The month of May is Mental Health Awareness Month.

To celebrate this and provide support for those struggling, the HELMS Foundation of the Mahoning Valley is displaying and selling work created by art therapists from Monday, May 16 to Friday, May 20 at the Mahoning County Courthouse Rotunda.

The gallery will be up each of these days from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with a closing reception being held on Friday at 2:30 p.m. Refreshments will be served at the closing reception and art therapist, Heidi Larew will be making a guest appearance. 

50% of the money made from sales will go to the art therapist, and the other 50% will go to the HELMS foundation to continue to fund art therapy in Mahoning Valley.

Within the past few years, the world has seen a rise in mental health needs. Some folks in the Valley like Mahoning County Sheriff's Deputy, Raymond Nemeth say art therapy is a great way to help with these mental health issues.

"With being a cop, there's a lot of anxiety and depression with everything that we go through so for a cause that helps people that are depressed by expressing themselves through painting, I think that's a great cause," Nemeth said.

The event is free and open to the public.