The Tri-County Board of Recovery and Mental Health Services is accepting entries for its Annual Art of Recovery exhibition of paintings, drawings, photography, poetry and music from our local mental health and recovery system in conjunction with National Recovery Month in September and the Tri-County Board’s annual meeting in October.

A kickoff concert will be held on Aug. 28 at the Historic Sidney Theatre, featuring Sidney native Bruce Moon.

The art will be displayed in two locations: the Vaccaro-Myers Art Gallery on Edison State Community College’s Piqua campus from Sept. 9-26, and at the Tri-County Board’s Administration and Training Center at 1280 N. County Road 25A in Troy from Oct. 1-25.

The artists reception and awards ceremony will be Thursday, Oct. 24 at 5:30 p.m. at the Administration and Training Center.

For this year’s Art of Recovery, the Tri-County Board is presenting a unique opening musical concert at 7 p.m. on Aug. 28 at the Historic Sidney Theatre. The concert features Moon, performing “Four Lives: Welcome to the Studio,” songs and stories about his experience as an art therapist.

The concert is free to attend, but reservations are required. Reservations can be requested at www.tcbmds.org/studio or by calling Brad Reed at 937-761-2443.

Theme for Art of Recovery 2024 is “Home.” Art may depict or be inspired by the theme, but it is not required to represent the theme.

Artists who have been impacted personally, as a family member or friend, or anyone whose art reflects recovery from mental illness or addiction are invited to submit. Artists display works ranging from painting and drawing to sculpture, mixed media, crafts, photography and poetry.

Artists typically reside in Darke, Miami and Shelby Counties, although submissions from other counties are welcomed. Residents of Miami, Darke and Shelby Counties who wish to participate but need financial assistance purchasing art supplies may contact Brad Reed, [email protected] or 937-761-2443, for information.

Moon to perform first concert in Sidney

Moon, who is 73, is a singer-songwriter, active painter, and performance artist. He has logged years of stage time performing at colleges, dive bars, open mics and concert venues. For the last 25 years, he has performed solo in a range of settings, from a coffeehouse in Seattle to a public radio station in Pennsylvania to a venue in Ireland.

The Art of Recovery Concert is a homecoming of sorts. Bruce is a native of Sidney, but moved away after high school in pursuit of his career in art therapy and teaching.

“You know, I’ve played in 17 states and four foreign countries, but never in my hometown — at least not as an adult,” Moon said.

“Four Lives: Welcome to the Studio” is a performance that blends original music, poetry, and spoken narrative depicting three clients and their relationship with an art therapist working in a studio in a psychiatric hospital. Sara is an angry, self-destructive adolescent. John is a middle-aged man struggling with addiction and depression. Lenore is an elderly woman facing the inevitable losses and challenges of that phase of her life. Each story is told through art.

In addition to the songs and stories in “Four Lives,” Moon will perform a set of songs from his newest album, “Hometown Stories and Songs (Live),” released July 16. The album features songs about being in and being from Sidney, including “Sidney Ohio Blues,” and “Big Z and the Stingrays.” The album cover art will be familiar to Sidney residents, as it features the heavily graffiti-ed wall near the Eeast North Street bridge and Custenborder Field.

“Good music ought to comfort people who have been afflicted and afflict people who are too comfortable,” Moon said. “Everybody has a story and I hope my songs honor and comfort the folks I’ve encountered.”

After graduating from Sidney High School, he earned a bachelor’s degree, a couple of master’s degrees from a Methodist Seminary and a PhD in creative arts from the Union Institute in Cincinnati. He spent 22 years working as an art therapist at a psychiatric hospital in Columbus and another 20 years as a college professor in Scranton, Pennsylvania and Milwaukee.

Bruce has more than 20 LPs available on Spotify, Pandora, and Apple Music and videos of his work can be seen on YouTube at www.youtube.com/user/bclunar123.