ABOUT APRIL
April Mansilla is an established professional artist from Hamilton, Ontario, who strongly focuses on mental well-being. This theme appears in many aspects of her work in the visual arts, and she is a vocal advocate for mental health awareness.
She has collaborated on wellness-related art initiatives with The Girl Guides of Canada, ArcelorMittal Dofasco, Brock University, McMaster University, St. Joseph’s Healthcare, the International Bipolar Foundation, Dundas Valley School of Art, Centre3, Bell Let’s Talk, the Glenn Close Bring Change 2 Mind Organization, and CMHA.
As a teacher, her ultimate goal is for her students to attain self-confidence on and off the page. Through art-making, she teaches an accessible creative process and the importance self-expression provides in mental wellness.
April is an award-winning artist for her Portraits of Hope through the Mood Disorder Association of Ontario. She also earned the St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton Spirit of Hope award for her advocacy of art and mental health in the community.
Her own art practice is wide-ranging and includes self-portraiture, figurative work, surrealism, expressive landscapes, art journaling, and photography. She strives to make a strong, emotive connection with the viewer’s own life journey, thematically extending her work as a mental health survivor and advocate.
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