This is the upcoming show at p:ear. It is really awesome and essentially represents what art is supposed to do. Hurt. Heal. Speak. The show is based off of a grant funded project, created and developed by Kelly Williams. She went into schools and held sessions and taught encaustic painting to while letting each student make their own. They then wrote down something about addiction or drugs in response to the piece that they created.

While holding these sessions, people can't help but to talk. Scraping away the layers of wax unfolds the depths of emotions in their own life. Before you know it the students (adult or young) are leaking out feelings, experiences, and hope that has been brewing inside of them.
Definitely checkout the Recovery Panes Blog to check out some of p:ear youth's stories!
Here is the actual press release that I wrote:

Recovery Panes Healing Arts Project, founded by Kelly Williams, has exposed the impact of addiction through the process of encaustics. The RACC granted project has allowed Williams to use art as a cathartic rhythm to explore personal experiences, hope, & triumph. As lives are created by moments and interactions, the panels represent the change of stories when rearranged differently. Come alter the panels and add your own touch to the stories with live music featuring p:ear youth, this 1st Thursday, November 4th.

Kelly Williams is a local Portland artist, who has transformed encaustic paintings into a flowing rhythm of life. Every line and gesture has been transcribed by emotion packed experiences and fleeting filled notions. Williams also holds encaustic workshops dedicated to exploring one’s own inner chaos through the layers wax. To learn more: www.recoverypanes.blogspot.com and www.kellywilliams.blogspot.com