In Response emerged from a yearlong project supported by the Minnesota State Arts Board Creative Individuals grant. At its core, the exhibition is built on conversations—deep, honest interviews with individuals who have experienced inpatient psychiatric care. Through those discussions, I've translated lived experiences into layered compositions that reflect the pain, isolation, resilience, and complexity of mental health treatment systems.

Each painting is a portal into a different narrative, allowing the viewer to sense, rather than simply observe, the emotional and structural realities of psychiatric hospitalization. My approach balances abstraction and intentional symbolism, honoring my collaborators’ voices while maintaining my personal artistic vocabulary.

My work does not attempt to simplify or solve. Instead, it holds complexity with reverence — inviting viewers to question, empathize, and bear witness to stories often excluded from public discourse.

* Names in this project have been changed to protect the privacy and identity of the individuals interviewed

Exhibition Details

• Exhibition Title: In Response
• Artist: Virginia Townsend
• On View: May 1 – July 5, 2025
• Gallery: Art for All, 2025 E. River Parkway, Minneapolis, MN 55414
• Gallery Info & Directions: art.ici.umn.edu/exhibits
• Artist Talk: May 14, 2025 – Join via Zoom