31 Days in May: Mental Health Tour



31 Days In May Book  & Tour is to break down the stigmas and creates awareness of mental illness and addiction. Internationally reknown artist, Derek Hess understands artists and people like himself are in a unique position to start dialogues about intimate universal struggles without as much fear of judgment.  31 Days In May is our opportunity to challenge — and change — the negative stereotypes. 

In order to raise awareness, the Tour will hit approximately between 20-30 different locations across the United States during May 2018, Mental Health Awareness month. Derek will be doing book signings, screenings of his award winning documentary Forced Perspective and organized talks. In an attempt to really reach people Derek will forgo the high end gallery setting he’s used to and focus on non-traditional locations such as high schools, universities, bookstores, mental health organizations, hospitals, concert venues, libraries and shops. 

A portion of all proceeds from Go Fund Me will go to the following organizations:
Hope For The Day
Mental Health America

Additionally, we will be donating a portion of book sales on the tour to the mental health or addiction awareness organization of the venue's choice in each city that we visit.

Book Synopsis:

To honor Mental Health Awareness Month in May of 2017, artist Derek Hess posted a daily image to his social media outlets that showcased his ongoing battle with Dual Diagnosis, a term for those who struggle with both mental illness and substance abuse.  These images have been assembled into 31 Days In May: A Visual Journey  is a look at the link between creativity and mental health as told through Hess’ artwork.

What started off as self-exploration quickly turned into a personal journey for many dealing with their own mental health and addiction issues. Topics such as loneliness, relationships, depression and suicide are beautifully and painfully depicted throughout this book with the hope that it not only helps alleviate some of the stigma surrounding mental illness, but also helps to educate readers.

31 Days In May is over 150 pages, hardbound, and contains over 120 Derek Hess images, some never before published, with a foreword by Dr. Joseph Calabrese, Director of the Mood Disorders Program at the University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center.

About Derek:
Artist Derek Hess’ work has been recognized in both the music and art world for more than 20 years. Hess began creating promo flyers for live rock shows in Cleveland, OH in the 1980s. These flyers soon gained the attention of a multitude of national and local bands and are part of the permanent collections of the Grammy Museum, The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Louvre in Paris.

In addition to countless album covers and gallery shows all over the world, he has been featured on TLC, MTV, Fuse, VH1, Alternative Press, Newsweek and Juxtapoz to name a few. The award-winning documentary ‘Forced Perspective’ chronicling his art, life and struggles with dual diagnosis was recently released internationally through Gravitas Ventures and Redbull TV.

Please note: All items associated with donations will ship between 5/1/18 - 6/30/18