RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) — As part of its 25th anniversary year, Healing Transitions unveiled a new sculpture by internationally acclaimed artist Thomas Sayre.
There was a special courtyard celebration at its Women’s Campus in Raleigh on Tuesday (April 7).
Sayre, who was originally enlisted 25 years ago to create a sculpture for the Men’s Campus courtyard, returned with a new work designed specifically for the Women’s Campus—creating a full-circle moment in Healing Transitions’ history. The celebration preceded the organization’s annual Gratitude Dinner and was held during a “spirit-free cocktail hour,” featuring mocktails, community gathering and a brief presentation recognizing the donors, alumni and partners who make Healing Transitions’ work possible. The sculpture reflects the nonprofit’s belief in the power of surroundings to support recovery and belonging, while also highlighting the intersection of art and healing.
“This sculpture is more than a work of art — it’s a manifestation of the talent and creativity that can often become obscured during active addiction but is inherent to each of our participants,” said Executive Director Chris Budnick in a press release. “This artistic collaboration reflects the very mission of our peer-oriented recovery program, where the voices of our participants are the driving force behind change and creation.”
Sayre is well know for a number of art projects, including Gyre on the grounds of the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh.
Healing Transitions’ is continuing its Forward Together campaign, launched in early March, which includes a first-of-its-kind, $14 million recovery-oriented housing facility for women and their children on the Women’s Campus—designed to support long-term recovery, reunite families and help women transition to independence.
“The women’s campus courtyard design began in some ways 25 years ago when I was asked to design a courtyard for the men’s campus,” said Sayre. “This was when I first learned of the program, how it works, and the immense service Healing Transitions provides for the Raleigh community and the depth of the people who work there. A decade later, I was asked, again, to design a different courtyard for the women participants. This time it was the women who led the effort and taught me what the courtyard needed to say. My hope is that this courtyard provides outdoor respite, a place to gather, a moment to reflect, and a recognition that we are all on the journey of being human.”