Oxford Native Helping National Museum of Mental Health Project

Sydney Tappan, an Oxford resident and Assumption University senior is playing a lead role in the launch of I Get It, a virtual exhibition about mental health.

The first part of I Get It will be curated via social media in Spring/Summer 2021 and take the form of an interactive oral history collection for the exploration and sharing of realizations, perspectives, and strategies about maintaining one’s mental health. Tappan serves as the Social Media Marketing Intern for the National Museum of Mental Health Project (NMMHP), and since January has been leading the development of communication materials related to the social media rollout of I Get It.

Prior to the pandemic, the display of mental health exhibitions in museums, airports, and malls was increasing. I Get It seeks to expand this trend from brick-and-mortar establishments to the internet at a time when museums are increasing their online visibility and the COVID-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented need for mental health resources. According to Alexandra Orlandi, Co-developer of NMMHP and Mental Health Specialist at McLean Hospital, “Learning about mental illness and wellness isn’t just about reading textbooks, listening to lectures, or seeing a therapist. Learning is also observing and exploring.”

In recent months, Tappan has been developing strategies for the distribution of the initial call for submissions for I Get It. Before the exhibition is released publicly, Tappan is helping find “first voices” and in this role is managing a relationship with a national mental health organization which will be sharing the submission call with its chapters in the U.S.

Tappan is presently developing a plan that will allow for I Get It to focus its initial outreach upon colleges and universities within a select group of geographies. She is working alongside NMMHP Co-developer, and Assumption University professor, Paul Piwko. Piwko says “Sydney is making contributions at a level that is more like a seasoned communications professional than an intern. She is intuitive when it comes to finding the right words to express ideas.”

The work of NMMHP founders Orlandi and Piwko initially focused on researching and publishing the benefits of mental health exhibitions. Their articles have been published in the Des Moines Register and Omaha World-Herald and they have presented at the annual conferences of the New England Museum Association and the New England Psychological Association. “Exhibitions promote mental health literacy, in part, by sharing personal narratives and expanding vocabulary” Orlandi says.

The trend of museums addressing mental health has early roots in Connecticut. In its 2013 report Museums on Call, the American Alliance of Museums highlighted the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center as an early innovator.

Tappan is majoring in Writing and Mass Communications and minoring in Graphic Design and Marketing. She will graduate on May 9th. Later this year, the full online exhibition of I Get It will be curated at the website of the National Museum of Mental Health Project. The social media personal narratives will become part of the website exhibition, which will include additional forms of artistic expression to explore the mosaic of mental health and wellness. More information about NMMHP and I Get It is available at NMMHProject.org/i-get-it .

About the National Museum of Mental Health Project

The National Museum of Mental Health Project, Inc. is a nonprofit organization that researches and creates exhibitions that transform society’s attitudes about, and understanding of, mental health. Initially conceived in 2019 as a clearinghouse for the sharing of mental health exhibitions and information about them, NMMHP is now developing online exhibits that educate, interpret, advance dialogue, and develop literacy on the topic of mental health. For more information, visit NMMHProject.org.