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High School Students Create Hope & Healing Inspired Art for Hospital Patients

DATE: March 15, 2011
CONTACT: Heather Rodale, President, Healing Through The Arts Heather@HTTA.org, 610.967.7582
Mark Demko, ArtsQuest, 610-332-1300, ext. 342, or mdemko@artsquest.org

High School Students Create Hope & Healing Inspired Art for Hospital Patients

LEHIGH VALLEY, PA, March 12, 2011

The Hope & Healing Juried Art Show for High School Students will be at the Banko Gallery at the Banana Factory March 19 to May 15. A fundraising Reception with Awards Ceremony and Silent Auction will be held on Thursday, May 12 from 5:30 – 8:30 pm. The Banana Factory is located at 25 W. Third Street, Bethlehem, PA 18015.

The purpose of the art show is to enable a younger generation of artists to create beautiful, inspiring pieces for patients to view as they recuperate in local hospital rooms and to illustrate the connection between art and healing. High school art teachers in the Lehigh Valley were notified of the opportunity to participate and registered their school. The students have created art that inspires Hope & Healing which can be donated to any hospital in our community to place in patient rooms after the art show. Schools that participated this year are Whitehall Coplay, Southern Lehigh, Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Performing Arts, Moravian Academy, Liberty (Bethlehem), and Lincoln Leadership Academy Charter School.

The art show is a partnership between Healing Through The Arts (www.HTTA.org) and The Cancer Support Community of the Greater Lehigh Valley (www.CancerSupportGLV.org). Both organizations are 501(c)(3) not-for-profits.

Donations and proceeds from the May 12 Reception with Awards Ceremony and Silent Auction will help reach more students to participate in future art shows, supplying more art to hospital rooms. Funds also help support the healing arts programs at the Cancer Support Community. Admission to the May 12 reception is $50 per person, which includes a ticket to a door prize drawing, a Radio Flyer wagon filled with Crayola art supplies, valued over $150.

Many hospitals have beautiful artwork in the common areas but only a TV in patient rooms. A former patient told us, there was nothing to view in his room but the shadow created by sunlight as it moved across his wall from sunrise to sunset, and not every day was a sunny day. A well-known study by Roger Ulrich found that patients whose rooms had window with a view of trees went home at least one day sooner than patients who had a view of a brick wall. The patients with a view of nature also needed less pain medication and were more hopeful. While we recognize that not every patient hospital room can have a nature view, we hope the art created by the show will bring inspiration inside and encourage the patient's hope and healing.

"We are on a mission to help those who need to heal see the possibilities with art. It is not just the end result of the finished art, but also the process and joy of creating. At a time when funding is declining for the arts, I felt it was important to show how essential the arts are to individuals as well as our communities. As we inspire others, together we all become stronger, healing through the arts," says Heather Rodale, President, Healing Through The Art

In the United States, 1.5 million are diagnosed with cancer yearly. The disease is present in every demographic including age, gender, race and economic group. It will touch 40% of Americans at some point in their life. (American Cancer Association)

About Healing Through The Arts - HTTA.org

Mission: Where those who are healing find strength, hope and inspiration through the arts.

Founded in 2006, Healing Through The Arts provides inspiration and information to those who are diagnosed with a chronic condition, like cancer, where surviving and regaining a quality of life requires a life change. Change is difficult, but Healing Through The Arts provides fun and enjoyable suggestions for these changes as individuals find their "new normal" lifestyle.

A healthy mind, body and spirit are necessary for healing. When focused in a positive direction, individuals can experience better health, less stress and pain, and a more enjoyable life. The Healing Through The Arts website www.HTTA.org features healing opportunities through the Eight Expressive Arts of Healing: Joy, Visual Arts, Music, Poetry, Nature, Photography, Harmony and Health.

About The Cancer Support Community – CancerSupportGLV.org

Mission: ...so no one faces cancer alone.

Cancer Support Community of the Greater Lehigh Valley helps people affected by cancer actively engage in their health care, regain control, connect with others, and restore hope. Cancer Support Community offers a wide variety of support services to people with cancer and their loved ones, all completely free of charge and in a home-like setting. Services include support groups, stress management sessions, educational programs, exercise sessions, nutrition workshops and social events. Anyone who walks through the doors of the Cancer Support Community is welcomed and encouraged to participate in as many of our services as they wish. For more information about the Cancer Support Community, visit www.CancerSupportGLV.org.