News from the Heart - Fall Edition

News from the Heart

Fall 2016

Art with a Heart in Healthcare provides personalized fine art experiences that enhance the healing process for patients and their families.

WELCOME

Welcome to our fourth and final newsletter of the year!!!

As we approach the Holiday season and particularly Thanksgiving we want to thank all of our sponsors, volunteers, artists, boards members, patient artists, and many others behind the scenes for keeping our mission alive and thriving. We also extend our gratitiude and appreciation to all the philanthropic organizations, businesses and individuals who supported our mission. The success of our programs would not be possible without you.

It has been a great year for Art with a Heart in Healthcare as we expanded to 7 days a week at Wolfson Children's Hospital and created a new partnership with Brooks Rehabilitation Hospital to work with pediatric and adult populations.

Time and time again we bear witness to laughter, smiles, and joy. Not what you would expect in a hospital environment but we see it all the time. And that is why we know that when it comes to matters of the heart, creativity heals.

May your Holiday season be filled with love, laughter, and joy!

The Art of Giving

#GivingTuesday is a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration.

Celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving, #GivingTuesday kicks off the charitable season, when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving.

As a Non-profit organization, Art with a Heart in Healthcare relies on your support to help provide high-quality art supplies and fine art experiences to our patients. Your gift, no matter what size, makes this possible.

Make your tax deductible donation here!

Stellers Art Opening Benefiting

ART WITH A HEART IN HEALTHCARE

Stellers Gallery at Ponte Vedra hosted a benefit for Art with a Heart in Healthcare during the opening of their Fall exhibition In the Terrain of Water. The exhibit featured North East Florida artists Henry Von Genk III, Thomas Hager, and Jim Draper. Each artist donated a piece of their work, which was raffled as a fundraiser to benefit Art With A Heart in Healthcare.

A total of $1000 was raised for Art with a Heart in Healthcare!!!!

Thank you to Stellers Gallery, participating artists, and those that attended the opening for their support.

House Concert

Thank you to all who attended and supported our House Concert featuring Nashville singer/songwriters Kim Paige and Rick Ferrel. It was a beautiful music-filled evening in celebration of Art with a Heart in a Healthcare. Much gratitude to Board Chair Jennifer Guthrie for opening her home for this wonderful event and to all the others helpers behind the scenes.

A total of $6500 was raised!!

www.kimpaigemusic.com

Volunteers

If you are an artist who enjoys helping children and families discover their creativity, we encourage you to join our volunteer team. We have open opportunities seven days a week. Our volunteers represent all ages and sectors of the community. For more detailed information, please see our Volunteer page on our website.

Art with a Heart is grateful for the selfless

devotion of our volunteers.

Welcome to new volunteers Helen Meatte, Sue Canelli, Janet Massey, and Lisa Miyares.

Patsy Moore

Pati Merrill

Justin Hamilton

Jill Olmo

Brooke McKinney

Volunteer Artist Spotlight

Jill Olmo

Jill came to volunteer at Art with a Heart in Healthcare as part of her course requirements for the Arts in Medicine Masters program at the University of Florida. She is the first intern to come in from the University of Florida Arts in Medicine Master of Arts program.

Jill's favorite part of what she does is being able to affect a patient's day with what she sees as the little things; Seeing a patient's face light up after a requested drawing is complete, or bringing them supplies to work in the room, the patient's response when they see the Art with a Heart in Healthcare apron, even if they haven't worked with her before, makes every day the best day.

I have always wanted to make a difference in a community with art. To me, art is something to bring others together. I considered teaching but once I found the field of Arts in Medicine, I knew this was what I want to do."

Even though Jill has fulfilled her course requirements, she continues to volunteer with Art with a Heart in Healthcare. She really enjoys knowing that she can make a difference in someone's life. "A patient does not always have the choice in what they do everyday, this is what sticks with me. I believe we are there for the patient to make memories of their time in the hospital better than they expected."

