ALTON - The first Alton Art Expo is planned for March 2025, and organizers are looking for artists.
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Charles Mooneyham, Stephen Scordias and Kimberlyn Renee have collaborated to create the Alton Art Expo at Milton Schoolhouse, with all proceeds going to Centerstone. Their goal is to provide a space for artists to showcase their work while raising awareness about mental health.
“The hope and the idea behind the Alton Art Expo is this is where art, community and wellness will meet,” Mooneyham said. “Hopefully the art fair will serve as the bridge to connect the community to wellness through the empowerment of art.
The expo is scheduled from 12–7 p.m. on March 29 and 12–5 p.m. on March 30, 2025, at Milton Schoolhouse in Alton. Mooneyham and Scordias said they hope to bring in approximately 60 artists to showcase their work. The vendor fee is $65 or $75 if two artists decide to split the booth, and this fee covers both days of the expo. Artists will keep 100% of their profits.
Organizers have an open call for artists until Feb. 21, 2025. They said they have already received applications from as far as Chicago, and they’re hoping to reach artists within a 200-mile radius of Alton. Mooneyham and Scordias emphasized the importance of promoting Alton’s art community.
“Between the culture and history that Alton has, I really think we need to shine it up like a new penny,” Mooneyham said. “I feel like Alton is moving in a direction that it needs more of this…We’re trying to keep that community. Keep it local, keep it weird, keep it fun, keep it hip. It blows my mind, the amount of artists that are in Alton.”
Art Expo attendees are encouraged to donate a few dollars or canned goods, with all donations benefitting Centerstone in Alton. A national organization, Centerstone is a not-for-profit health system that provides mental health and substance use disorder treatments. All donations at the expo will stay in the Alton catchment area to benefit local community members.
Mooneyham shared that he lost his mother, aunt and half-brother to suicide, and he himself is a suicide attempt survivor. During the pandemic, he worked for a crisis hotline and saw firsthand how this support can prevent suicide and help people through behavioral health challenges. He began creating art to cope, and he believes a lot of artists use art as a means of survival.
“Most artists generally have a story of healing. I personally believe that art is a vehicle of celebration and healing,” he said. “You got a toothache, you go to the dentist. You break your arm, you go to a doctor…There’s a lot of resources out there.”
Scordias echoed Mooneyham and shared that he has a background in psychology education. He noted that Mayor David Goins recently came to Mooneyham’s studio opening, and he believes this is a sign that Alton cares about the community and the people. Scordias and Mooneyham hope the expo will help further Centerstone’s mission.
“Alton cares, and how do we help? How do we help, in our way, to build an even better community here?” Scordias said. “[We] want to create opportunity for individuals, create help, create healthy ways of living and doing, and then doing it with art involved. So that’s why Centerstone getting involved in this is so important, because we’re not just having an art fair. We’re not just having a fair for the community. It’s also the healthcare part of this and showing the community that they’re here.”
For more information about the Alton Art Expo, visit the official Facebook event page. To learn more about Charles Mooneyham and his work, click here or visit MooneyhamArt.com. To learn more about Stephen Scordias and his work, visit ScorArt.com or his official Instagram profile. To learn more about Kimberlyn Renee, visit her official Facebook page or Instagram profile.
“We were taught that knowledge is power and to be kind to one another. And somewhere along those lines, we forgot that,” Mooneyham added. “This is an attempt to just do something kind.”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Check out this article on RiverBender.com for information about local resources. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
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