ARTLife717 is the public-facing name of Mental Health Awareness and Creative Arts Gallery, Inc., a nonprofit mental health awareness and creative arts gallery located at 717 Columbia Street in Hudson, New York. We provide an inclusive, stigma-free space where people across the mental health and recovery spectrum can exhibit creative work, take part in free art classes and wellness-centered workshops, and connect with others through the healing power of art.
Our gallery welcomes work in all mediums and encourages artists to grow, thrive, and expand their creative lives. Through rotating exhibitions, community workshops, recovery-centered programming, and partnerships with local organizations such as the Mental Health Association of Columbia-Greene Counties and NAMI Columbia County, ARTLife717 uses art to reduce stigma, build community connection, and celebrate the creativity of people with lived experience.
ARTLife717 regularly collaborates with local mental health, peer support, and recovery organizations to present exhibits, workshops, and public events that promote mental health awareness in Hudson and Columbia County.
More Than a Gallery:
ARTLife717 is not a traditional gallery that is open only for exhibitions and receptions. During our regular business hours, the space operates as a free, welcoming community art studio where anyone may come in, sit at a table, use the available art supplies, and create.
Our open studio welcomes people with and without lived experience of mental-health challenges. No diagnosis, referral, membership, or artistic experience is required. Visitors are simply expected to treat others respectfully and not enter or remain in the space while intoxicated.
Artwork is continuously displayed throughout the studio, allowing visitors to experience the work of local artists while also taking part in the creative process themselves. For scheduled art receptions, the tables and studio materials are cleared or rearranged so the space can function as a more formal gallery and gathering place.
ARTLife717 acts as an open art studio for anyone to come in and create Thursday through Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. Art supplies are provided free of charge.
Reclaimed & Reimagined Workshop
Free and Open to the Public
ARTLife717 invites you to take part in Reclaimed & Reimagined, a creative, recovery-oriented art workshop that transforms discarded and overlooked materials into meaningful works of art.
Participants will explore creative reuse through painting, collage, sculpture, assemblage, written words, poetry, affirmations, and other forms of self-expression. The workshop encourages creativity, connection, resilience, and community while showing how something that might otherwise be thrown away can be given an entirely new purpose.
No artistic experience is necessary, and all art supplies and materials will be provided free of charge.
Workshop Dates
Thursdays from 1:15–2:00 PM
- September 10
- September 17
- September 24
- October 1
Location: ARTLife717 Gallery
717 Columbia Street, Hudson, NY 12534
Participants will have the opportunity to create individual works of art that will become part of a special public exhibition at the gallery.
Artist Reception
Saturday, October 17
The workshop will culminate in a special reception where participating artists will have the opportunity to showcase their work to the public, connect with the community, and celebrate what they have created.
Free and open to the public. All are welcome.
One-time donations to our nonprofit organization
can be made through our PayPal Giving Fund
or by mailing a check payable to “The Mental Health Awareness Gallery” to:
Brian Belt P.O. Box 543 Philmont, NY 12565
Recurring monthly donations can be made by clicking ‘Donate now’ below
NAMI Columbia County and Mental Health Association in Columbia-Greene Present “Stories in Color” Art Exhibition Celebrating Creativity, Connection, and Mental Wellness
Opening Reception on Saturday, July 11, 2026, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Photo Credit: ARTLife717
By NAMI Columbia County
Published June 22, 2026 at 9:00 AM
Last updated June 24, 2026 at 6:31 AM
HUDSON, NY — NAMI Columbia County and the Mental Health Association in Columbia-Greene (MHACG) are proud to co-sponsor “Stories in Color,” a vibrant new exhibition presented through ARTLife717, showcasing artists from across the United States who use color as a powerful form of storytelling.
The exhibition will be on display from June 27 through August 29, 2026, at ARTLife717, 717 Columbia Street, Hudson, New York. Community members are invited to attend the Opening Reception on Saturday, July 11, 2026, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
“Stories in Color” explores the many ways color communicates human experience. Participating artists were encouraged to use color as a narrative device—whether focusing on a single color, an entire spectrum, or the ways color connects to memory, identity, mood, healing, and lived experience. The exhibition features a diverse range of artistic approaches, including abstract, representational, and mixed-media works.
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The exhibition reflects the shared mission of NAMI Columbia County and MHACG to foster understanding, connection, and wellness through community engagement and creative expression. Art has long been recognized as a meaningful tool for self-expression, resilience, and recovery, offering opportunities for dialogue around mental health and personal experiences.
“Stories in Color demonstrates how creativity can bridge differences and bring people together,” said Nicole Corey, Board President of NAMI Columbia County. “Each piece invites viewers to reflect on their own experiences while appreciating the unique perspectives of others. Through art, we can create conversations that strengthen community and reduce stigma surrounding mental health.”
The exhibition is part of the ongoing work of ARTLife717, whose mission celebrates the role of art in building community and fostering meaningful connections through the creative process.
Event Details
Stories in Color
Exhibition Dates: June 27 – August 29, 2026
Opening Reception: Saturday, July 11, 2026 | 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Location: ARTLife717, 717 Columbia Street, Hudson, NY
Media Contact:
ARTLife
Website: https://stigmafree.art
Email: mhag1142@gmail.com
About ARTLife717
ARTLife717 is a Mental Health Awareness and Creative Arts Gallery in Hudson, New York, dedicated to reducing stigma surrounding mental health through art, education, and community engagement. The gallery showcases artwork by individuals with lived experience of mental health challenges while promoting recovery, resilience, and understanding through creative expression. Learn more at https://stigmafree.art.
About NAMI Columbia County
NAMI Columbia County is the local affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for individuals and families affected by mental health conditions. Through education, advocacy, support, and community outreach, NAMI Columbia County (NAMICCNY) works to reduce stigma and promote mental wellness throughout the region. NAMICCNY hosts a free virtual support group for caregivers of those with mental health disorders the 2nd and 4th Tuesday at 6PM. Learn more at https://namiccny.org.
About Mental Health Association in Columbia-Greene
The Mental Health Association in Columbia-Greene (MHACG) promotes mental health, wellness, and recovery through advocacy, education, support services, and community-based programs serving residents throughout Columbia and Greene counties. Learn more at https://www.mhacg.org.
NAMI and ARTLife717: Help for those with mental health disorders and their families
By DEBORAH E. LANS HUDSON —
The Columbia Paper – Thursday, February 27, 2025
The truth is that no one by mental health disorders. Some are more serious than others, and some are manifested by substance use disorders. One in every five individuals (roughly 60 million Americans) lives with a mental health disorder at some time in his life, and the families of those individuals are inevitably affected as well. Almost 50% of all adolescents (13–18-year-olds) experience some form of issue, and 22.2% suffer what the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) classifies as a “serious” mental health disorder, meaning one that seriously impairs the ability to function. NIMH says that only two-thirds of those affected receive some form of therapy.