Sheila Darcey Takes Over theART-Dept. October 6–8, Offering Personal Transformations Through Art
From October 6th to the 8th, Sheila Darcey, a visionary artist, author, and empath, will activate theART-Dept., an innovative gallery and event space nestled in West Hollywood with her transformative and interactive exhibition, “A Portal for Healing,” fully engulfing the three story space over three days.
Darcey’s exhibit, will showcase sketches, paintings (digital and analogue), hand-painted objects, and fashion. The exhibit will also incorporate Web3 elements and incentives. Visitors will have access to Darcey’s Heal Coin, which she refers to as her currency for healing.
Sheila Darcey’s extraordinary life and creative odyssey converge at the intersection of art, technology, and wellness. “All three are important for where we are today,” says Darcey on the topic of her tri-fold expertise. “People often struggle with one of the three. I spent 20 years focusing on a successful corporate career as a business consultant and managing director for an innovation agency. I abandoned art for too long. It wasn’t until I addressed my mental health that I came back to art. Nobody told me that art could heal.”
She describes her forthcoming weekend art activation as resembling a condensed retrospective — a voyage through her accumulated wisdom. This journey commences with her childhood, where she found joy in early and remarkably gifted sketching. It then proceeds through her successful yet spiritually unfulfilled career as a corporate executive, only to come full circle to her present calling as a professional artist, deeply committed to the healing arts. “It’s simple; Art Heals. That’s been my entire purpose and mission,” Darcey explains.
In addition to the discussions on mental health, intergenerational trauma, menopause, and end-of-life concerns, Darcey will extend invitations to sixteen wellness practitioners from The Healing Collective. Many of these practitioners are not only esteemed colleagues but also valued friends and collaborators. They bring with them expertise in a range of healing modalities, including reiki, yoga, meditation, breathwork, sound baths, dance therapy, and more. Please refer to the comprehensive schedule provided below for further details.
At the heart of this activation lies a spiritual focal point — an interactive mural that will grace both sides of theART-Dept.’s expansive 12 x 8’ storefront window. This captivating artwork is born from Darcey’s daily practice, known as “SketchPoetic,” which she has diligently honed for the past seven years.
The window itself serves as a deliberate, intimate, and transparent interface — a conduit for shared energy and a shield of mutual connection. Positioned from within, Darcey will delicately trace the outlines of participants’ hands using a marker. Those who engage in this transformative experience will then have approximately ten minutes to interact with the artist in a manner of their choosing, whether it’s through conversation, music, poetry, dance, or a cathartic release of emotions.
In this collaborative moment, unburdened by constraints, Darcey will intuitively translate her perceptions and emotions into the handprint. Her artistic language, characterized by sensuous, sinuous lines, evokes the styles of Cuban-American artist Emilio Perez, the iconic “Great Wave” by Hokusai, and the playful, lyrical strokes reminiscent of musician Brandon Boyd. The result will be a meta-figurative representation of this profound connection — a pure and authentic expression of the shared energy between Darcey and her participants.
“The hand in Chinese medicine is the meridian of the body,” says Sheila Darcey. “That’s why I use it as a container. Its depth and meaning moves beyond the outline. The goal is to have 100 hands by the end of the show, or 111 if you want to make it an angel number.”
Darcey’s exhibit was designed with a unique intention: participants are encouraged to prepay for the opportunity to partake in the performance aspect at the window. In return for their participation, they will receive a digital copy of the complete final artwork. “I used to be attached to the outcome,” Darcey says. “It’s not so much about the sketches, the mural, or the hand-painted fashion, it’s about the depth of the creative process. I’m tapping into my mind-body-spirit. This is visionary art. Not just my internal world, but also an expression of our collective consciousness.”
“We’re always told to be grateful. But nobody told me I could be grateful and angry or grateful and feel despair. We never spoke about our emotions, let alone our mental health.”
Approximately seven years ago, despite her remarkable success, Darcey encountered a profound crisis of faith. It was during this challenging period that she sought the guidance of hypnotherapist Lynda Malerstein to confront her debilitating fear of flying. In search of a solution, Lynda recommended that she revisit the practice of sketching, viewing it as a meditative escape — a means to alleviate anxiety and rediscover her inner child’s unburdened and boundless joy. Proud of her Filipino heritage, Darcey embarked on this journey.
Within just six months of her initial therapy session, Darcey made a pivotal shift in her life by securing a job that aligned more harmoniously with her spirit. Guided by her therapist’s wisdom, she began sketching at Verve Coffee in WeHo, conveniently located within walking distance of theART-Dept. Darcey consciously embraced the term “sketching” because it conveyed a low-pressure, unpretentious quality. A sketch, to her, represented a humble yet potent step toward a potential future masterpiece, whether realized or not, finished or incomplete — a reflection of perfection found within its imperfections. This daily practice became a soothing balm for her soul, offering profound real-time metaphors for her life journey.
