Perspectives Winter/Spring-2017

40 • NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY As people walk through the atrium just outside the Steele Auditorium at NSU’s Health Professions Division, they may have noticed that the walls are a bit brighter with the addition of the 9Muses art exhibit. This exhibit is the culmination of a collaboration between the NSU Department of Occupational Therapy, the Student Occupational Therapy Association, and 9Muses, which is a program of the Mental Health Association of Southeast Florida. 9Muses was developed in 1996 to provide support and promote recovery through the arts for individuals labeled with mental illness. The program has grown exponentially over the years and now has a fully operational frame shop and art studio, which offers classes in various art media, including drawing, acrylics, watercolor, ceramics, writing, drama, dance, jewelry making, and poetry. 9Muses hosts social events, such as a monthly Creative Café, dur- ing which members share their talents via art performances, exhibitions, recovery workshops, and support groups. 9Muses partners with local organiza- tions, such as hospitals and businesses, to provide rotat- ing art exhibits. The organization benefits by beautifying its environment, while the artists benefit by having stu- dio space to show their pieces and potentially sell them. NSU was proud to become the first college or university to exhibit with 9Muses. For many years, occupational therapy students rotated at 9Muses for their Level I mental health fieldwork placement. Students learn about the importance of mental health and how consumers navigate the system of care and combat stigma to lead satisfyingly engaged and occupational lives. 9Muses and Occupational Therapy: Occupational Therapy FORT LAUDERDALE BY CAROL LAMBDIN-PATTAVINA, DR.O.T., OTR/L, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR NSU TEAMS UP WITH GROUP TO SHOWCASE ARTWORK