Ellen Anderson was skimming through an art magazine when she came across an article about a gallery in the United States that showcased the work of individuals with various disabilities.  Anderson, whose artistically inclined son has Cerebral Palsy, was taken aback by the calibre and originality of the pieces, and her astonishment soon turned into a burning curiosity.

'Did such a venue for creative people with disabilities exist in Canada?' she wondered.   After a bit of research, she realized that the answer was a disappointing 'no'.  But Anderson (pictured below) wasn't about to take 'no' for an answer. Instead she started making phone calls, and soon found herself at a convention for disabled artists in the States.  It was there that she cemented her commitment to open such a facility in Canada.

"I met all sorts of artists, runaway kids and people dying of AIDS...people with Down Syndrome and head injuries," she recalls.  "I went 'Oh my gosh the rest of the world is doing this and we have nothing like this in Canada!' "

When she got home, she didn't let the enthusiasm for the idea fade and after receiving a government grant, she opened the Creative Spirit Art Centre.

That was 16 years ago.  After enduring a few transient years, the gallery is once again firmly grounded at 999 Dovercourt Road in a light-filled space that was recently renovated.

For the past several weeks the challenging, multi-levelled work of Peter Smith (pictured below) has been on display.  

Smith, who suffers from Schizoaffective Disorder,  is a prime example of an individual who has overcome mental illness and found a unique artistic voice.  He credits the Creative Spirit Art Centre and Workman Arts at the Centre For Addiction And Mental Health (CAMH), a facility he once called home, for aiding in his recovery.

"This is a great place, the experience of showing here was far better than any commercial gallery I've even shown in," he said while surrounded by his paintings.  "I like to support places that are helping people with mental and physical disabilities.  I feel like it's my responsibility to do that."

Smith also finds inspiration in the works of those who suffer from various disabilities, in particular, patients at CAMH.

"There are a lot of people there who are totally unschooled in art and don't know anything about art history or technique or anything, and I'm just blown away by some of their works," he admits.  "I think I've probably been more influenced by them in the last eight years then almost anything else.  Just the spirit of making a picture and not worrying about what anybody thinks about it."

It's been a long, arduous road to recovery for Smith, who first started experiencing disturbing symptoms of mental imbalance in his late 20s.  His art was derailed by his worsening illness.

"I had a couple shows...and some of my works were really starting to sell but at that time I really became quite ill, and it got the point where I just wasn't functioning anymore.  I spent the next 5 years in and out of psychiatric wards and then there was another five years of sort of trying to find the right medications and all that."

Despite the prolific output of many patients at places like CAMH, Smith adamantly rejects the popular notion that creativity and madness are inextricably linked.

"(The art came) when I was healthy, once I got really ill there was just no output whatsoever, it was impossible for me."

"When you're really, really ill you're not even thinking about it because you're delusional," he asserts.

After finding the right mix of medications, he slowly began painting again.  Programs run by the Creative Spirit Arts Centre and Workman Arts gave him the opportunity to show his work, helping him re-establish his identity and regain his self-esteem. 

"All of a sudden my head was clear," he recalls.  "I could function reasonably well and from that time on I just sort of worked and worked and worked on my art, and I got opportunities to enhance my self esteem and that kind of thing, because your self esteem takes a beating with those types of mental illnesses.  So even if they put you on the right types of medication, there's a period of just this healing that has to take place.  Now it's 2008 and I'm doing alright."

Smith's work is now being utilized in the ambitious redevelopment of the Centre For Addiction And Mental Health on Queen West.   He's one of four artists, all former patients at the hospital, whose work has been chosen for utilization in directional signage.  

The new signs will identify roads, pedestrian walkways, buildings, program and service areas, as well as individual rooms.

"It's a great idea because they are including patients in the process and ex-patients and it makes a difference," he notes.

For Anderson, seeing Smith rise from the dark depths of mental illness makes the whole endeavour worthwhile.  But the feisty curator isn't satisfied yet.  She knows there are more people out there who need help, and by offering them a forum to exhibit their work, she imagines of wealth of similar success stories being penned.

"Because we deal with artists with disabilities it's sort of a special area," she admits.  "Some artists can't make it into the mainstream.  Peter has and he's really wonderful but there are a lot of artists who can't and they would never be asked, and there's such stigma and such prejudice...so we put on exhibitions of people who normally would never ever be seen in a public art gallery."

In the meantime, she's aiding in the collective shattering of debilitating stigmas and misconceptions.

"In our society, medical label disability is changing because now people live with AIDS, they live with cancer, they live will all sorts of things, so disability used to mean you were in a wheelchair and now it means all sorts of other things and everybody wants to have a life and continue doing whatever is it they do. 

"People need things that really make them feel healthy and give back something of who they are and art is a wonderful way."

For more information on the work of Peter Smith, contact Ellen Anderson.

michaelt@citytv.com