A San Diego City College program intended to show how art can foster social change united art students with people in recovery from addictions, with students writing poems and creating conceptual art pieces based on interviews with former alcoholics and drug users, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported June 1.

The project was a collaboration between City College art instructor Andrea Singer and her husband, William Stewart, a philosophy instructor at the school. A New PATH (Parents for Addiction Treatment & Healing), in collaboration with Realize Creative Social Action, presented the resulting artwork at the San Diego Institute of Art in Balboa Park.

"It was originally Andrea's idea to offer a studio practices course, where our students would go out into the community and use their artistic skills to make a positive difference, and in the process to learn about themselves and the value of community service," said Stewart.

"What happened for the students is that many times they would have an epiphany," Singer said. "They would realize the tremendous stigmatism we still have with drug addiction. It is in everybody's backyard, everybody's family. We choose to look at it or we don't."

Student Monica Raymond interviewed Lisa Overton, a former heroin user. "When I was partnered with Lisa, my first thought was 'Lisa? She's a woman," Raymond said. "That is not my stereotype of a heroin addict. I was expecting to get someone named Rocco or Vinnie."

Overton told Raymond about her lifelong struggle with addiction and recovery, including the fact that her house burned down when she was 14, killing both of her parents. "I had no idea the project was going to be so emotional," Raymond said. "It was like being hit with a ton of bricks."

Raymond ended up sharing details of her own background with Overton, and the story of the fire inspired Raymond's art project, which included burned pieces of paper and a plant rising from the ashes.

"It was really cool because she comes from a normal, middle-America family, whatever normal is, and not from a dysfunctional family like I came from," said Overton, 48, whose substance abuse began as a preteen. "It was heartwarming to meet this young, artistic, wholesome girl. Her youth and openmindedness was so joyful to me."

Graduates from California's Proposition 36 and programs like A New PATH (Parents for Addiction Treatment and Healing) took part in the project.

"We are all addicted to something," Raymond said. "I think that is part of what is important about this exhibit. People will realize, 'I'm addicted to food,' or 'I'm addicted to cigarettes,' or 'I'm addicted to my relationship.' Even if it is not this all-consuming devastation in your life, you can relate. We are all a lot more alike than we are different."

This article has been revised to reflect the following corrections:

Correction: June 9, 2008
As originally published this news summary inadvertently switched the names stating that "...the story of the fire inspired Overton's art project." Lisa Overton's story inspired Monica Raymond's art project.

Correction: June 13, 2008
The original news summary did not include the presenters information. A New PATH (Parents for Addiction Treatment & Healing), in collaboration with Realize Creative Social Action, presented the art and poetry showcase.