Vital (A)(R)(T) is a curated exhibition organized by the National Network of Depression Centers (NNDC).  The exhibition serves to highlight the public discourse about depression, bipolar illness and other mood disorders by utilizing art. It aims to reach a broad spectrum of audiences from mental health professionals to individuals with mood disorders, their families and the public. 

Many of the contemporary artists who are featured in this exhibition have either lived with depression or experienced the disasters of mental illness through family or other members of society.   Themes in the exhibition reflect the diversity of these experiences, and present a message of hope and recovery.  Through this exhibition and related programming, the NNDC hopes to amplify such diverse voices which are often unheard due to the stigma and the debilitating effects of mental illnesses.

Additionally, the NNDC has provided panels showcasing the effects of mental illness on the works of well known western artists.  Art is therefore shown as a vital agent of change in people’s personal lives and within society.