04/08/2025 | Picture This: Creativity, Connection, and Healing in Southeast Ohio

Above: Athens Photographic Project artists pose together at one of the groups public art installations in uptown Athens. Below: Bradley O'Quinn poses with one of his printed photographs fo an installation. (photos: Athens Photographic Project)

ATHENS, Ohio-Nestled in southeastern Ohio, Athens is likely best known as a college town, but people who live there might say it's also an artists' enclave, where a menagerie of creators find inspiration to express themselves and share their perspectives through a variety of media.

The town's culture is a natural incubator for the artists who came together to form the Athens Photographic Project (APP) in 2000, as a way for those struggling with their mental health to heal through visual storytelling and support each other in their journeys. At first, there was only a handful of artists. Today, the APP works with as many as 60 participants each week at its studio and at community partners like Appalachian Behavioral Healthcare.

"APP artists can explore their environment through a new angle," said the non-profit organization's executive director Nate Thomson. "Making photographs and reflecting on them each week gives us a sense of connection, purpose, and orientation in life, which I feel is necessary within the recovery journey."

With funding from the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS), along with the Athens-Hocking-Vinton Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board; Osteopathic Heritage Foundations; and the Ohio General Assembly, the Athens Photographic Project provides a range of arts-related services for teens and adults, led by instructors, peer mentors, and volunteers.

Peer support is something Thomson said the organization has provided informally for years, but OhioMHAS recently certified it as a Peer-Run Organization, which means it is recognized by the state to provide support for individuals and their families who are in recovery.

"Our commitment to being a peer-run organization is a value that infuses everything we do," Thomson said.

Richard Dickerson sits on the APP's board of directors. He first began taking classes after asking for help to print some photos from his cell phone. Now involved in commercial photography, Dickerson said APP has been a pillar in his recovery from heroin addiction. "The support system and compassion they showed has given me the stamina to continue my sobriety and help others in their recovery," he said.

Karen Renee echoed Dickerson's sentiment. A photography educator, Renee was introduced to APP at recommendation of a therapist. Struggling with mental health issues, she said she wasn't good at group settings but gave it a try. She uses her own experience to relate to the artists.

"This is a safe space to express trauma," she explained. "It has a different therapeutic element that can't be found in pharmaceuticals or a traditional therapy framework."

Thomson says APP has been very successful, and the organization is working to expand its offerings with the addition of a building just two doors down from its current location along the Hocking River. The group is also designing a training course so that other Ohio communities can implement photography-based recovery groups. Thomson said while some facilities may integrate photography as an activity, it isn't used as an essential component outside of Athens, but he said he has seen measurable results.

"Our peer support arts programming is as important to participating artists as their clinical services. The social support and community engagement at APP helps build resiliency and value in one's life. Our programs leverage other resources from cultural and arts organizations such as the Ohio Arts Council that otherwise may not be supporting mental health in Southeast Ohio," said Thomson.

"APP provides a space where participants move beyond their identity as someone with a mental illness to someone who contributes to public art," said Diane Pfaff, LISW-S, Executive Director of the Athens-Hocking-Vinton ADAMHS Board. "We are so proud of this innovative program and see their role as critical to our local network of care."

The artists' photography can be found at locations around Athens, including the Dairy Barn Arts Center, the local mall, and on the side of the Athens parking garage near a busy uptown intersection. The photography stands as a testament to the artists' skill and creativity.

"The artists learn to affirm their life experiences and identity," Thomson said. "They share with each other in a supportive classroom, and they realize they have a voice - so much so that they're willing to come out publicly about their mental health or substance use issues when they participate in exhibitions following our classes. That's a big step in."

APP programs are offered at no cost for those living in Athens, Vinton, and Hocking Counties. To get involved or to learn more about APP's facilitator training program, The Photographic Journey, contact Nate Thomson at [email protected].