“There’s nothing happening on paper that isn’t happening in our life,” she adds. “When you invite people to go inward through art, they begin to pay attention to their bodies, they start to regulate their central nervous system, find their center and connect and explore their inner world. The moment you look up, your external world starts to reflect what you’ve cultivated internally. I want people to feel and experience this process for themselves.”
Darcey’s concept of healing, as detailed in her book “Sketch by Sketch: A Creative Path to Emotional Healing and Transformation” (A SketchPoetic Book), has transcended borders, with translations available in eight languages. In her view, healing entails the process of bringing one’s subconscious and unconscious thoughts into the conscious realm. Darcey imparts a poetic sensibility to her message, sharing her profound insights with her dedicated fans, friends, and followers through social media and in her continuous consulting practice.“What you do with that awareness is the work. Healing is the moment you give yourself permission to see the unseen. When you start to create while connected to a place of healing, when we’re not caught in fight, flight, or freeze, we start to observe and connect with the world again.”
THE HEALING COLLECTIVE — PROGRAM SCHEDULE
The following is a list of Healing Arts Practitioners & Guides who will be providing their services or workshops as part of the artist takeover.
FRIDAY, OCT 6 (OPENING NIGHT)
Henri Hébert — Reiki Master & Dowsing Energy Practitioner & Teacher
6pm — 10pm | Reiki sessions.
http://renewyouretreat.com
IG: @inspiringyou.co
Christine Kwok- Reiki Master
6pm — 10pm | Reiki sessions.
http://renewyouretreat.com
IG: @chriskfit
SATURDAY, OCT 7
Geeta Novotny — Founder of Revolution Voice® — Sonic Healing Artist — Voice & Sound
12:30pm — 1:30pm | Vocal Immersion Sound Bath: “An intimate journey through healing sound”
www.geetanovotny.com
IG: @geetanovotny
Erika Lim — Occupational Therapist & Death Doula
1:30pm — 2:30pm | Workshop: “How to go out as light as we came in”
www.erikalim.com
IG: @erikavlim
Guesh Cuan — Intuitive Acupuncturist, Herbalist, Somatic Coach & Energy Worker
2:30pm — 3:30pm | Talk: “Nourishing Your Life Force — TCM approach to mental health””
IG: @gueshc
Alcina Tran — Embodiment Coach & Recording Artist
3:30pm — 4:30pm | Workshop: “Healing Intergenerational Trauma to Awaken Your Inner Artist”
www.itsalcina.com
IG: @iamalcina
Anita Mawji — Founder of HEALr WITHIN — Yoga Teacher & Reiki Healer
5pm — 5:45pm | Yoga: “Intentional movements exploring the sacred practice of yoga”
linktr.ee/healrwithin
IG: @anita_mawji
Bejhi Majied — Singer, Health & Life Coach, Motivational Speaker
6pm — 7pm | Talk: “Connectivity of Life Issues & Body Tissues”
www.bejhi.com
IG: @i_am_bejhimajied
Pola Rubis — CEO of Neosutras, Conscious Artist, Pioneer Healing Through Movement
7:30pm — 8;30pm | Talk with Movement: “Raising self awareness & healing through safe emotional expression ”
www.neosutras.net
IG: @neosutras @polarubis
Joey & Tritia Medrano — Founders of Casa De Dharma — Breathwork Instructor & Somatic Activated Healer
9pm — 10pm | Breathwork: “Disconnect from your mind through breath.”
www.casadedharma.com
IG: @casa_de_dharma @tritiamedrano
SUNDAY, OCT 8
Kiari Kirk — Choreographer & Teacher
12pm — 1pm | Dance: “Kiography- Feel good dancing for the mind, body, and spirit”
www.kiarilk.com/
IG: @kiarilk
Julie Jordan — Founder of Jade Temple Healing — Intuitive Acupuncture & Functional Nutrition
1:30pm — 2:30pm | Workshop: “How to protect and clear yourself energetically”
www.jadetemplehealing.com
IG: @jadetemplehealing
Deborah Kagan — Founder of Rock Your Mojo® — Speaker | Author | Mojo Recovery Specialist
4pm — 5pm | Workshop: “Eros Rx: How to Activate Your Erotic Nature for Vibrant Well Being + Unshakable Confidence”
www.deborah-kagan.com
IG: @deborahkagan
Alexa Fischer — Founder of Wishbeads® & Author of Wishwork
5pm — 6pm | Guided Visualization: “Awakening your wish”
www.wishbeads.com
IG: @wishbeads.official
Michelle Watkins — Founder of Urban Sanctuary — Shamanic & Sonic Healer
6pm — 7pm | Workshop: “Shamanic journey & sound healing”
www.urbansanctuaryllc.com
IG: @urbansanctuaryla
Joycie Weatherby — Founder of Native Apparatus
Reiki and Sound Healer, Meditation and Tea
w/Clare Fawn, Chajin Potter
7:30pm — 8:30pm | Tea Ceremony — “Honoring the close of our program”
www.nativeapparatus.com + www.clarefawn.com
IG:@nativeapparatus + @clare.fawn
