May 7, 2004

Arts in the Garden is held during National Mental Health Month, on the first Friday in May. This annual event is a presentation of visual and performing art saluting the successful recovery of Georgians from mental illness with the goal educating individuals about mental illness in order to reduce stigma

The day is filled with exhibitions, an artist market and a silent auction of paintings, sculpture, and mixed media works. The community is invited to participate in hands-on demonstrations of various art forms, story telling, drama and musical performances, as well as educational presentations and displays.

As part of the festivities, there is a plant sale of projects the horticultural therapy and vocational horticulture clients have made, home-made baked goods for sale, and a wonderful boxed lunch with the artists.

Skyland Trail is proud to host this event with it's partners- Emory University Hospital, Georgia Regional Hospital-Decatur, Community Friendship and the Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities.

All events are FREE to the public.

Brief history:
Arts in the Garden started as a small plant sale, with a few art pieces by Skyland Trail clients in 1996. The following year, the event had live music and more art and plants. Due to the planning and opening of Skyland Trail's Health and Education Center, the event did not occur in 1998 or 1999.

It was resurrected in May 2000 when individuals from Skyland Trail, along with professionals from Georgia Regional Hospital-Decatur, Community Friendship, Hillside Hospital, Emory University and other artists and consumers came together to plan a day filled with art, music, and fun. In 2000, "My Sister's Sister" was performed as part of the festivities and closed a very successful day.

Since then, Arts in the Garden has grown to include a large art sale with original art t-shirts and note cards sold as well as an expanded plant sale. Another area of growth has been the demonstrations and workshops. All day, guests can partake in make and take interactive art projects. The musical performances are a highlight of the day as participants gather in the sunny courtyard to enjoy acoustic guitar, drumming and individual and group performances.

click to enlarge image

click to enlarge image