News from the Heart
Spring 2020
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Art with a Heart in Healthcare
provides personalized fine art experiences that enhance the healing process for patients and their families.
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New project, "Let's Make Art," allows AWAHIH to connect with patients amid COVID-19 pandemic
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While AWAHIH unfortunately cannot physically be with patients in the clinic or hospital, we have dedicated ourselves to finding alternative ways of providing art sessions for those patients, their families, and the community as whole. This mission inspired our "Let's Make Art" project.
The project consists of:
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The first initiative of this program is providing patients with AWAHIH Art-To-Go bags filled with art supplies. These supplies are sanitized, unused materials for patients to use in the hospital and take home with them. Having access to these supplies and meaningful activities is more important for patients than ever while strict visitor, volunteer, and isolation restrictions are in place.
THANK YOU to those who have supported our Fill the Bags initiative so far. Thanks to your help, we have delivered over 125 Art To-Go bags to hospitalized pediatric patients in less than two months.
We are so grateful that we are able to provide patients with a creative outlet during this time while we cannot be there with them. It is through the generosity of our community that we are able to accomplish this.
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Next, we have created a series of prerecorded art sessions on our YouTube channel. Our artists have curated fun step-by-step tutorials for patients to follow along with using supplies found in Art To-Go bags.
We also have weekly live art sessions on our AWAHIH facebook that are available for anyone who wants to tune in and create a work of art with one of our artists in real time. During these sessions participants can comment, ask questions, and interact with the artist of the week! Our hope is that patients' spirits will be lifted by seeing our artists' familiar faces and that they will be inspired by engaging in personalized art activities.
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The final parts of our new program includes custom coloring pages and music/storytelling. The coloring pages are hand drawn by our volunteer artists and Artists-in-Residence. They can easily be saved and printed. Each pack of coloring pages has its own unique style and subject matter, so there is something for everybody!
We also have uploaded music by the late Ajamu Mutima as well as John Guinta, AWAHIH Artists-in-Residence. Ajamu's storytelling music and John Guinta's handpan and flute healing sounds are featured in many of our tutorial videos as their songs and stories evoke a sense of grounding and peace.
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AWAHIH's Let's Make Art project has caught the attention of media outlets!
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Click the links above to view the new articles about AWAHIH's Let's Make Art project!
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Fundraisers and Donations
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Mobilizing the World Through Giving:
Giving Tuesday Now May 5, 2020
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#GivingTuesdayNow is a new global day of giving and unity that will take place on May 5, 2020 – in addition to the regularly scheduled Dec 1, 2020 #GivingTuesday – as an emergency response to the unprecedented need caused by COVID-19.
At a time when we are all experiencing the pandemic, generosity is what brings people of all races, faiths, and political views together across the globe. Generosity gives everyone the power to make a positive change in the lives of others and is a fundamental value anyone can act on.
Together we can continue enhancing the healing process for patients, families, and caregivers. We can't do what we do without you!
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We would like to give a huge thank you to Hillary Whitaker Gallery for donating 150 art to-go bags! These art supplies are going to make a difference in the lives of so many patients.
Hillary Whitaker, gallery owner, serves as Board Chair on AWAHIH's Board of Directors and is also on the fundraising committee for AWAHIH. She works hard to help us plan fundraising events and even provides fundraising opportunities for AWAHIH during her gallery opening shows.
Thank you for all that you do, Hillary!
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Banner art for Wolfson Children's Hospital
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AWAHIH artists have been making banners to show our gratitude for nurses, doctors, and other healthcare staff. The banners are personalized for each unit of Wolfson Children's Hospital (WCH). Some of the banners are interactive, such as one with a Wolfie (WCH mascot) themed "I spy" game. We hope that our colorful banner art brings a sense of joy to those who see them hanging in the hospital!
