Addiction and the Visual Arts is a 2010 edited volume by Patricia B. Santora, Margaret L. Dowell, and Jack E. Henningfield that marries the rigor of addiction science with the evocative power of visual art to illuminate the human experience of substance use disorders  Rather than presenting art as mere illustration, the book positions it as an essential complement to data-driven research, arguing that creativity and emotional engagement are critical for transforming public perceptions and fueling the passion needed to address addiction.

The book is organized into three main sections. Chapter 1 outlines the rationale for “cultivating the visual arts” to foster insights into addiction and recovery, framing addiction as a chronic medical illness deserving compassionate treatment. Chapter 2 examines how the visual arts capture the complexity of addiction—tracing the National Program Office’s five juried Art and Addiction exhibitions (2004–2008) and their role in professional substance-abuse conferences. Chapter 3 is the centerpiece: a curated gallery of 61 artworks by 57 artists—both those in recovery and those portraying addiction from the outside—spanning paintings, sculpture, photography, mixed media, and more. An epilogue and two appendices (the Addiction Art Advisory Board roster and the “Call to Artists” process) round out the volume.

Artworks address the full spectrum of addiction—from the seduction and despair of active use to the resilience and renewal of recovery—and include legal substances (alcohol, tobacco), illicit drugs, prescription misuse, and behavioral addictions Each piece is accompanied by the artist’s statement, offering personal narratives that deepen understanding and invite readers to move beyond stigma and stereotypes

Ultimately, the book aims to reshape how society views addiction: not as moral failing but as a treatable illness. By revealing the “human face” of addiction and recovery through powerful imagery and testimony, it seeks to inspire compassion, inform policymakers, support those in recovery, and galvanize communities to fight substance abuse with both science and soul