Wilmington, DE – The Delaware Art Museum is thrilled to again present Healing Through the Arts / Sanando a Través de las Artes, a bilingual art therapy program for breast cancer patients and survivors, on Sunday, October 20 from noon – 4:00 p.m.
Presented by Christiana Care Health System’s Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute and the Delaware Art Museum, Healing Through the Arts is a free celebratory reception and art show. The art that will be on view has been created at different community sites around the state of Delaware, including Cancer Support Community of Delaware, the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center, Breast Cancer Coalition of Delaware, and a convening of an online support group called “In This Together.” In addition to viewing the art show, guests can participate in Slow Art Tours, a mindful labyrinth walk, and drumming circles that are intended to help participants process grief.
Christine Byma, a local art therapist, and Vanesa Simon, a cancer survivor and former Delaware Art Museum staff member, created Healing Through the Arts / Sanando a Través de las Artes, now in its third year at the Museum.
Simon came up with the idea while healing from cancer. “I found solace in creative projects and my own 365 photography challenge,” said Simon. “Each day of taking a photo helped me to look for things that I was grateful for, to see the world again not through the lens of cancer but through new eyes of life.”
When Simon was presented with the opportunity to develop a community-based program at the Delaware Art Museum, it seemed only natural to offer others an opportunity for healing through art. Four art therapy workshops were hosted in New Castle County throughout 2019. Each location offered a different artistic experience, ranging from clay vessels to woven watercolors, and even a “paint night” workshop. The program will culminate in an exhibit of approximately 20 works of art, Healing Through Art, which celebrates the participants’ time creating art together while also raising awareness of cancer support networks, resources, and art therapy in the area. After the October 20 opening, the artwork will stay on view at the Museum until October 31.
The Healing Through Art program is partially funded by the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center, which hosted an art therapy workshop earlier this summer for breast cancer survivors and their caregivers. That program was spearheaded by Luisa Ortiz-Marquez, manager for the Healthy Families/Promotoras program, which educates women to be community health workers and promote screenings in the Hispanic community.
Healing Through Art is part of the Delaware Art Museum’s art therapy programming. The Museum also hosts a free bi-monthly Slow Art Tour to encourage participants to slow down and unlock discovery and creativity with deep looking and reflection while viewing art. Afterwards, participants are invited to learn meditative drawing exercises with an introduction to the Zentangle© method.