Into Light Project aims to erase the stigma of substance use disorder through art

PLYMOUTH — The Into Light Project is making its way across the country, with an art exhibit featuring original graphite portraits of people who died from substance use disorder, drug poisoning or related causes, aiming to eliminate stigma.

The Silver Center for the Arts is the newest host of the exhibit, and leaders from Plymouth State University and members of the nonprofit organization had an opening ceremony on Sept. 6, where speakers highlighted the importance of changing the conversation about substance misuse.

“We are trying to humanize the disease, and hope that this is a good learning and educational experience for the public,” Joanne Gillespie, Into Light Project ambassador coordinator, said.

New Hampshire is the 16th state to be featured since the inception of the project. A team of five artists created graphite portraits by working with the families of people featured to get the drawings to their liking. This exhibit features 33 graphite portraits, each complemented by a biography with information provided by the families.

The nonprofit was created by Theresa Clower, whose son Devin Hart Bearden died on Feb. 4, 2018, of an accidental fentanyl overdose in Baltimore.

“Devin died very suddenly and it devastated all of us,” Clower said. “He had been living a sober life before accidentally overdosing.”

Her nephew, Michael Bump, a New Hampshire resident, also died of an overdose, and is featured in the exhibit right next to Bearden.

When Clower was in her early 20s, she created graphite drawings. She wanted to get back into that hobby after her son’s death. Her daughter suggested starting with a portrait of Bearden, but Clower was hesitant because she had never done portraits. She felt like as she was completing the drawing, she was visiting with him. It was a therapeutic way of saying goodbye to her son.

“It is the power of art,” Clower said. “There is tremendous power. If these were all photographs, I guarantee you it would not be the same.”

Clower said she then had the idea to memorialize victims of the disease through graphite drawings, and spoke with Into Light Project Chief Operating Officer Barbara Francois about the idea, who was 100% on board and highly encouraged the project.

“She asked what I thought, and I said, ‘You can’t not do it.’ It’s become a little bit of a famous line for us now,” Francois said.

Gillespie said they chose to use graphite drawings to “capture the dark and light in people.”

“We all have it, and that is what this is all about,” Gillespie said.

Janice Kaplan and Else Bettencourt lost two sons to overdoses. Jason E. Bettencourt died at age 48 on June 13, 2023, and Brandon A. Bettencourt died at 36 on Dec. 21, 2013. Jeremy Hebbel drew their portraits, and Willow Kline wrote the narrative for the brothers.

Both parents were at the event, as well as their oldest son Christopher who said, “they were the best.”

“Everybody loved them,” Christopher Bettencourt said.

Kaplan called the Bettencourt boys the “Three Musketeers,” saying they always looked out for each other. Brandon, the youngest, dealt with learning disabilities and was sometimes picked on growing up due to his heavy body type and glasses. Despite that, he kept smiling and wore a baseball hat that said “Be Happy” on it. A lover of practical jokes, he always knew how to get a laugh from his friends and family.

Brandon struggled after graduating from high school due to his learning disability, but was always extremely talented at drawing. He eventually went to school in Detroit and became a licensed tattoo artist.

“Even though he had learning issues, he was such a skilled artist,” Kaplan said.

Brandon hid his substance use from his family, and his overdose came as a complete surprise, when his older brother Jay found him after he died in an apartment they shared.

“It was horrible,” Kaplan said. “He was the most fun loving, happy person I ever knew, even if he wasn’t my son. Even if he was struggling, he wouldn’t let you know.”

Ten years later, his older brother Jason died from an overdose while showering at an apartment he shared with his brother Christopher, who was the one to find him. Jason struggled with health issues, and unlike Brandon, his substance use disorder was known to his family.

“Jason’s main struggle was alcohol, but when he would drink, he would use drugs, too,” Kaplan said.

Jason loved playing guitar, and had a great eye for photography, winning awards for his work shooting weddings. He also attended barber school and had a career in styling hair.

Toward the end of his life, he was diagnosed with a rare, congenital, untreatable kidney disease. Kaplan said he was in a lot of pain and was self-medicating, with several drugs in his system when he died.

Kaplan said losing two sons was something she would never wish upon anyone, but she has since used her experience to become a grief ally.

Gillespie’s son, Eric Adam Gillespie, overdosed at the age of 38, in 2022. In the exhibit, his drawing was done by Clower. In his biography, written by Lynn McKnight, Eric is described as “an empathic soul; caring and sensitive,” and a loyal friend and protective of his mother.

Eric loved video games, comics, action figures, and astronomy at a young age, and even as a child was the type of person who rooted for the underdog. However, he developed migraines when he was only 4 years old, and struggled with them throughout his life.

His friends called him their “personal Batman,” as he had a love for darkness, strength and integrity. He enlisted in the U.S. Army when he was 20 years old, attaining the rank of sergeant and fighting in Iraq.

Eric struggled with both physical and mental pain, but continued to help those who were struggling by giving people money and gifts. The compassion continued after his death, when he donated several organs, including his heart.

Joanne Gillespie said people who lost loved ones to addiction are overcome with “disenfranchised grief,” and the Into Light Project is a dignified way to remember a loved one.

“I wanted people to know him for who he really was,” she said.

Besides PSU, Utah State University and the University of Iowa are also currently holding exhibits.

PSU President Donald Birx said it is fitting to have this exhibit on campus, because while it is a hub of education, there are students who are grappling with all kinds of issues, including substance misuse.

“It has been getting worse over the last decade,” Birx said. “It is not unusual for me to have a student death. Mental health is a huge issue right now, and lots of times drug addiction is mixed with that. It happens to a lot of people who are creative, and we have a lot of creative students at the university. I am hopeful that an exhibit like this is helpful.”

The installation opened Aug. 25, and runs through Saturday, Nov. 8. In a ceremony scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 9, in the Hartman Union Building, the framed original portraits will be given to the families.

For more information, including who's featured in the exhibit, log onto intolightproject.org.