This month’s show of Ross County high schoolers’ art is sponsored by a foundation to prevent suicide – inspired by the loss of a high school artist. One more week of “The Best of Ross County” remains at the Pump House Center for the Arts, sponsored by the James Bryant “Beans” Butt Foundation.

I asked the founder, Jim Butt, to speak about his effort inspired by his son James, who committed suicide in 2006 as a junior at age 17.

Jim said he decided to do what he could for suicide prevention. He started sponsoring the high school show last year because he says art was the passion of James, and still has artwork by him.

His grave is in Grandview Cemetery, and Jim says he set up a bench there to allow a commune with “Beans.”

You can see other efforts by the foundation on a billboard on State Route 104 near Fairgrounds Road. Jim said they are helping to promote the statewide 988 emergency number for suicide and mental health, started one or two years ago.

Jim says they are working on a website and Facebook page for their foundation, but they also have a suicide prevention coalition through Paint Valley Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services. He says retired Ross County Common Pleas Judge Jhan Corzine is now president of the ADAMH – and he also lost a son to suicide.

Jim said he wants to keep putting the word out. He says there is still a stigma to suicide, and sometimes when someone is thinking about suicide, they don’t want to tell anyone. But he says if you know of someone thinking about suicide, you should always try to find help for them. If they are willing to go to the hospital for a program there, you can call EMS which will take them there.

He pointed out that suicide is often thought to be linked to depression…but it is usually beyond depression.

Jim said they hope to sponsor a speaker in September. He said Kevin Hines jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge, but survived. Jim heard him speak at Shawnee State last fall, and hopes to bring him to the area. (Hines has a website and YouTube account.)

Hear Jim in his own words in the video in the article on the Scioto Post.

“The Best of Ross County” remains through Friday the 28th. The Pump House is open 1 to 4 Sunday, is closed Monday, but opens at 11am Tuesday through Saturday. The free public art gallery has a Facebook page and website.

See also my February 8th story, full of video, “High School Artists Display ‘Best of Ross County’ at the Pump House in Chillicothe.”

Kevin Coleman covers local government and culture for the Scioto Post and iHeart Media Southern Ohio. For stories or questions, contact Kevin Coleman or the iHeart Southern Ohio Newsroom.

Madison