Jill believes that Art with a Heart in Healthcare brings so much joy to so many people. "I hope that at this program will continue to grow and change as many lives as possible."

New partnership with
Brooks Rehabilitation Hospital

In late September, we began service at Brooks Rehabilitation Hospital in Jacksonville. We are very excited to be now offering our services to both the pediatric and adult population as part of their recreational therapy department programing. Artists in Residence Samantha Solley and Matt Richards have been leading the art sessions and have welcomed the challenge of working in a new setting. Many patients at Brooks are there on a long term basis and we were able to have repeat visits with a number of them over the last couple of months. We have even encountered a few of our patient artists from Wolfson's who proudly display our artwork on their walls.

Support Art with a Heart in Healthcare

Foundations, corporations, partners, sponsors, and individual donors who through their generous funding ensure that the children have the best staff, volunteers and art supplies available.

Donations support our growing programs and we invite you to join our team. To Make a tax deductible donation, click here!!

Connect with us on:

Patient Artwork

"Astrology Tornado"

"Family"

"Green Apples"

"Untitled"

"Inside The Outline"

at MOCA Jacksonville until December 4

ROBIN. Acrylic on canvas, 16x16

The exhibit is open until December 4th in the Florida Blue Educational Gallery at MOCA Jacksonville. The exhibit will then be on display at the Main Library in Downtown Jacksonville from December 5 - January 30.

Thank you to the First Tennessee Foundation for their continued sponsorship!

Read about the show in Arbus Magazine!

Flash Mob Art Project

Artists in Residence Maddie Firestone and Anne Roberts recently took part in a "Flash Mob" art project with other Northeast Florida Sculptors! Each of the unique outdoor sculptures was created by a local artist using a standard shovel as support. Do you dig it? Friends came out to meet the artists at Jaxsons Night Market in Hemming Plaza in Downtown Jacksonville. Where will these sculptures pop up next??

Great work Maddie, and Anne!!!

Unmasked Patient Exhibit

finds a permanent home!

Since opening on August 23, 2015 at MOCA Jacksonville, the Unmasked patient exhibit has become Art with a Heart in Healthcare's most traveled show, making stops at the Jacksonville Main Library, Unity Plaza, The Cultural Center at Ponte Vedra Beach, and FSCJ North Campus.

The exhibit will go on to its final destination later this month and become a permanent feature at the First Tennessee Bank building located at One Enterprise Center, 225 Water St #1500, Jacksonville, FL 32202

Thanks to the First Tennessee Foundation for generously sponsoring this show.

Staff Meetings

After our last quarterly staff meeting, it was decided that it would be of great benefit to our staff of Artist's to meet on a regular basis. As our organization continues to grow, there is a need to stay rooted in our foundation, and to continue to show up for each other as we serve our patient community. The biweekly meetings are held t o promote communication with our growing staff of artists. This ensures we are keeping everyone aware of current program activities. It also provides support for the artists to check in on their emotional wellbeing and to share ideas on how best to support each other and better serve our patients and families. This is critical as our artists see some patients for many years and naturally grow to have special bonds.

Thank you to our staff artists for taking the time to attend these much needed meetings.

Children in the Behavioral Health unit at Wolfson Childrens Hospital experience music and storytelling once a week with Artist in Residence Ajamu Matima.

Here is one participant's comment:

"I really loved having Ajamu play his music and tell his stories! He was amazing! I was kinda having a bad day but his music made me feel better. It was my favorite part of the day."

Advisory Board Luncheon

Last month our Board Chair, Jennifer Guthrie, hosted an Advisory Board luncheon to discuss how we, as an organization, are growing. The Advisory board is currently made up of co-founders Lori Guadagno and Lisa Landwirth Ullmann, along with past members of Art with a Heart in Healthcare's Board of Directors. The function of the Advisory Board is to promote and create awareness of Art with Heart in Healthcare activities. We are so grateful to have such a dedicated group to spread awareness of our organization.