Our Daily Show Interview! Charles Mooneyham: Mooneyham Art on State!
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ALTON - A “hippie artist” at heart, Charles Mooneyham has returned to his roots.
After 20 years working in the behavioral health field, Mooneyham began painting again to manage the stress of his job at the suicide hotline. His work soon found a home in multiple galleries across the region, and he decided to open his own space in his adopted hometown of Alton.
“I decided I was going to leave my job and just become a full-time hippie artist weirdo, and I couldn’t think of a better place than Alton,” he joked.
Mooneyham has opened his new gallery space, called Mooneyham Art, at 305 State Street in Alton, and he is excited to be in the downtown district. He explained that the gallery features local artists alongside international names, with the goal of boosting these local artists and their work.
“I’m creating an environment for intermediate emerging artists to be able to show with regional, national and international artists,” he said. “While I spent the last 20 years running off, trying to save the world, the rest of my friends were out becoming famous artists and rockstars. I’ve been calling in some favors.”
Mooneyham couldn’t be happier with this chapter in his life, but his path wasn’t linear. After a stint as an artist in college, he built a career in applied behavior analysis, working with kids with autism spectrum disorder in St. Louis.
He eventually transitioned to his role at the suicide hotline. Mooneyham has a personal connection to behavioral health; he shared that he lost several relatives to suicide and he himself is an attempt survivor. He was saving lives, but this high-stress job began to take its toll.
That’s when he picked up the paintbrush once again. He began painting pop art and horror icons. These paintings sold well on Facebook, and then Mooneyham’s photography began to attract attention from galleries in the St. Louis metro region. The decision to open his own studio and gallery soon became a no-brainer.
But Mooneyham’s urge to “save the world” never went dormant. Earlier this year, he conceptualized and organized the Alton Art Expo, a major art show at Milton Schoolhouse. Artists kept their profits, but donations went to Centerstone, a leading organization for mental health and substance use disorder treatment in Alton.
“It’s all about community, and that’s what we’re really trying to do here,” he said. “It was a benefit for Centerstone to raise money. It was also to destigmatize access to behavioral healthcare and then also allow artists an opportunity to make a living and also show how art can be healing.”
Artists did over $30,000 in business, and over 2,000 people attended the expo during its two-day showing. Centerstone received a sizable donation. Looking ahead, Mooneyham wants to bring the next Alton Art Expo to the downtown district and include writers, performers, and more.
But Centerstone will remain the fiduciary for as long as it continues, and Mooneyham is slated to be their keynote speaker at the upcoming Life;Story 5K in Marion in September. It’s important to him to use his platform to uplift Centerstone and other behavioral health services.
As Mooneyham settles into his new space, he hopes the community comes out to Mooneyham Art to check out the artists’ work and enjoy their upcoming events, including a free artist reception on July 5, 2025. He believes art can save lives — after all, it saved his — and he wants to share his passion for art and mental health with Alton.
“I can think of no better way to lift up a community than through the empowerment of arts,” he added. “I think the reason that it’s finally all coming together and it’s finally working, because I know all these pioneers in Alton have been swinging an uphill battle and now, all of a sudden, it’s just finally starting to work. And I think it comes right back to community, because we’re all willing to play together. We’re helping each other, and community lifts a society up.”
Visit the official Mooneyham Art website at MooneyhamArt.com.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
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