ARTLife717 (aka) the Mental Health Awareness & Creative Arts Gallery is Hudson’s first peer-run gallery and studio where people living with mental-health and/or addiction challenges turn creativity into healing. The gallery space always has artwork on display, with rotating exhibits that spotlight mental-wellness themes—so every visit offers fresh inspiration and new stories of recovery. We offer free, walk-in art space, peer-taught classes, and exhibits that transform isolation into community.

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Why We Need Your Help Now

• Overflowing need. Local counseling programs are packed; we’re the no-barrier alternative.

• Looming funding gap. A key county contract ends this summer, leaving a big hole in our budget.

• Proven impact. Peer-run art spaces cut hospital readmissions, lower court costs, and help artists earn—all wins for county, state, and federal systems.

Your gift will double our open-studio hours and fund a part-time peer coordinator who keeps newcomers welcomed and the paint flowing.

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What Your Gift Makes Possible

Your Gift Real-World Impact

$25 Brushes & canvas for one new artist

$50 Two hours of peer-led open studio time

$200 Supplies for a full six-week recovery class

$1300 One month of gallery rent, utilities, & heat

$180 Funds an entire day of operations for everyone

Every dollar you give helps our community spend far less on hospitals, courts, and crisis care.

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Proof It Works—Without the Jargon

• Hospitals save. Creative recovery keeps people grounded, so they need fewer repeat stays.

• Courts save. Judges send non-violent offenders to us instead of jail, cutting legal expenses.

• Communities save. Peer artists earn real income, boosting local economies and tax bases.

• Everyone wins. When people heal through art, public dollars stretch further at every level.

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❤️ Voices from the Studio

“Having my art celebrated here was my re-entry into society.

This gallery proves our accomplishments and gives us purpose.”

— Diane Brackett, artist & gallery alum

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Where Your Money Goes

• Peer stipends for four facilitators

• Part-time Peer Data & Outreach Coordinator

• Art supplies & “Adopt-a-Class” seed fund

• Rent, utilities, insurance, basic admin

• Simple tools to track impact and share results with partners

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Thank You!

Every donation—small or large—keeps the studio lights on, the brushes wet, the exhibits rotating, and our neighbors moving forward in recovery. Share this page, visit us at 717 Columbia St., Hudson, NY, or our website to learn more.

Let’s create healing together—one brushstroke at a time.

https://stigmafree.art/