Georgia’s Old Capital Heritage Center at the Depot (GOCHC) and photographer Jessica Whitehead of Seeking Asylum partnered to debut the first exhibit in The Depot, Fast Fading, a History of Central State Hospital (CSH).
The event featured an exclusive opening last Friday with GOCHC supporters, Board of Trustee members, and several other local officials attending, including Senator Rick Williams, Baldwin County Commissioner Henry Craig, County Manager Carlos Tobar, and Executive Director of Allied Arts Rebekah Tobar, among many others.
“Jessica worked very hard and thoroughly to bring this exhibit together,” said Amy Wright, executive director of GOCHC. “We’re very proud of her hard work.”
Whitehead is the president of GOCHC’s Board of Trustees and well-known in her community for her photography exhibit, Seeking Asylum. With experience working in mental health, Whitehead has had a lifelong interest in studying mental illness and how it is treated.
Her late mentor was Dr. Greg Jarvie, who once worked at Central State Hospital. After Jarvie passed, as part of his memory and the desire to still work towards their goal of mental health education and advocacy, Whitehead began looking into Central State Hospital’s history.
Through close work with the Redevelopment Authority, Whitehead captured still photos of decay around the CSH campus that would debut in her exhibit, Seeking Asylum. Since beginning her photography career and research, Whitehead has continued to work closely with GOCHC to preserve the memory of Central State Hospital.
“I began this journey capturing images of Central State Hospital, but it’s grown into something that will continue to expand and grow over time,” said Whitehead.
The exhibit is housed in The Depot (736 Broad Street), in Renaissance Park, across from The Just Imagine Cottage, which houses the GOCHC offices. Fast Fading is the first of many planned exhibits to debut as part of the Destination: Depot Project, which aims to renovate and preserve the train depot for a regional Heritage Center.
“The Depot is a place surrounded by mostly deserted buildings of the once-thriving center for the treatment of mental health issues and developmental disabilities. From start to finish, this exhibit is a walk through CSH history,” said Wright in a press release.
The exhibit is currently in a small space filled to the brim with Whitehead’s photography, artifacts, equipment, personal items, client art, and a video documentary called Central State Hospital: An Oral History, screened at the Chapel of All Faiths last year.
“I plan to expand the exhibit and change it throughout the year,” said Whitehead. “I hope to offer different focuses for holidays like Nurses Week and Black History Month and more.”
Each artifact in the exhibit has a story, so an expansive, accompanying, written narrative by Whitehead offers a hint of each presented. Most of these artifacts have been stored by GOCHC since the closing of its former museum housed in the Old Capitol Building or were donated by former workers, while some special items, such as the art therapy projects, were created by CSH patients.
“My work has always been about spreading awareness and telling the story of this hospital that many forget. There’s more to the hospital than just the rumors and bad associations many hear about,” said Whitehead.
“There is a lot of stigma associated with mental illness. I want to educate people about mental illness and encourage them to be mental health advocates. People live their lives everyday with mental illness, whether it be depression, anxiety, or something else.”
The goal of Fast Fading is not to just offer insight into the heart of CSH but also to spotlight mental health and its progression, importance, and stigmatization. Fast Fading will be open every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or by appointment. For more information or to make an appointment contact GOCHC at 478-453-1803 or email thedepotga@gmail.com or contact Whitehead via email sent to seeking. asylum.book@gmail. com.