A new exhibit at Watkins Museum of History will take visitors through Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center’s history since its inception in 1950.
“The Bert Nash Center Legacy: Responding to Needs, Restoring Lives, and Building a Healthy Community” celebrates 75 years of Bert Nash in Douglas County, according to a Watkins news release.
The exhibit opens Friday, April 18 in the first floor lobby of Watkins Museum, 1047 Massachusetts St. in downtown Lawrence. The museum’s hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, and admission is free.
A reception is scheduled for 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, April 25 at the museum. Free refreshments will be provided, and attendees will gather to hear remarks at 6 p.m.
The exhibition aims to examine the life of Bert Nash, the center’s namesake who was an educational psychologist at the University of Kansas, and chronicle the center’s growth serving the community and role in breaking stigmas around mental health.
Andrew Stockmann, curator of exhibitions, said creating the exhibit was a collaborative effort.
“The Watkins Museum is proud to partner with the Bert Nash Center throughout National Mental Health Awareness Month to celebrate this milestone anniversary and highlight their critical work in our community,” Stockmann said in the release.
Stockmann and Kristin Soper, Bert Nash strategic marketing coordinator, collected newspaper articles and photographs from throughout the center’s history. Other Bert Nash staff members contributed written accounts of their experiences over the years.
The exhibit will be on display through Saturday, May 31.
For more information about the exhibit, visit watkinsmuseum.org. See more about Bert Nash’s anniversary celebrations at bertnash.org/celebrate75.
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Maya Hodison (she/her), equity reporter, can be reached at mhodison@lawrencekstimes.com. Read more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.
Get mental health help in Lawrence
These resources are available 24/7 if you or someone you know needs immediate mental health help:
• Douglas County Treatment and Recovery Center: 785-843-9192; 1000 W. Second St. in Lawrence; trcdgks.org
• Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center: 785-843-9192; bertnash.org
• HeadQuarters Kansas: 785-841-2345; hqkansas.org
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Dial 988; veterans, press 1
• SAMHSA Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator and Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
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