Art for Recovery Project Receives International Healing Arts Award
A closer look reveals poignant messages of hope, thoughtful remembrances of loved ones, and bold statements of frustration and defeat. Coping with a life-threatening illness can be isolating. Through the Art for Recovery program, patients can express their feelings and experiences creatively through art and go beyond the boundaries of their illness.
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| Cynthia Perlis |
The program was recently selected as the winner of the 2006 Blair L. Sadler International Arts Competition, sponsored by the Society for the Arts in Healthcare, based in Washington, DC. "The review panel felt the Art for Recovery program represents one of the most innovative art projects happening," said Gay Hanna, executive director of the Society for the Arts in Healthcare. "It demonstrates compelling impact on the quality of the health care experience for patients, their families and caregivers." The award includes a cash prize of $1,000 and a complimentary registration to the upcoming Society for the Arts in Healthcare Conference, vision + voice: Charting the Course of Arts, Health and Medicine, in Chicago. Perlis will be presented with the award on Thursday, April 27, at a special presentation. "On behalf of the patients, families and staff who participate in all aspects of Art for Recovery, I am honored to accept this award," said Perlis. "We constantly strive to create an environment where anyone dealing with cancer can express their deepest feelings, without judgment. We not only reach into the medical center, but into the Bay Area community as well through our many projects. It is wonderful to be recognized." Art for Recovery is located on the first floor of UCSF Medical Center at Mount Zion, where workshops in the expressive arts and writing take place, in addition to ongoing art support groups. Perlis works with patients and staff in the Comprehensive Cancer Center, and has created the Firefly Project, the Breast Cancer Quilts Project, the Healing Garden Music Series and the Employee Well-Being Project. Today, there are more than 1,000 pieces of artwork in the collection, 55 breast cancer quilts that travel the country, and hundreds of teenagers and patients who have participated in the Firefly Project. Started in 1988 by Ernest Rosenbaum, MD, the program has been directed by Perlis since its inception. The Blair L. Sadler International Healing Arts Competition recognizes professional and student artists for their exemplary visual, performing or multidisciplinary art projects that have had a measurable impact on the quality of the health care experience for patients, visitors and staff. The annual award is named after competition sponsor, Blair L. Sadler, president and CEO of the San Diego Children's Hospital for more than 25 years. "If we're able to touch the lives of our patients in some way, and help them to express themselves and what they're going through, we have fulfilled a higher purpose," said Perlis. "To work with individuals closely and get to know them means a lot to us, and I feel blessed for the opportunity to do so." Source: Nancy Chan, News Services Links: Art for Recovery