Massachusetts Traveling Exhibit
In collaboration with partners around the state, our mobile exhibit is helping to change attitudes about mental health
Fueled by a generous grant and the help of collaborators throughout Massachusetts, our mobile storytelling exhibit can be seen in various spots throughout Massachusetts in 2025.
The eight-panel exhibit features the personal stories of 15 individuals affected by mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, OCD, and trauma.
Designed to promote understanding and reduce stigma, the exhibit can be set up in public spaces including schools, workplaces, medical centers, and government buildings. By sharing real-life experiences, the mobile exhibit encourages open conversations about mental health and highlights the importance of support, empathy, and access to care.
Learn how you can bring our anti-stigma campaign to a location near you
Mobile Exhibit Gallery
Seen Around Town
The Deconstructing Stigma team partnered with Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey to bring our award-winning storytelling exhibit to the Massachusetts State House in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month 2025.
Massachusetts State House
Boston, May 2025
We were proud to bring our mobile exhibit to Northeastern’s event honoring a wonderful mental health advocate and Deconstructing Stigma participant, the late Kitty Dukakis—whose courage has inspired many others to share their stories and seek help.
Northeastern University
Boston, May 2026
We are incredibly thankful to the City of Lowell for showcasing the exhibit in City Hall, one of the most visible and meaningful public spaces in the community. Sharing this work in the heart of local government sends a clear and powerful message: Mental health matters in Lowell, and the inspirational stories of our brave volunteers deserve to be seen and shared.
Lowell City Hall
Lowell, January 2026
Thanks to the efforts of the Natick Health Department and the generosity of Natick Mall management, the mobile Deconstructing Stigma exhibit was displayed during May and June 2025, allowing shoppers to not only engage with stories of our brave volunteers but also walk away with a guide filled with local mental health resources for families, patients, and caregivers.
Natick Mall
Natick, May-June 2025
We were very grateful for an invitation to bring the stories of several brave Massachusetts residents to the Lowell Folk Festival kickoff in July 2025.
Lowell Folk Festival
Lowell, July 2025
See Where the Stories Have Traveled
Stories have the power to move people. Here are all the local spots where this exhibit has done exactly that.
The Places We’ve Been
Northeastern University
Massachusetts, May 2026
We were proud to bring our mobile exhibit to Northeastern University’s event honoring a wonderful mental health advocate and Deconstructing Stigma participant, the late Kitty Dukakis—whose courage has inspired many others to share their stories and seek help.
Together, community members, practitioners, and leaders reflected on storytelling’s power to reduce stigma and change the mental health conversation.
Nipmuc Regional High School
Upton, March 2026
Nipmuc Regional High School brought the exhibit into the heart of their community, giving students and staff a chance to connect with real stories of mental health.
The school also hosted a community event where families and a guest speaker gathered around the stories on display. In the classroom, teachers connected the stories to the curriculum, making mental health part of the everyday conversation.
Lowell City Hall
Lowell, January 2026
We are incredibly thankful to the City of Lowell for showcasing the exhibit in City Hall, one of the most visible and meaningful public spaces in the community. Sharing this work in the heart of local government sends a clear and powerful message: Mental health matters in Lowell, and the inspirational stories of our brave volunteers deserve to be seen and shared.
City of Lynn
Lynn, August 2025
The team was excited to partner with the City of Lynn’s Public Health Division to bring the exhibit to Lynn City Hall in August 2025, leveraging the exhibit to not only share stories but also draw attention to the many great health resources available to folks in the community.
Lowell Folk Festival
Lowell, July 2025
We were very grateful for an invitation to bring the stories of several brave Massachusetts residents to the Lowell Folk Festival kickoff in July 2025.
Massachusetts State House
Boston, May 2025
The Deconstructing Stigma team partnered with Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey to bring our award-winning storytelling exhibit to the Massachusetts State House in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month 2025.
Natick Mall
Natick, May 2025
Thanks to the efforts of the Natick Health Department and the generosity of Natick Mall management, the mobile Deconstructing Stigma exhibit was displayed during May and June 2025, allowing shoppers to not only engage with stories of our brave volunteers but also walk away with a guide filled with local mental health resources for families, patients, and caregivers.
Changing Attitudes About Mental Health
We are deeply grateful for collaborations with our mobile exhibit hosts and our storytelling volunteers from around the globe, who have provided us with an opportunity to bring resilient and inspirational stories of people living with psychiatric disorders to diverse locations.
“My participation has allowed me to fully accept myself, my struggles, my triumphs, however small, without a hint of shame anymore. I’m proud of how far I have come and that I continue to move forward,” says Jamie.
“For the first time, I feel truly empowered and free. I’m not free of depression or anxiety—not wholly—but I’ve shed its damp blanket. I’ve strengthened my voice and resolve to help destigmatize. I’m completely open to sharing with others in the hopes that my story can help in any way.”
Deconstructing Stigma participant Jamie
Jamie is one of the more than 300 individuals who currently volunteer to share their stories as part of Deconstructing Stigma in hopes of increasing awareness and decreasing the fear and shame that is too often associated with mental health.
The goal of Deconstructing Stigma is to share the individual voices and, by doing so, highlight the commonality that all of us share—mental health affects everyone.
Get Support
As the exhibit moves around, it’s important to connect community members to local and national mental health resources:
