Local HS Student Organizes HS Student Art Exhibition to Raise Addiction Crisis Awareness and Raise Funds for RPSV
Presented at Reston Art Gallery and Studios
Cyrus Rivers, a rising senior high school student, has organized an art exhibition to showcase outstanding works of local high school artists. Rivers is also a philanthropist and with this show he aims to raise awareness about the crisis of substance abuse and raise funds for addiction recovery programs. The “Art for Recovery” Art Show will be presented at Reston Art Gallery and Studios (RAGS) on Sunday, August 28 from 2:00 until 5:00 p.m. and everyone is invited to view the art, enjoy light refreshments, and for the chance to bid on works to raise funds toward the cause. Exhibiting artists are being asked to donate their work to be sold by silent auction during the show reception. Participating RAGS artists will also donate a percentage of sales of their own works sold on the day of the Art for Recovery show.
The art for this special exhibition, themed “Humanizing Addiction,” is submitted by local high school students via the Art for Recovery online application which delivers requirement details. The call for artists that began in June with a submission deadline of August 14 is limited to high school artists of Northern Virginia in 9th to 12th grades. The submissions are selected for display in the show by artist Pat Macintyre, owner and director of Reston Art Gallery and Studios, who will also judge the works and provide awards and prizes for first, second, and third place winners plus two honorable mentions. “I feel honored to support this show,” stated Macintyre. “Cyrus has proven himself to be an outstanding member of our community.”
“Through the Art for Recovery show, I aim to bring awareness to the public health crisis of addiction,” stated Rivers, who is also an artist, entering 12th grade at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. “The stigma and dehumanization of addiction keeps substance abuse disorders misunderstood, under-diagnosed, under-treated, and under-funded, resulting in tremendous suffering. I’ve witnessed this firsthand through the loss of multiple family members in the past few years.” Rivers has connected the show with Recovery Program Solutions of Virginia (RPSV), a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation dedicated to helping adults and seniors with mental health and substance abuse issues. A representative of RPSV will be at the event to provide information and accept donations for their programs.
Born and raised in Reston, Rivers has visited RAGS all his life. Last summer his skills led him to begin an internship with the Crafts for Kids program that is presented at the gallery every Saturday morning. This summer, in addition to recruiting high school artists to participate in the Art for Recovery show, Rivers was accepted into the Governor’s School for the Arts and was immersed in four weeks of intensive educational experiences.
See the show invitation and ways to donate to Art for Recovery here. “Art For Recovery” will be presented on Sunday, August 28 from 2:00 until 5:00 p.m. at Reston Art Gallery and Studios, 11400 Washington Plaza West, Reston, VA 20190, located on the lakeside by the orange “ART” sign at historic Lake Anne Plaza. For GPS directions and parking, search “Lake Anne Plaza.” Follow @RAGSReston on Facebook, @RestonArtGallery on Instagram, and for more information visit RestonArtGallery.com.
Pictured at top: Art show logo created by Cyrus Rivers
About Reston Art Gallery and Studios (RAGS)
This artists’ collective is an inspiring source of beauty and creativity with new shows each month featuring the latest works of the seven artists of RAGS – Dorothy Donahey, Sandra Dovberg, Rosemarie Forsythe, Pat Macintyre, Julia Tova Malakoff, Marthe McGrath, and Wayne Schiffelbein. The unique variety of works displayed at RAGS – paintings in watercolor, acrylic and oil, mixed media collage, mobiles, photography, original prints, art objects, artist-made jewelry, and more – are available for purchase. On weekdays the artists are preparing commissions, new works, and their next special exhibits, and those working on site can be viewed through the gallery’s expansive glass façade. Furthering its nurture of art, RAGS offers free, themed Crafts for Kids every Saturday morning at the gallery, April through December, from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. RAGS is open to the public every weekend afternoon. The orange “ART” sign at historic, scenic Lake Anne Plaza leads to the entrance of Reston Art Gallery and Studios, a Reston landmark established in 1987, located on the lakeside of 11400 Washington Plaza West, Reston, VA 20190. GPS: “Lake Anne Plaza” for directions to the parking area. Follow @RAGSReston on Facebook, @RestonArtGallery on Instagram, and get more information at RestonArtGallery.com.
