Mental Health Awareness Month at Cascadia
Cascadia Art Museum is observing Mental Health Awareness Month this May, and our programming will center around this important theme. While we recognize that art supports mental well-being year-round, this month offers a meaningful opportunity to highlight this connection.
Art has the unique ability to support mental health in many ways—it encourages mindfulness, reduces stress, fosters self-expression, and creates space for reflection and connection. Whether through quiet observation in the galleries or hands-on creative activities, engaging with art can be both restorative and empowering.
Throughout May, our programs will focus on these benefits, offering visitors opportunities to slow down, look closely, and connect more deeply with both the artwork and themselves.
Community Art Day
Sunday, May 3rd
Drop in throughout the day to explore the galleries and enjoy a rotating schedule of activities that encourage creativity, curiosity, and connection. With opportunities like hands-on art-making, storytime, live performances, and gallery experiences, visitors can engage in ways that feel meaningful and inspiring.
Yoga in the Museum
Tuesday, May 5th, 12th, 19th, and 26th from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 23rd and 30th, 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Come and enjoy a Yoga practice in the beautiful and peaceful setting of the Cascadia Museum in Edmonds.
This class explores both stillness and fluid movement. If you are looking for a way to compliment your stretching routine with balance, core strengthening and posture exercises, this is the class for you.
To Note:
- Some previous experience with stretching, Yoga or Pilates is recommended
- Please dress in layers and bring your own yoga mat and water bottle with a closable lid
- Class time is approximately 55 minutes
Instructor: Julie Williams
Julie Williams Julie’s career in health education spans over 40 years, during which she has been an instructor for a myriad of fitness modalities in both group and private settings. Her wide reaching experience includes teacher training, strength and stretch programs for athletes, functional training, core training, Yoga, Pilates and rehab therapy. Julie’s detailed instruction and attention to form provides her students with a safe, all inclusive workout experience. She is a certified Exercise Physiologist with The American College of Sports Medicine.
Art: Good for the Mind, Body, and Soul
Thursday, May 7th, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
An art therapist shares about the wellness benefits of art.
Join Tori Force, a Board-certified art therapist and artist, for an evening of learning about how art is intertwined into our wellness. This lecture will discuss the mental, physical, and social benefits to both viewing and making art. As an added bonus, Tori will also lead you in a short art experience that will hopefully help you experience the health benefits in real time. Art is a part of the human experience and the more we engage in it the better!
About the Speaker
Tori Force, Cascadia Art Museum board member, is a board certified art therapist, and licensed mental health counselor in the Seattle area. She currently works at Lakeside School as the Middle School Counselor. She serves as the Education and DEI Advisor on the board of directors for Art Therapy For All. She is also a speaker, trainer, facilitator, and guest lecturer. In her spare time, you can find her playing with her 15 month old, or gardening and cooking with her husband. She also loves knitting, crocheting, painting, or any other type of craft!
Sound Bath + Journal & Sketch
Wednesday, May 13th, 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
A Creative Soundscape Meditation at Cascadia Art Museum
Join us for a nourishing and immersive one-hour soundscape meditation at Cascadia Art Museum, designed to support both deep relaxation and creative flow.
Participants are warmly invited to bring a personal art project: such as journaling, sketching, drawing, or another quiet creative practice to work on gently during the soundscape. You are also welcome to simply fully immerse yourself in the experience through meditation, stillness, and presence.
This offering is an invitation to slow down, reconnect inward, and allow sound to open space for both restoration and inspiration. We’ll begin with a few moments of collective grounding breathwork, followed by a brief intention-setting practice. From there, Wesley will guide the group into an intuitive and expansive soundscape meditation, weaving together the frequencies of:
• Voice
• Didgeridoo
• Flutes
• Frame drums
• Crystal singing bowls
• And more
This experience is designed to support your nervous system, creativity, relaxation, and inner spaciousness.
What to Bring
Participants are strongly encouraged to bring:
• A yoga mat, cushion, or blanket
• Anything that supports your comfort while lying down or sitting
• Optional: a journal, sketchbook, or quiet personal art project
Whether you come to create, reflect, rest, or simply receive, this gathering offers a unique
space to immerse in sound and return to yourself.
About The Sound Practitioner
Wesley is a Sound Practitioner with a heartfelt passion for how music can change our lives. After earning his degree in Music Composition and Sound Design, he felt drawn to deepen his connection with sound by really listening and exploring the harmonics both within himself and in the world around him. During this journey of discovery, Wesley recommitted himself to using sound as a wonderful tool for wellness and personal transformation. He warmly welcomes everyone to join him on this sonic journey, creating a safe and inclusive space for all who wish to experience the healing power of sound.
Artful Moments
Tuesday, May 19th, 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Special What’s the Story? Program 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Free with Registration!
Join us for a peaceful and welcoming museum experience! On the 3rd Tuesday of each month from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m., Cascadia Art Museum sets aside time exclusively for adults living with dementia and their care partners to enjoy art in a calm, supportive environment. Registration is required, please fill out the form to attend!
Puzzle Night at Cascadia Art Museum
Wednesday, May 27th, 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Free!
Take a break and join us for a relaxing puzzle night at the museum. In observance of Mental Health Awareness Month, spend the evening piecing together puzzles, enjoying light snacks, participating in a puzzle swap, and entering to win raffle prizes.
Puzzles offer a range of wellness benefits, from improving memory and boosting mood to reducing stress.
While you’re here, take a moment to explore the galleries and spend time with the artwork.
