Ann Arbor Times

The Concussion Center at the University of Michigan School of Kinesiology has introduced a new mural to capture the experiences of concussion patients through visual art. This initiative, led by Ypsilanti-based artist Avery Williamson and students from the U-M Stamps School of Art & Design, was developed after interviewing patients about their recovery journeys.

Steve Broglio, director of the Concussion Center, sought to incorporate art into the center's public space as a nontraditional method to express the medical process. "As a scientist, I can put a number to a lot of things, but that doesn’t put emotion behind what the experience of a concussion is like," he said.

Broglio reached out to the U-M Arts Initiative for funding through their Arts Initiative Project Support program. "When I saw the funding was available for this type of work, it just seemed like a really good opportunity to make this thing happen that I had been thinking about for so long," he added.

Jenny Carty from the U-M Museum of Art and Arts Initiative helped find an artist who could address this complex issue. She found Avery Williamson suitable for capturing both visual and emotional aspects related to concussions. "We needed someone who could capture such a complex issue...and capture that emotional, resonant response on to a wall," Carty explained.

Williamson began her work by identifying recurring patterns in her drawings and journaling emotions associated with them. Armed with Pantone colors and design patterns, she engaged with patients during interviews about their recovery experiences.

Different marks in her artwork represented various stages such as panic or frustration, while colors signified emotions or physical sensations experienced during recovery. For instance, bright light sensitivity led some patients to choose yellow tones in representing brightness.

Carty noted how Williamson’s work makes medical processes relatable: “Having Avery’s work in the center makes it very relatable...but also makes you think about how arts can really activate certain spaces.”

Williamson hopes her artwork will resonate with those she interviewed and educate others on concussions and support mechanisms for recovery.