Each Has Their Grief Art Exhibition

Without art, how would we process our lives? Whether it's music, poetry, or painting, the act of creating has the power to heal.

In our early stages of working with artist Peter Bruun to prepare for this exhibit, he expressed that he and 3S "share a programming mind." By presenting film, dance, music, conversation, and meditation, we're able to collaborate with many wonderful organizations in our community and provide many entry points to experience this exhibition:

September 10 // Artist Talk with Peter Bruun + "Elisif's Story" Film Screening
September 15 // Wing-making Workshop
September 19 // Greater Portsmouth Youth Wellness Coalition Art Reception with Peter Bruun
September 28 // Articine: Shadows - A Physical Theater Drama

"The importance of art in how we frame the most difficult subjects of our time cannot be understated, and exhibits like this will continue to drive the conversation forward about how we can best care for those struggling with addiction or mental health issues. I thank Mr. Bruun for his incredible bravery in the face of overwhelming grief to turn his experience into something beautiful and educational, and I hope that it leaves a lasting impact on all in attendance [at the Opening Reception]." –Congressman Chris Pappas

Read the full letter of support from Congressman Pappas.

Five years after the death of his daughter from an overdose, Peter Bruun turned to his studio for solace. Going headlong into his grief, for three years he excavated his pain by making art. With time came catharsis and healing; light began to break through, and sorrow’s blues began to give way to polychromatic bursts of joy. Each Has Their Grief features dozens of Bruun’s paintings and drawings from this time, figurative abstractions grounded in narrative taking us through his story of loss and love, sorrow and serenity, and landing us at grace.

Peter Bruun is an artist, curator, and community activist currently based in Maine. Bruun’s method of bringing studio, curatorial, and advocacy aspects into his practice was honed in Baltimore, MD, his home for many years, and is evident in such projects as Anonymous Requiem (2002), Music, Art & Beautiful Things (2005), Autumn Leaves (2014), and Beyond Beautiful: One Thousand Love Letters (2019).

Bruun founded the New Day Campaign in early 2014 (following the death of his daughter Elisif from an opioid overdose), an initiative dedicated to using arts programming and public engagement to challenge stigma associated with mental illness and substance use, making the world a more healing place. This undertaking enlisted participation from the behavioral health and art communities alike, culminating in its first iteration with an unprecedented 16 exhibitions and 63 events in the Baltimore area over a three-month period at the end of 2015. For the next several years, Bruun continued New Day Campaign activities with programming from Maryland to Maine.

During COVID (2020-2021), Bruun redesigned his website, allowing it to serve as a platform for online curatorial projects in collaboration with other artists and inviting audiences into the conversation. He has pursued his practice nationally and internationally, serving as a cultural envoy in Palestine, a visiting artist in Amman, Jordan, and a resident artist at Yellow Barn Music Festival in Putney, Vermont, among other undertakings. Named Best Curator by multiple Baltimore publications, he is the recipient of numerous grants and other awards for his work.

Bruun currently pursues his practice under the umbrella of Studio B, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization he co-founded in 2022 with the mission of using art and story to create spaces where everyone is seen, heard and valued, cultivating individual well-being and building stronger communities.