Grantee Spotlight: Leslie Holt

Leslie Holt is a mixed media visual artist, educator, and co-director of Red Dirt Studio in Mount Rainier. Her current series, Brain Stains, references brain scans of people experiencing different mental illnesses. Compelled by the visual beauty of PET scans, as well as their power to convey the brain’s role in mental illness, the PET scans measure changes associated with blood flow. The resulting images contain multicolored patterns and shapes. Her work combines objective data with poetic interpretation as a reflection of both corporeal and clinical experiences of mental illness to provoke dialogue, engagement and destigmatize mental illness. Visitors are invited to engage and reflect on the work which also includes a resource area. 

“Neuro Blooms in Community” is the focus of Holt’s FY21 grant to develop materials for all ages, that are outside of a gallery setting, including coloring books, posters and other materials that facilitate awareness and engagement around mental illness, and greater understanding of those who are not neurotypical. Her work in this effort is still ongoing! 

Visit Leslie Holt's Neuro Bloom artwork currently on exhibit at Arts'tination, National Harbor.