Dozens of handmade faces lay on a table covered with paint, glitter, plastic – masks that Indy residents created with their own hands to express themselves.
The idea came from local artist Ventiko, in collaboration with artist Lukas Felix Schooler and Damien Center art therapist Benjamin Aquila.
The mask-making workshop series, held at Cafe Oztara every Saturday in March, invited participants to create something from personal experience or as a way to express something they couldn’t before.
“I just want to be of service,” Ventiko said. After hearing testimonies of how people feel seen through the workshop, Ventiko feels like she’s found a community that understands her.
If you go
Masks of Resilience Exhibition and Performance
🗓️ 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., April 4
📍 Cafe Oztara at 1446 E. Washington St.
🎟️ Free
She said she previously struggled with addiction and felt rejected by her community while living in Indianapolis, so she moved to New York.
After getting sober, she decided to move back but was fearful of being rejected again.
When she brought up the art idea to the Damien Center, Aquila was on board. Through a grant, they were able to launch the program.
“I used to go to the Damien Center back in the day.” Ventiko said. “It’s another full circle moment, to have the artists there embrace me and accept me, it’s just so beautiful.
An exhibition and performance will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 4 at Cafe Oztara to display the artwork participants created.
Read the stories of some participants and see their works below.
Cat Schooler (above) poses with her mask during the March 28 workshop.
Schooler is a Canadian immigrant who became an American citizen in 1968.
“I believe I’m very outgoing, very friendly,” Schooler said.
She sees herself as someone people can trust and is currently caring for her husband who has Parkinson’s.
Although she sees herself as a kind person, she said the mask represents a bit of her wild side.
“I personally feel like the good is what I portray but I actually have a very dark soul,” Libby Hasse said, seen at left holding her in-progress masks.
Hasse attended all four weeks and saw it as a space where anyone and everyone could feel safe and comfortable to express themselves and heal.
Contonnia Turner Jr. practices art therapy at the Damien Center.
When Masks of Resilience began, Turner found it to be a good opportunity to meet new friends and create a form of expression.
Turner, pictured above, said the lion mask represents him. The second mask is an “avant-garde” representation of his left brain.
“Lions are regal and beautiful creatures,” Turner said. “They’re also intimidating.”
Turner said that since the COVID-19 pandemic, he has been depressed and is learning to heal through art therapy. Turner also shared that he will be part of a group show on May 22 at Mass Ave Knit Shop.
“It really helped me get back on track mentally,” he said. “I am an artist at heart, too.”
Lisa Barton (above) holds up a Chimera-inspired mask she created.
“It’s sort of an expression of my sense of queerness in all respects, so not just sexually, but also how I present, how I feel inside. Just different, distinct, neurodivergent and like all of the things that make up my queerness,” Barton said.
Barton said she is proud of her Black culture and doesn’t like to fit into box.
The workshop was a way for her to socialize again and come out and reconnect outside of her home, after a phase of isolation due to mental health challenges.
“I just wasn’t able to live my life really at all and I’m slowly building that and putting that back together,” she said.
“I find random things that I make art out of,” said Anastacia, a participant pictured above. The mask is a work in progress and meant to resemble a mosaic art piece.
“There’s not a message for me when you look at this. If you see a reflection of your life or your soul, you’re supposed to go with it,” Anastacia said.
Anastacia is in recovery from alcohol and the author of a book.
“When you see art or you read literature, you see a reflection of your life, that makes you feel peace, helps you learn from a situation, helps you love yourself,” Anastacia said. “Sometimes it’s not why the artist did it, but why you wanted to view it.”
Crystal Paschal and her 8-year-old son, Ben, 8, attended the March 28 workshop. “I don’t consider myself an artist, so I wasn’t sure if I was going to be getting in over my head, but I felt it was very accessible and easy to find a way to plug in,” Paschal said.
Crystal said she was happy that her son was welcomed and encouraged to express himself on his masks. Ben’s first mask was inspired by a Native American mask. “My second mask, I was kinda going like, I wanted it to be scary.” Ben said.
Crystal wanted to make a metaphorical mask that people sometimes wear.
“Sometimes people are dealing with a lot but we don’t always realize it,” Paschal said. Crystal incorporated bright colors and some “sadder” tones, to resemble the stress and reflection in her life.
Leslie Keith Shaw said his paper maché mask is “just an expression, it doesn’t really have any meaning.”
After coming to the workshop, he’s met some new friends and found a way to have fun with art.
“There’s a lot of creativity. It’s good to see what people are doing and get some new ideas.”
Correction: An earlier version of this story misspelled Ventiko’s name in some instances.
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Stephanie Amador is a freelance contributor for Mirror Indy. Contact her at stephaniekblondet@gmail.com.
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