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Welcome to the Neuroarts Resource Center!

Our team will periodically post updates in this space to keep you informed on how the platform is evolving. Thank you for being part of the neuroarts community.

6-9-25: We’re excited to share that the NRC’s social feed now includes comments—making it easier than ever to engage in conversation and connect with others across the community. We’ve also made several quality-of-life improvements, including an enhanced notifications system. Now, you’ll receive an alert when your submitted organization has been verified. If you’ve previously submitted an organization, don’t forget to make it publicly visible so the community can find and connect with you!

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Deane Bowers

Seabrook Island, South Carolina, United States
Avatar image of Deane Bowers

Hi! I'm Deane! Finding new uses for ordinary objects is a central theme throughout my diverse body of work. For over 3 decades, I have transformed overlooked, discarded materials into the focal points of my compositions, proving that even the seemingly valueless can hold beauty and purpose. I use my creativity to bring people together through collaborative art that bridges gaps and heals divides.

Banner image of Deane Bowers

I am a lifelong artist, community builder, and the founder of The Together While Apart Project and the fresh stART Art Project, a collaborative art project celebrating resilience, reinvention, and the courage to begin again. With a deep belief in the transformative power of art, I create work that fosters connection, healing, and empowerment.

I am also an environmental folk artist and my passion for repurposing materials into meaningful art reflects my broader mission—giving new life to both objects and stories. Through the fresh stART Art Project, I brought together 31 diverse women from across the country, each sharing their personal journey of starting over through a collective work of art. The project embodies my commitment to uplift women facing life’s challenges and use creativity as a bridge for community, understanding, and support.
Rather than focusing on personal or commercial gain, I use my art as a heartfelt offering—an act of service and solidarity meant to uplift others, spark hope, and create belonging. My work is rooted in generosity, compassion, and the belief that art can be a powerful tool for good.

I also led another nationally recognized initiative, The Together While Apart Art Project, a collaborative work created during the COVID-19 pandemic to combat isolation and foster unity. This artwork was featured in an online exhibit by the Smithsonian Institution, received recognition from Katie Couric, and was permanently acquired by the UVA Medical Center as part of its Healing Arts Collection. Additionally, I established the Together While Apart Thank You Nurses Campaign in partnership with the American Nurses Association to honor nurses and raised over $32,000 for their greater accessibility to mental wellness care.

My personal work in Environmental Folk Art has been featured in national publications, displayed in national exhibitions and acquired by galleries, hospitals and community spaces. Each piece carries the inspirational message to embrace sustainability as well as second chances. Whether through my own mixed-media pieces or collaborative efforts, I seek to ignite conversations about hope, transformation, and the beauty of new beginnings.

Based outside of Charleston, SC, I continue to explore how art can bring people together and serve as a catalyst for personal and collective renewal.

Interests

There are many ways to exist in the world right now. I choose actions that align with my personality so that my existence complements what I stand for. I exist and resist by creating community through creativity. By encouraging others to find their own ways to express themselves, I offer them a positive path to strengthen their inner knowing and joy.

For me to be a lasting force for good, I must show up authentically—through creativity, not through screaming, hustling, demanding or protesting. We all have intrinsic gifts that can make the world a better place. Creativity is mine. It is the force I use to build community and bridge divides.

I am calm and nurturing. I love to swim, walk on the beach and stretch at the end of each day. I love to inspire others and encourage a sense of peace and hope in them as well. Being frantic and reactive leaves me bitter and hostile—it drains my spirit. But if I can move forward with the intention of creating joy and affecting change, I do it in my own, unique way. I love that creativity accepts all versions of me as well as meets me where I am-whether when I am joyful or sorrowful, it honors the present me.

Creativity is not one-size-fits-all. It can be bold or quiet, loud or gentle, public or deeply personal. What matters is that it comes from an authentic place. Whether through art, music, theater, kindness, storytelling, activism, or simply holding space for others, we each have a beautiful, pure way to contribute. I love to encourage others to find the form of creativity that fuels them rather than drains them—the kind that keeps them moving forward with purpose, love, peace and hope. ❤️