ALEX VANN DESIGN
  • Home
  • PORTFOLIO
  • About Us
  • ARTICLES
  • CASE STUDIES
  • TESTIMONIALS
  • CONTACT
  • Brochure

"Support Life" Update: Getting the story of Rich McMahon out there

8/13/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
I was an artist on the Wolves in Wolves public art project in Wolverhampton in Summer 2017.
I designed and painted 2 5ft tall wolf sculptures: one called 'Old Gold' for Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club featuring facts and figures about the club and one called "Support Life" about suicide prevention and mental well-being in association with University of Wolverhampton.  You can scroll down this page to read an earlier blog post about the ‘Support Life’ wolf.

The workshops that I held with various groups for vulnerable people (see various logos below) led to me reforming my community arts workshops company which you can visit here: Real Arts Workshops.

One of the things that was important to me was that the story behind the wolf was told via the dibond panel attached to the plinth. 
​
Picture
Rich McMahon. Photo (c) Justyna Ptak
​My good friend and previous musical partner Rich McMahon lost his own battle with depression in 2015. We worked together in a musical partnership for a number of years including on his show Beyond Borders touring the village halls around the Midlands and performing an eclectic mix of folk, pop and rock songs, covers and original, telling the story of how music can break down barriers.
Picture
Alex Vann and Rich McMahon. Photo (c) Paul Collins
​When I learnt that Rich had taken his own life it had a profound effect on me. Why didn’t he speak to me about his struggles? I’ve been there myself so I could empathise and maybe avert a disaster but then I never spoke to him about my own issues. So many questions came to me and a terrible feeling of things being left undone. We never wrote a song together, we didn’t do any studio recordings together we had so much more work to do.
Picture
Through the workshops for Support Life I was able to talk with professionals who work in this field and I was able to ask some of my questions. I gradually came to accept that even if Rich had been ready to talk (and he wasn’t) each person is a unique being with their own set of complex issues and my situation is different from his. See below for a list of these agencies with links to the work they do.

When Support Life was installed at University of Wolverhampton early in 2018, I noticed that the information panel wasn’t there. It bothered me that Rich’s name was missing when he’d been so important in the thought process behind the wolf design and painting. So I designed a new information panel and got in touch with the University about getting it installed. David Wedge from the Alumni office was really supportive throughout and I’m pleased to say the panel is now in place on the plinth and I hope people take the time to read about it.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Link to Wolverhampton Suicide Prevention Forum
0 Comments

    Author

     Alex Vann is a true all round creative. As well as owning Alex Vann Design he is the founder of the community arts group: Real Arts Workshops, a portrait artist and a gigging musician.

    Archives

    November 2021
    May 2021
    January 2021
    April 2020
    August 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018

    Categories

    All
    Access To Business
    Advert Design
    Advertising
    Alzheimer's
    Alzheimer's Day
    Anya Gallaccio
    Art
    Banner Stands
    Best Practice
    Billy Spakemon
    Black Country
    Black Country Museum
    Board Games
    Book Design
    Books
    Branding
    Business Cards
    Business Needs During Covid
    Business Stationery
    Cadburys
    Charity
    Charlie Grigg
    Chocolate
    Claes Oldenburg
    Comics
    Corporate Identity
    Covid 19
    Dementia
    Design
    Digital Illustration
    Drawing
    Eating Disorders
    Edward Ruscha
    Fabric Design
    Fliers
    Graphic Design
    Graphics
    Helen Chadwick
    Hints And Tips
    Illustration
    Janine Antoni
    Joseph Beuys
    Large Format
    Leaflets
    Logo Design
    Logos
    Marketing
    Mental Well Being
    Mental Well-being
    Online
    Packaging Design
    Painting
    Paul McCarthy
    Pencil Drawing
    Portrait Art
    Portraits
    Public Art Projects
    Pull Up Banners
    Signage
    Suicide Prevention
    Thesis
    Vascular Dementia
    Vehicle Graphics
    Vehicle Livery
    Video Conferencing
    Vulnerable Adults
    Web Design
    Websites
    Wolverhampton
    Wolverhampton City Council
    Wolverhampton Suicide Prevention Stakeholder Forum
    Wolverhampton University
    Wolves In Wolves
    Workshops

    RSS Feed

    View my profile on LinkedIn
Picture
ALEX VANN DESIGN
​The Studio,
26 Romsey Road,
​Wolverhampton, 
​WV10 6EX

Mob/SMS/WhatsApp: 07762 213885 
E-Mail: [email protected]
What our clients say
It was a pleasure to work with Alex, not only did he bring my ideas to life but he was kind enough to provide me personalised logos to suit different sections of my business and also in different formats (social media friendly etc). I’m so pleased with my logo and the customer service and communication was excellent! Thank you so much!"

Humaira Kayani, Edusen Tuition Limited
READ MORE
Let's get social
Picture
We can sign (level 6 BSL) and welcome enquiries from Deaf customers.

Copyright © 2025 | Privacy and Cookie Policy
  • Home
  • PORTFOLIO
  • About Us
  • ARTICLES
  • CASE STUDIES
  • TESTIMONIALS
  • CONTACT
  • Brochure