene Tapahe’s idea for “Art Heals: The Jingle Dress Project” came to him in a dream. Legend has it the jingle dance originated from an Ojibwe man who dreamt of its healing power during the Spanish Flu. Now, Eugene travels the west photographing his daughters and friends in National Parks and Monuments as a way to reclaim indigenous spaces and bring healing to the world.
A Poet's Mind
Jaruwat Maendl, who goes by J.P., is a 19-year-old award-winning spoken word artist. For J.P., poetry not only helped him come to terms with who he is, it also helped to shed a light on what goes on inside the mind of a person living with ADHD and Dyslexia. J.P. also uses his art to confront issues concerning race and identity, and the experience of feeling like an “other” among his peers.
Every Brilliant Thing
In late 2019 / early 2020, actors from the Utah Shakespeare Festival set out to perform Duncan Macmillan’s play “Every Brilliant Thing” for high school students across Utah. The play blends the topic of mental health with the tragedy & comedy of theatre, creating a safe space for teens to talk openly about their struggles with suicide and depression, and build on the strength of one another.
