In collaboration with Albany County Department of Mental Health (DMH), Albany County Department of Children, Youth & Families (DCYF), American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) Capital Region New York Chapter, and artist Kim Tateo, Albany Center Gallery (ACG) is proud to present “let it go, let it in” 

This mural was created for Phase 2 of the Within Us Project. The goal was to create murals connecting to mental health and suicide prevention awareness, while uplifting and connecting the community. 

Learn more about Within Us here

Words from the Artist Kim Tateo: "I had the honor of live painting for a very meaningful project. 'Within Us' is a project that creates murals about mental health and suicide awareness. When I was invited to be part of this, I found myself wishing I could tell my high school self that one day I would be part of something like this. That despite everything, including the darkest and hardest moments of regret and sadness and wishing I could leave it all, that it would actually be going through the darkness and meeting all of my own edges, that would help me find my own inner light (and hold on so damn tight to it). That one day I would become my own beacon and do my hardest to reflect that back onto others in the world (because we all forget). All to say, being a human is all the things. But I am so grateful to be here. To be alive and breathing, learning to let it go and let it all in.

For those wondering, I do not plan my paintings. Paintings are meditations and ultimately artifacts of my lived experience in the moment. I often write when painting and below is what I wrote during this piece:

"Let it go, let it in"

L O V E

This moment

This is a threshold 

Everything changes

Pause. Breathe. Be.

You are held. So much more than you know.

May this piece bring a sense of love and hope. Breathing it all in and letting it all go...

For those struggling, I see you. And just know you are so so so loved. ❤️"

Within Us is funded by Albany County’s American Rescue Plan grant (ARPA) awarded to Albany County Department of Mental Health, John D. Picotte Family Foundation, Cynthia Kim, and the RED Bookshelf Albany.