Editor’s note: The following information was provided by Roberta’s Art Gallery.
This November, Roberta’s Art Gallery is hosting one of their most powerful exhibits yet: “Facing Addiction.” The exhibit will feature portraits of individuals who have struggled with addiction created by late artist, Paul Smith, of the Madison area. The exhibit also features a memorial to Sam Moermond, a young adult who was accepted to attend UW-Whitewater, and would have graduated in the class of 2023. Sam struggled with addiction and recovered, but ultimately died during a relapse. “Facing Addiction” will be at Roberta’s Art Gallery from November 3-26.
Paul Smith was a Wisconsin artist who created illustrations, digital, fine art, and portraits. The idea behind his “Facing Addiction” collection/exhibit of portraits was to remove the stigma that can lie behind addiction, as he faced addiction first hand. Paul wanted to paint the picture that addiction is something that can happen to anyone, “dedicating the show to raising awareness about addiction in our culture, in an effort to reduce the deadly stigma attached to that word,” he says on his website. Paul also served as a Patient Services Assistant at Tellurian, Inc., a rehabilitation and detoxification center in Madison. There, he created a Creative Art Program where he taught painting and sketching as a form of therapy to individuals who were in recovery. He passed away in June 2021. To view Paul’s website, click here.
Sam Moermond was a wonderfully gifted and kind soul who engaged his life with sympathy, empathy, and a smile. Sam also had to overcome many different health issues in his short life. Following high school graduation, Sam took classes at MATC and was accepted to attend UW-Whitewater. After injuring his foot more than once, he was introduced to heroin, which began his struggle with addiction. Sam successfully overcame his addiction and helped many other individuals in their road to recovery, but ultimately lost his life during a relapse due to the unknown addition of fentanyl. Sam was 21 years old when he died. The exhibit features a portrait of Sam in memorial. To read more about Sam, click here.
Moermond’s family and friends endowed a scholarship with the UW-Whitewater Foundation to support students facing the same type of hurdles: The Sam Moermond Second Chance Scholarship. This scholarship will be available for the first time in the 2022-23 academic year and is intended to help students who may have struggled with addiction, have recovered from, or otherwise could use assistance. Student scholarship applications open in December. Any donations to Sam’s scholarship will go directly into the Sam Moermond Second Chance Scholarship. For more information about UW-W Foundation scholarships, click here.
Roberta’s Art Gallery will host a virtual panel discussion, featuring speakers from multiple professions, discussing the topics of addiction and recovery at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, November 10 via the University Center’s Facebook Live. Afterward, there will be an in-person reception at Roberta’s Art Gallery.
Those facing addiction or other health challenges can reach out for help 24 hours a day, seven days a week at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). UW-Whitewater’s on campus resources include: University Health & Counseling Services at (262) 472-1305, located at the Ambrose Health Center, open from 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday – Friday. Winther Counseling Services is also available via (262) 472-2842, or at Winther Hall room number 3004, Monday – Thursday 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Roberta’s Art Gallery is located on the first floor of the James R. Connor University Center (UC) at UW-Whitewater. The gallery hosts multiple exhibits each semester by collaborating with the artists–both locally and regionally. Many of our events will be held virtually and/or in person this semester. Our hours are Monday – Thursday 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. and Friday 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Roberta’s Art Gallery prides itself on all of their exhibits being free and open to the public. This means anyone: whether you’re a student, a Whitewater community member, or someone wanting to support the artist or pay their respects, please stop by. For questions or further information, contact Roberta’s Art Gallery at (262) 472-3193 or ucart@uww.edu or visit our website.
