The Unbreakable Thread: Art’s Power to Heal and Inspire Society
By Susan McCalmont
Today’s world can easily feel fractured and overwhelming. Turbulence surrounds us – personally, politically, and globally – making it difficult to know where to find grounding. But even in times of despair, creativity offers a path forward. At 1515 Lincoln Gallery, we’ve seen our artists use their talents as both a refuge and a response. It’s proof that art is more than expression. It’s a way to process, connect, and push forward.
We recently spoke with several of our artists about how they navigate challenging times through their creative practice. Their reflections show that even in hardship, creativity endures. It has the power not only to heal the artists, but all of us.
Art as a Response to Global and Personal Crisis
Throughout history, artists have responded to moments of unrest with works that transcend their time. Josette Simon Gestin points to Picasso’s Guernica. Painted in 1937 after the Spanish Civil War, the piece is an example of art’s capacity to confront atrocity.
“The impact of images of a gored horse, a bull, screaming women, a dead body, and flames defies times and places,” she explains. “Unfortunately, this painting never stops engaging us, as wars never stop.”
For Josette, art also serves as a deeply personal form of release. She describes how Edvard Munch’s The Scream helped her process a time of transition when she was leaving her life in the U.S. for a new chapter in Denmark.
“I have painted twice in my life paintings inspired by The Scream, but in a gentler way,” she recalls. “The woman I represented is in a less dire situation. I always tend to lightness and color.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Josette was separated from her husband while also confined to her home in France. Again, she turned to art. “The loneliness, the angst, the fear that I was resenting drew me to take my brushes to paint waves and women swimming in the sea,” she says. “I was looking to relieve the stress I was feeling, and as I painted On the Crest of the Waves, it gave me respite.”
The Role of Art in Community Healing
While art offers personal solace, it also has the power to unify communities. Serbian artist Bojan Grozdanovic believes this is art’s most important function.
“About 15 years ago, I said that art should speak to us, teach us, and enlighten us. After so much time, even now in these turbulent times, that sentence is still relevant.”
For Bojan, art is not a passive object but a catalyst for awareness: “Art can bring mindfulness to social issues through education, through collaboration with other professionals and companies, through socially engaged art projects, through auctions and donations to charities, and much more. Art has the power to unite and heal a community.”
He points to the example of Life in Black and White, an exhibition he co-curated with gallery director Susan McCalmont at 1515 Lincoln Gallery earlier this year. “By mixing artists from all corners of the world, both female and male, through contrasting styles and perspectives, we sent a message that diversity connects people. And that black and white, just like opposing perspectives, can complement each other.”
Creativity as a Form of Resistance
For many artists, creation is also an act of resistance. In 2022, Bojan responded to growing political repression in Serbia with a drawing titled Freedom. “We used to live and die for freedom,” he wrote at the time. “Now, the word is used so often and so carelessly that it has lost its essence. Even worse, freedom has its own price tag these days. Freedom is just a word and nothing more!”
Bojan believes artists have a responsibility to speak out.
“Pressured by everyday life and bare survival, ‘ordinary’ people become completely unaware of the current social and political situation, so it is up to us artists to try to raise awareness and shed light on some current social problems.”
This notion is reminiscent of many artists throughout history, from Goya to Ai Weiwei, who have used their creativity to challenge systems and spark conversation. Their efforts remind us that artistic expression can be both beautiful and brave.
What Research Tells Us About the Power of Art
The healing potential of art isn’t just anecdotal; it’s scientific. A 2023 meta-analysis published in Frontiers in Psychology found that engaging in visual arts, music, or movement-based creative practices can significantly reduce stress and improve emotional regulation. The study also illustrated that participation in the arts creates greater resilience and stronger social ties.
Other research has found that community-based art programs enhanced emotional well-being and reduced isolation during COVID, particularly among vulnerable people. Whether painting alone or attending a creative workshop, the act of making and sharing art promotes both inner peace and collective strength.
At 1515 Lincoln Gallery, we’re honored to watch how artists transform pain into presence. Their art is not only a reflection of the world but a writing of it. We invite you to visit the gallery not only to view new exhibitions, but to experience the emotional and communal nourishment it can provide. See how creativity can bring us together.
