In partnership with the INTO LIGHT Project and the Addiction Prevention Coalition, Engle Gallery in Greensboro, Alabama, is hosting the Alabama exhibition of “Drug Addiction: Real People, Real Stories, Continuing the Conversation.” This important exhibition is a replication of the original exhibition showing at the University of South Alabama through June 2025.

The exhibition, which opened Friday, Nov. 1, features 41 high-resolution replicas of hand-drawn portraits by professional portrait artists, featuring people from across the state of Alabama who have died due to substance use disorder (SUD). The portraits are accompanied by stories written by professional writers, using information from loved ones of those in the exhibition. The stories focus on the humanity of each individual, and how their lives were not defined only by their addiction.

Theresa Clower, founder of INTO LIGHT Project. (contributed)

Theresa Clower is founder of INTO LIGHT Project.

“I created INTO LIGHT in 2018 after my son, Devin, died from an overdose of fentanyl. I turned to portraiture as a way of dealing with my grief,” she said. “I became inspired by similar stories of addiction and began to draw portraits of others who had died, with the goal of telling their stories and starting a national dialogue about addiction and reducing stigma around the disease of addiction.”

With INTO LIGHT’s goal to organize exhibitions in each of the 50 states, Alabama is the national nonprofit’s 12th exhibition to contribute to the project. SUD is an issue our community has been working through for decades, and the exhibition aims to foster conversations, understanding and healing.

Engle Gallery, 1301 Main St., Greensboro, is a boutique gallery featuring fine art of the Black Belt and the Southeast. On permanent display are works by internationally known artists Frank L. Engle and Bethany Windham Engle.

Addiction Prevention Coalition is a nonprofit community resource that aims to eliminate addiction in Central Alabama.

The Alabama “Drug Addiction: Real People, Real Stories” exhibition has catalyzed the state’s discussion about substance use disorder and the individuals it affects, particularly through displaying real people and real stories on a state-by-state basis. The exhibit is open through Nov. 23. Admission is free, but donations are accepted. An opening reception will be held 4-7 p.m. today, Nov. 4.

For more information, contact Georgia Rhodes at grhodes@intolightproject.org or 334-300-2691.

To learn more about the INTO LIGHT Project, go to www.intolightproject.org.