With national drug overdose deaths surpassing 100,000 annually, the issue of overdose has never been more important. In 2021, here in Cortland County, our community experienced the highest number of overdose deaths ever reported.  

Join HEALING CORTLAND and documentary photographer ZACK BOLTON on Friday, April 1 from 4-8pm for the Opening Reception at Cortland Free Library (32 Church Street) for this ongoing photo portrait series of community members who have lost loved ones to overdose. The reception is part of Cortland’s First Friday, but the full exhibit will be on display the entire month of April in the library’s Art Gallery. 

The exhibit includes portraits from 11 participating families and individuals from Cortland County and across the region. This project is the culmination of three photo shoots carried out here in Cortland County by photographer Zack Bolton last summer. These images were first displayed at the August Overdose Awareness Vigil held in Courthouse Park. This is the first time they are being shown to the broader community. We are inviting community members to join us as we work to bring the community together to help end the stigma surrounding substance use, addiction and overdose.

At the Opening Reception, local community groups and agencies will be tabling to offer support and resources. Light snacks and refreshments will be served. The event is family friendly and children will be able to participate in a love or memory rock painting activity. 

We are also inviting community members who have been impacted to share their stories. We are working to de-stigmatize this issue, and speaking up can help do this! Community members can participate in our “It Was Me” Share Your Story activity. Visit the website to download the handout (also below) and write your story. You can drop off completed papers to the library or bring them to the Opening Reception on April 1. Blank copies will also be available at the library starting in late March and will be available on April 1. These will be displayed alongside the portraits. 

The Cortland Free Library is also currently sponsoring a Community Read focused on the book Undoing Drugs: The Untold Story of Harm Reduction and the Future of Addiction by Maia Szalavitz, released in July 2021. There will be book discussions in April and free copies are now available to those interested. 

For more information visit: healingcortland.org/exhibit

For those willing to share their story, choose whatever template works best for how much you want to share. Include you name, age, town (if you do not want to remain anonymous):

Completed forms can be dropped off to the Cortland Free Library or brought to the Opening Reception on Friday, April 1 from 4-8pm at the library’s Art Gallery.