Our team is also continuing to create art for patients to decorate their hospital rooms with as well as "Gown, Glove, and Mask" precaution signs for the doors of patients getting bone marrow transplant procedures. This is a regular project we do while we are in the hospital, and thanks to communication with Child Life Specialists we are able to continue to do so! The theme of each sign is customized based on the patient's unique interests and requests. These signs remind all staff and visitors to take the appropriate protective measures before entering the patient's room.
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In honor of Michael Tomassoni
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We would like to honor Michael "Mike" Tomassoni and give our most heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. Mike was an incredible artist who shared his time and talents with AWAHIH as an intern in 2009. He was very passionate about AWAHIH's mission and working with patients and their families. The time Mike spent in Wolfson Children's Hospital as an intern had a significant impact on his life and left a lasting impression on him. He created coloring book that patients and their families absolutely loved.
AWAHIH co-founder, Lori Guadagno, reflected on her time getting to know Mike when he was an intern. She says,"To know Mike is to love him; his pure heart, his creative spirit, and his deeply caring soul. All of these qualities and so many more he generously shared with patients and families during his internship. His imprint and legacy will remain, along with his amazing artwork, in every heart he touched and inspired. I will never forget him."
In lieu of flowers, Mike's family is asking for donations to be made to Art with a Heart in Healthcare in his honor. They believe this is the best way to preserve his legacy and is what he would have wanted.
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Thank you to our AWAHIH team for dedicating your artistic talents and caring dispositions in efforts to enhance the healing process of patients and families!
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Help us keep making a difference!
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Art with a Heart is grateful for the selfless devotion of our volunteers:
Patsy Moore
Helen Meatte
Janet Massey
Kianna Godoy
Chrissy Granados
Teresa Graham
Illyssa Harrington
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If you have had a special experience with AWAHIH, go to our website and fill out our "tell us about your experience" survey. We would love to hear your story!
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Join
Our Team
-Be Part of Our Story-
Foundations, corporations, partners, sponsors, and individual donors who through their generous funding ensure that the children, adults and families we serve have the best staff, volunteers, and art supplies available.
Donations support our growing programs, and we invite you to join our team by making a tax deductible donation.
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A copy of the official registration and financial information may be obtained from the Division of Consumer Services by calling toll-free within the state. Registration does not imply endorsement, approval, or recommendation by the State of Florida.
Registration # CH39925
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Christy Ponder
Executive Director and Artist-in-Residence
Lori Presto, MSW
Director of Operations and Artist-in-Residence
Maddie Firestone
Program Director and Artist-in-Residence
Artists-in-Residence
Lisa Miyares
Dylan Bauer
Heidi Drost
Matt Richards
Anne Roberts
Bob Drost
Alexis Audate
Jill Olmo
Brooke McKinney
Meredith Sullivan
Abagail Santos
John Guinta
Tony Rodriguez
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Board of Directors
Hillary Whitaker
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Board Chair
Kacey Roache -
Secretary
Judy Powell -
Treasurer
Laird
Casey Andeer
Kerri Carter
Bebe Alexander
Bonnie Hayflick
Board of Advisors
Lori Guadagno -
Co-founder
Lisa Ullmann -
Co-founder
Robert Monsky
Cynthia Jacoby Greene
Katherine Loeb
Sam Hall
Brooks Cannon
Kathy Soler-Sala
Melissa Roland
Jennifer Guthrie
Honorary Trustees
Louise Freshman Brown
Professor, University of North Florida
Suzanne McCormick Taylor
Community Volunteer
Karen Wolfson
Wolfson Children's Hospital
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Untitled -
Art by a Behavioral Health patient
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Jewelry and Glove
- Art by a patient and AWAHIH artist Anne
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Portrait of AWAHIH artist Maddie
- Art by a WCH patient
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Jewelry made with AWAHIH artist Anne and a patient for her mom
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Art
with a
Heart
in
Healthcare
Sponsors
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The Henri Landwirth Family Endowed Fund
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