Mercantile Bank displays therapeutic artworks

By Kaivan Mangouri, Globe Correspondent

Artworks created as therapy for clients of local social service agencies will soon adorn the walls of Boston-based Mercantile Bank’s office in the Fenway.

Mercantile announced Friday that it purchased about 30 pieces of the therapeutic art for its main location. The works were created as an outlet for the artists, some of whom were recovering from alcoholism, mental illness, or homelessness.

The selections and respective artists will be unveiled at a September gala, and proceeds from the sale will benefit the artists and agencies for further recovery and therapy.

A committee comprising Mercantile staff and members of its social responsibility initiative selected the artwork.

“As a committee, we set about identifying programs in the Boston area that would reflect the mission of the project,” committee member Diane Monaghan said in a statement. “We wanted to enhance the bank’s office environment, while also assisting troubled artists in their individual healing and recovering process.”

Among the agencies represented are Boston’s St. Francis House,ArcWorks in Peabody, Walnut Street Center in Somerville,RAW Art Works in Lynn, Boston’s Artists for Humanity, and William Carter School in Boston.

Kaivan Mangouri can be reached at kmangouri@globe.com.