The upcoming Wiscasset Art Walk will feature with music, artists and a special recognition of those struggling with addiction on Thursday, Aug. 31, International Overdose Awareness Day.

The art walk organizers invited the 716 Candles project — a community-driven initiative to help those struggling with substance abuse — to introduce the “healing power of art,” according to the organization.

Guests will make paper cranes, an international symbol of hope and peace, and conduct a “show of hands,” crafting plaster hands to reflect empathy for those afflicted, according to a news release.

“We want to destigmatize addiction and normalize the recovery process by bringing it out into the open; this is not someone else’s problem,” said Lucia Droby, Wiscasset Art Walk coordinator. “The faces of overdose victims and those in recovery are our friends, neighbors and family members.”

The number of overdoses in Maine has steadily increased in recent years. There were 872 overdoses reported in Maine last June, with a 6% fatality rate — a 25% increase compared to the 695 overdoses reported in June 2021, according to mainedrugdata.org.

“Overdose, public awareness and providing paths to recovery are life and death issues,” Droby said. “While ‘art is healing’ is almost a cliché, creating art is a resource for personal exploration, growth and self-expression. It’s a way to release demons and experience pride.

“Tapping into creativity gives wing to the spirit and offers another language to convey an experience to the unexperienced.”

A candlelight procession organized by 716 Candles will gather in the Railroad Avenue parking lot at 7:10 p.m. and proceed to the Sunken Garden.

The Wiscasset Art Walk will be open from 5-8 p.m. on Water Street.

For more information on vendors and schedules, visit wiscassetartwalk.org.