Downtown gallery uses art as creative expression for pain, trauma

The heavily tinted, nondescript downtown storefront can make it difficult to discern what’s going on inside.

Many people can be the same way.

But inside Arttherapy Cafe and Gallery, artist Leah Devora spreads her message of wellness, with art workshops offering a creative outlet for whatever turmoil or trauma attendees may be harboring.

The gallery houses Devora’s works, which primarily include large mixed-media pieces as well as painted jackets and other clothing and accessories.

But Arttherapy’s true focus is on the link between creativity and healing. “I’m really into using art as a coping mechanism,” says Devora, who has multiple sclerosis.

The Miami native lived for 20 years in Los Angeles, where she sold her work — which includes a series on silent film stars and others highlighting modern-era luminaries — to celebrities and art venues. She also exhibited in movie theaters nationwide.

Arttherapy’s periodically scheduled workshops invite people to use paint and brushes to cope with chronic illness, trauma, emotional problems, depression or stress.

“When you walk in the door, I give you art supplies,” Devora says. “It’s all about mental health and wellness.”

Las Vegas native Pamela Sue Johnson, an artist who lives near Portland, Oregon, discovered Arttherapy while visiting her mother. “I went to one and stayed for hours,” Johnson says. “It’s such a great space she’s created.”

Johnson notes that the act of creating with others can be therapeutic. “Loneliness is an epidemic in cultures around the world,” she says.

“I want to give back — to women, especially,” Devora says. “People hurt right now. People have a lot of trauma.”

Arttherapy is at 353 E. Bonneville Ave., Suite 183, off Fourth Street. For more information, visit arttherapycafe.com or call 323-445-6781. Follow @arttherapycafe on Instagram. ◆