An exhibit with a purpose.
For the past 28 years, Visión En Acción Misión Rescate A.C. (Vision in Action Mental Health Sanctuary) in Juárez, Mexico, has been a sanctuary for individuals suffering with neurological and mental conditions.
The Mentes Hermosas (Beautiful Minds) Exhibit is centered on drawing the public's attention toward these precious individuals who are often feared, forgotten or misunderstood and raising support for the sanctuary through financial assistance and volunteerism.
El Paso photographer, Art Moreno Jr. (pictured below), captured each portrait on location with the help of his assistant David Meneses and the sanctuary founder Pastor Jose Antonio Galvan (pictured right).
Their needs can be extensive and ever-present for those struggling with mental illness. The Vision in Action Mental Health Sanctuary offers loving assistance to a population needing constant care.
The 110 images in this exhibit will be printed on 24x60" double-sided, ultra-transparent floor-standing acrylic panels to showcase the photos' vibrant colors and stunning details. This medium offers great print fidelity and simple color management that lends itself to an impeccable finished product. The panels are custom-made in Italy for breathtaking results.
PHOTO ESSAY
Joel Salcido, a friend of Art Moreno, Jr. and a fellow photographer, suggested he take this project further by purchasing a handful of digital cameras for the patients to use so that they might visually share their world with us. Some of the black-and-white photos you see here and in the following pages were taken with those cameras.