Art therapy: Black artists in the Poconos opening up about mental health and wellness

Jul. 16—A month before the pandemic hit, artists Courtney Natt and Sylvia Thompson held an exhibition to celebrate Black History Month.

Dubbed "Black Culture in the Burg," the event was such a hit — hundreds of people were cramped into a small gallery space on Main Street — that it got them thinking about the narrative regarding arts in the Poconos.

"It was the first time we've ever done this and we had that kind of turnout, which was phenomenal. We realized it's out here, this can be (a) thing," Thompson said.

Shortly after the exhibit, the couple, who are Black and identify as queer, began renovations on a bigger space located a block away on Sixth Street.

Create and Be Art Culture Studio is not only a safe space for fellow minorities and LGBTQ+ artists, but a place where other creatives can be heard and discuss things that may make some people feel uneasy.

"If you come here, you can be yourself, you can do whatever you want to do. You want to draw Afropunk, you want to talk about suicide, you want to talk about anxiety, depression — you can do that here," Natt said. "We're willing to have the conversations that are uncomfortable."

While photos and paintings of nature jive well here, they hope to encourage artwork that reflects real human emotions.

"It's the Poconos, we get it, people are inspired by beautiful landscapes, but it's one of the those things where yes, it is a misrepresentation — the sense that we don't get a chance to see anyone that looks like us, looks like you, whatever the case may be," Thompson observed. "For us to be inclusive, it means being able to get with your light and your dark and being able to have a balance with that.

"We can't always showcase the beautiful landscapes and the beautiful sunflowers," Thompson continued. "Yes, that is something that can speak to someone, but we want to get the nitty and gritty. We want to be able to say, 'You know what. You struggled with this: and maybe it's a little dark or crazy but we're totally OK with that.' "

Their next exhibit, "Where's Ya Mind At" Friday speaks about mental health.

Thompson and Natt both have dealt with mental health issues such as anxiety, depression and grief over the loss of their mother and father, respectively.

At one point during the lockdown, Natt, who is influenced by artists Chuck Close Salvador Dali, Matisse and Basquia, hit a wall so to speak.

"The pandemic really showed me how important creativity and art is, that's what I really learned through this. It's what saved me through this," Natt said.

"I usually do detailed art, and I couldn't even do that. I had a block," Natt refelted. "So I just did anything I could get out, even if it was a black line, I would just do line drawings," she said.

Natt and Thompson are not the only Black artists hoping to help fellow creatives in the region.

In early spring, former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Baron Batch taught a series of creative workshops at Camelback Resort in Tannersville.

At the time, he said he plans on returning to teach and visit the "refreshing and rejuvenating" Pocono Mountains.

Already a staple on the Steel City scene, Batch, 33, is a graffiti artist (peek at his Instagram page that is filled with colorful and positive images and '70s and '80s street flair).

During one class, he chatted about working through creative triggers and suppression by journaling and other mediums.

"The central thread of the message of (my) artwork is to be the best authentic you and let that be your contribution, let that be your form of artwork," he said.

And often it's about learning to let go.

"It's about relationship. So much about relationship is not being in control. You're in relation to something that you're part of — not you, but because you're part of it, it is you — and the balance of that.

"Creating visual art is very much about that, because you're working with your tools and your materials and then you're also working with your own interpretation of those tools and materials and what's possible."

Contact the artists

Art and Be Culture: 4 N. 6th St., Stroudsburg, cbartculture.com, @cbartculture. Follow Courtney Natt at @nattoncanvas and Sylvia Thompson @phoenixvizon

Follow Baron Batch @baron_batch

Micaela Hood is a lifestyles reporter for the USA TODAY Network Mid-Atlantic features team and is based at the Pocono Record. Reach her by emailing mhood@gannett.com.

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