Bullock Museum and NAMI Central Texas to co-host Speak Up! event on mental health

MAY 12, 2022 (AUSTIN, TX) — The Bullock Texas State History Museum and NAMI Central Texas (National Alliance on Mental Illness) will host a discussion about mental health on Thursday, May 19 from 6 pm to 9 pm in the Museum's Grand Lobby. Speak Up! will feature a moderated conversation with Dr. King Davis, former executive director at the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health and current lead on the Austin State Hospital Archives Project.

Speak Up! will spotlight the history of mental health care in Texas, its evolution over the years, and inspirational plans of action that will impact the future of public health. Dr. Davis's discussion will build upon the content of the Bullock Museum's Mental Health: Mind Matters exhibition by examining historical stereotypes, highlighting the spectrum of mental health conditions and treatments, and presenting issues in mental health to be addressed in modern America.

"We're so pleased to host Mind Matters and work with community partners like NAMI Central Texas to provide perspective and start a conversation that I hope will bring an end to the stigma and give the public tools to strengthen their mental health," said James McReynolds, Head of Public Programs at the Bullock Museum. 

The event will begin with a welcome reception, and guests will have an opportunity to explore the Mental Health: Mind Matters exhibition following the discussion. Tickets are $30 for Bullock Museum members and $40 for general admission. Admission costs for the program support the educational missions of both NAMI Central Texas and the Bullock Texas State History Museum.

Mental Health: Mind Matters, a traveling exhibition produced by the Science Museum of Minnesota in collaboration with Heureka: The Finnish Science Centre, uses immersive experiences and multimedia activities to raise awareness and provide a safe space for conversations about mental health. The exhibition is on view at the Bullock Museum through July 31, 2022.

Featured speaker Dr. Davis was appointed professor of research in the School of Information at the University of Texas at Austin in 2014 and is currently working on the Austin State Hospital (ASH) Archives Project. The project assists ASH in the long-term identification, preservation, research, and utilization of the historical archives maintained from its opening in 1857. Prior to his current work, he was the inaugural director of the Institute for Urban Policy Research & Analysis and holder of the Mike Hogg Endowed Chair in urban affairs at the University of Texas at Austin from 2011 to 2014. He served as executive director of the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health from 2003 to 2008. 

For more information about Speak Up! and to purchase tickets, visit TheStoryofTexas.com or NAMICentralTX.org.

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Mental Health: Mind Matters was produced for North America by the Science Museum of Minnesota in collaboration with Heureka: The Finnish Science Centre.

Sponsored by The Albert and Ethel Herzstein Hall Fund.

Funding has been provided to the Bullock Museum from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as part of the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act of 2021.

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​​The Bullock Texas State History Museum, a division of the State Preservation Board and an accredited institution of the American Alliance of Museums, creates experiences that educate, engage, and encourage a deeper understanding of Texas. With dynamic, award-winning exhibitions that illuminate Texas history, people, and culture, educational programming for all ages, and an IMAX® theater with a screen the size of Texas, the Museum collaborates with more than 700 museums, libraries, archives, organizations, and individuals across the world to bring the Story of Texas to life. For more information, visit www.TheStoryofTexas.com or call (866)369-7108.

The Bullock Museum, a division of the Texas State Preservation Board, is funded by Museum members, donors, and patrons, the Texas State History Museum Foundation, and the State of Texas.