Through his journey of recovery, Baton Rouge based artist Ben Peabody has created a compelling series of work titled, Art & Addiction. The collection consists of over 40 fascinating pieces of detailed two- and three-dimensional works of art. A captivating carnival-like theme sets the mood for the exhibit and shows the mystifying hold drugs and alcohol have on those who are addicted.
During his time as an administrator and art instructor at Baton Rouge Community College, Peabody was very open about being in Alcoholics Anonymous. In return, the students came to him with their own stories of substance abuse and recovery. It was his students who pressed him to create a series illustrating his struggle with addiction, and that series ultimately lead to a larger body of work on the subject. The response he got from these pieces convinced Peabody that he could spread awareness of the deadly epidemic of substance abuse and addiction in the United States.
Every year there are over 100,000 substance abuse related deaths across the nation. Awareness and education is a start to combating this issue. With this exhibit, it is the artist’s intention to provoke questions rather than provide answers on this serious subject that touches us all in some way. Art & Addiction: The Art of Ben Peabody opens April 15th, 2023 and runs through June 4th, 2023.