Below is a sampling from the STEP Art Gallery exhibit, "Brushes with Life: Art, Artists, and Mental Illness."  The gallery, which is located in the hallways leading to the STEP Inpatient Unit on the 3rd floor of UNC Neurosciences Hospital, displays artwork by both STEP inpatients and STEP Clinic outpatients. Since the first installation went up in December 2000, exhibits have rotated every six months. Our current exhibition was installed in March 2005 and we anticipate a new installation in October.

The goal of the STEP Art Gallery is to give our patients the opportunity to display their artwork.  We also hope to lessen the stigma associated with mental illness and to show that people with serious mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder, can be creative and productive.

Please visit our virtual gallery at www.brusheswithlife.org. 

We can be contacted at stepart@med.unc.edu