NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The "Into Light" exhibit is sketching a new path toward transforming the conversation around addiction — one portrait and story at a time. 

 

Since 2019, the nonprofit's founder Theresa Clower has put on close to 21 exhibitions around the country, sharing the stories of more than 600 people who have lost their lives to addiction. 

 

Now, the installation will be on view at Hotel Downstreet from Friday, March 13, through June 30, featuring 10 portraits of local community members who died from addiction and 20 portraits from the eastern Massachusetts exhibit. 

 

This collaborative effort combines municipal opioid settlement funds and lead sponsor Berkshire Health Systems, in collaboration with the Northern Berkshire Opioid Abatement Collaborative, HEAL Coalition, Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, and North Adams Regional Hospital.

 

In addition to the installation, the team has developed programs and forums to be held throughout the three months to start a conversation and improve education on the disease. 

 

"The core to our efforts around 'Into Light' is the community education, especially building on people's awareness of addiction as a disease and as a disease that is curable," said Andy Ottoson, BRPC senior public health planner. 

 

Ottoson stressed the importance of treating substance use disorder like any other disease, reducing stigma, and normalizing open conversations around addiction and the resources out there to help recover.

 

"We are collaborating with Berkshire Health Systems. They are not only a major funder, but they are helping to create some education programs around this," said Carol Cushenette, community advocate. 

 

Berkshire County continues to have the highest ratio of fatal overdoses in the state but it also has been successful in reducing this statistic, Ottoson said. 

 

Over the past three years, there has been a continuous decline in fatal overdoses, with a 38 percent decline statewide and 13 percent in Berkshire County. However, the goal is to make that a 100 percent decline, he said 

 

"While we are seeing improvement it's not enough. We've been giving it everything that we have for decades, and we are continuing to give more, and we are pleased by these successes that we've had but any overdoses are too many and we're still fighting," Ottoson said. 

 

While they are starting in North County, they hope to bring the exhibit across the Berkshires and with every stop expand the local portraits.

 

"If we have 30 or 40 photos and stories of Berkshire County residents, I'd love to see this hang at the state house for a period of time," said Richard Alcombright, chair of the North Berkshire Opioid Abatement Collaborative. 

 

The Into Light movement started with Clower's own loss and healing journey following the death of her son, Devin Hart Bearden, to the disease in 2018.

 

On her website she described drawing her son's portrait as a visit with Bearden. 

 

"I felt relaxed and comfortable with this process. I enjoyed the time with Devin. And then there was nothing more to do. I had poured my heart and soul into the drawing and it was done. I put the drawing away," she said on her website.  

 

"I instinctively knew the last step would be significant. It was two days later when I set the drawing on the table, looked hard and long at Devin's image, put the pencil to the bottom right corner and signed my name … it was finished. The process was over, the work complete. I was saying goodbye to my son."

 

Like many people battling addiction, Bearden was more than just the disease. He is described as a caring, witty, and athletic young man who brought joy and energy to his family and friends. Learn his story here. 

 

Clower's experience is one shared by many but opening up about it can feel shameful because of the stigma, organizers and families of loved ones with addiction said. 

 

"When people come to visit the gallery, I think people might be surprised by some of the familiar faces they see that they had no idea," said Rebecca McConnell, the sister of two of the portraits to be debuted at the exhibit. 

 

If the loss were because of any other disease, families would receive far more sympathy. In cases of addiction, however, stigma often leads to less compassion and support for grieving families, she said. 

 

"I hate the word junkies. I hate when they call them junkies no matter what. They're not junk. That's somebody's child. That's the part I want to change," said Deanna Siwek, the mother of Austin Vincent, one of the portraits.  

 

Conversations with those affected by addiction — including families who lost loved ones and exhibit organizers — revealed a common theme: Into Light humanizes the statistics, highlighting that the victims of addiction are not just numbers, but individuals who were loved, had passions, and fought hard to recover.

 

"So, I think this Into Light Project is just such a great way to spread awareness in North Adams, to show families that there's other people that have gone through it," McConnell said. 

 

"None of us want to be here for these reasons, but I think when you look at these portraits of these strangers, you'll be able to see their true selves, and you'll be able to see how special and remarkable they were. And I hope it gives them a voice. I hope it gives other people a chance to see that they are not their addiction."

 

Each portrait is accompanied by a narrative that brings the individual's story to life. Artists and writers from the Into Light nonprofit collaborate with families to capture the essence of their loved ones.

 

"The main point of the narrative is to show that those that did die are people just like all the rest of us, and it's an ugly disease," Clower said.

 

"Our project really makes it. It doesn't gloss over, but it certainly doesn't dwell on the addiction and that that part of a person. So we like to say we're made up of all of us are made up of light and dark, and no one should be defined by their darkest moments.

 

There is a good chance that people will come to the exhibit or events and be surprised of how many people in the community have been impacted by the disease, she said. 

 

"You can't judge people. It shouldn't be shamed and it shouldn't be kept secret. It's OK to talk about it. I love talking about my brothers, and I wish they were here to speak on behalf of themselves for different situations," McConnell said.

 

"They were very loved, and I think they didn't realize how loved they were. They didn't love themselves enough, I think …I hope it will shed light for other people, but also within my own family, within the next generation … maybe be a lesson of what you don't want to do, because the people that you leave behind will always miss you. That grief will never go away, and it comes in waves."

 

The installation is multi-faceted. It not only works to dismantle the stigma, provide education, and help heal loved ones and the community members, but also inspires change.

 

Into Light is a long-range project and, several years from now, when they have created portraits and narratives from all 50 states, Clower hopes all the portraits and narratives will combine into a National Exhibition. 

 

"We have partnered with the University of California in San Francisco, recently signed an agreement with them," she said.  

 

"They are a leading research and archival organization internationally — all of our work currently and moving forward will be archived for decades to come related to research and education …this project is, by their standards, is considered a national treasure."