Artist Nat Hardy, a former social worker and self-taught multidisciplinary artist, has opened her solo exhibition "Nat Hardy: ISM – Art with Heart" at Arts Centre Washington. The exhibition draws on her personal experience with alcoholism and recovery through a 12-step program, featuring over 30 pieces including a central work titled "The Journey." Hardy won the 2024 Spotlight Washington Open Exhibition at ACW, earning this solo show as her prize.
The exhibition matters because it uses visual art to address the stigma surrounding alcoholism and addiction, presenting recovery as a creative and spiritual process. Hardy's work demonstrates how art can serve as a therapeutic tool for processing trauma and mental health challenges, while also inspiring others—especially those who feel they "can't do art"—to explore creativity as a means of healing and self-expression.