Welcome to the Georgetown Lombardi Arts & Humanities Program (AHP) newsletter. In this issue, we reintroduce our returning artist-in-residence Martha Vance, spotlight the AHP's Art for a Cause installation in the MedStar Georgetown University Hospital Infusion Center, highlight the Art Table in the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center Clinic, and provide a reminder for Lombardi Voices poem submissions by August 31st.

Welcoming Back Artist-in-Residence

Martha Vance

Martha Vance is a professional cellist, who was formerly an artist-in-residence at the Lombardi Arts and Humanities Program for a number of years. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Martha played music virtually for MedStar Georgetown University Hospital (MGUH) patients and caregivers. She is delighted to be back in person!

Martha is a 2012 graduate of the Music for Healing and Transition Program. After graduating from the program, she began playing therapeutic music at MGUH and several retirement facilities. She enjoys meeting people "in the moment", and providing much needed tranquility, joy, and solace through music.

Artist-in-residence Martha Vance

playing the cello.

Originally from Wisconsin, Martha learned how to play the cello in grade school. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Cello Performance from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Martha has played in nationwide symphonies and orchestras. As a freelance musician she has performed for a variety of audiences from small gatherings to concert halls. She maintains a cello and bass studio.

She has a 10 month old Australian Shepherd puppy who she hopes (someday) will become a therapy dog.

Welcome back Martha!

Art for a Cause Installation at the Infusion Center

Nurse Melanie with Art for a Cause artwork in the Infusion Center.

In the spring of 2023, the AHP launched the Art for a Cause project. Led by artist-in-residence Jennifer Wilkin Penick, this project sent out a call for 4"x4" self-made collages from artists in honor of patients navigating cancer at the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. More than 4,000 collage artworks were sent in by participants from around the world.

The project coincided with World Collage Day, which takes place annually in May. World Collage Day connects artists on a global scale and crosses borders through the celebration of a medium that brings different elements together to make a whole.

The collages have been displayed throughout MGUH and Georgetown University, and made into greeting cards for Lombardi patients and caregivers.

This year, the Art for a Cause collages have been curated into group pieces and installed in the Infusion Center at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. The Infusion Center provides care for oncology patients and patients with chronic conditions. The artworks can be found in the halls of the Infusion Center and individual rooms. They contribute to an environment of support and solidarity for patients that may be feeling anxious or intimidated.

A teacher sending in collages created by her students wrote, "We hope that this makes the patients as happy as making the collages made us." Many individuals contributed to the Art for a Cause project because they or a loved one had experienced art improving their mood and wellbeing while they were patients in the hospital.

The Art for a Cause project affirms the connection between the arts and healthcare. Through the installation of these artworks in the Infusion Center, the AHP furthers its mission of promoting wellness and a creative response to illness throughout the hospital. The founding principle of MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, cura personalis or "care for the whole person," is embodied through this project by bringing joy, beauty, and solidarity to patients negotiating health challenges in the hospital.

The Art Table in the Lombardi Clinic

Artists-in-residence Jennifer Wilkin Penick and Michelle Berberet at the Lombardi Art Table.

The Art Table at the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center Clinic has been a staple of the Lombardi Clinic waiting room for years, adding an element of comfort and creativity into a space that can be daunting for patients. At the Art Table, visitors are invited to create their own artworks or have an artist make a customized item for them. They are also welcome to engage in the process of observing art making, which can be very gratifying and relaxing.

Visual artist-in-residence Jennifer Wilkin Penick can be found at the Art Table making greeting cards with watercolor paints and positive messages. With the use of watercolor paints and card stock paper, she is able to produce tangible materials that patients say make them happy and show how accessible art making can be.

AHP Program Manager Noni interviewed Jennifer to learn more about her art making process at the Lombardi Clinic Art Table.

What is your favorite part of art making in the Lombardi Clinic?

Jennifer: It is very rewarding to engage in the enjoyable experience of art making while bringing joy and soothing to others.

What experiences have stood out to you while at the Art Table?

Jennifer: What has stood out to me the most is the power art has to take people's minds off of their worries. When I come in, sometimes I find people who are glued to their phones and disconnected. Once I start making my pieces, they begin to separate from their phones and engage. They are invited to watch me in my art making process, create art themselves, or even just talk about art. This process takes their minds off what is stressing them out, meeting oncologists or their chemotherapy appointments, and lets them just focus on joy for a moment.

Why do you make greeting cards?

Jennifer: The greeting cards are not only aesthetically pleasing but have practical uses. People have said that they're great to give to their loved ones or as a thank you to the person who drove them to their appointment.

In the fall, more artists-in-residence, including expressive writer Michelle Berberet (pictured above), will make artworks in various mediums at the Art Table. The fall also marks the return of the Georgetown University student volunteer group, GU OPS, that partners with the AHP to make artworks, greeting cards, origami cranes, and other projects for visitors of the Lombardi Clinic.

Lombardi Voices Poem Submissions

Due by August 31st

We are now accepting poem submissions for Volume 21 of Lombardi Voices until August 31st.

Please submit no more than one poem to lombardiartsadmin@georgetown.edu with the title of your poem, your full name, and the subject line "Lombardi Voices Submission" in your email.

Poems will be reviewed and authors will be notified of acceptance by September 12th.

If you have any questions or concerns, please email lombardiartsadmin@georgetown.edu. 

The March 2024 edition of Lombardi Voices is currently available online. 

We look forward to receiving your

poem submissions!

Lombardi Voices is supported by the Kathleen A. Beard Fund for the Arts and Humanities.

March 2024 Edition of 

Lombardi Voices

The Georgetown Lombardi Arts & Humanities Program (AHP) promotes a holistic approach to healthcare for patients, caregivers, physicians, nurses, staff members, and students through the use of music, dance, expressive writing, and visual arts. These therapeutic modalities are normally provided throughout the MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C., and online through Eventbrite courses. The AHP is a program of the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Please consider making a gift of any size to support the AHP so we may continue to grow and provide arts and humanities programming for our wonderful communities.