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The Creative Center

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The Creative Center

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Dedicated to bringing the creative arts to people living with cancer, chronic illness, caregivers and older adults.

10/14/2026

It couldn’t have started better than with Chi TheRealist and his introspective opening performance.."no such thing as a life better that yours (Love yours)" 🎤 💚

This week, The Creative Center attended NOAHCON 26 in Rochester, NY. Across three days, we connected with artists, clinicians, researchers, and program leaders working to integrate the arts into healthcare and public health. Gatherings like NOAHCON move our work forward by bringing sectors together, sharing evidence, and building the partnerships needed to make the arts a standard part of community health.

Thank you to Rick, Jan, Kira, and the LMTIF team for hosting us and generously sponsoring TCC’s attendance; to our fellow LMTIF cohort members at Common Threads for a soothing, meditative workshop; and to NOAH and the Rochester arts community!

10/06/2026

What happens in our brains when we dance?

This Saturday, neuroscientist and Bharatanatyam practitioner Sloka Iyengar, PhD () joins us for a live performance and hands-on introduction to this 2,000-year-old South Indian classical dance.

Sloka will perform pieces on universal and devotional themes, then guide participants through foundational movements built on hand gestures (hastas), expression (rasa), rhythm (tala), music, and storytelling. Participants will explore the connections between dance, art, and the brain. No dance experience needed.

Science is Artful: The Dancing Brain
Saturday, October 10
1:00–3:00 pm
In person at 184 Eldridge Street

Register at the link in bio.

09/22/2026

What if playful, floating exploration, slowing down, and observation are how we unravel a false narrative?

These words grew from participants in Narrative Threads an Art Therapy Workshop facilitated by Valeria Koutmina at The Creative Center. On Sunday evening, despite the blustery weather, a group from diverse backgrounds gathered to create timelines of their own, marking moments in their lives and arranging them using multimedia. While they worked, participants shared stories about a particular time that came up for them, as they made their own re-imagined visual narrative

So, is art therapy arts in health? Yes!

Art therapy as a practice dates back over 100 years, and became one of the first formalized arts in health practices in the 1940s. While arts in health is the broader field that brings the arts into healthcare and community settings to support health and wellbeing, art therapy is delivered by credentialed mental health professionals, who use art making within a therapeutic relationship to support emotional, cognitive, and social wellbeing.

We were so glad to be part of UNGA Healing Arts Week, which highlights arts in health and brings it to the table in health and policy conversations. Thank you to the Jameel Arts in Health Lab and Valeria Koutmina for making the evening possible. We look forward to a week of more creative inspiration ahead.

08/25/2026

A shared moment built around art.

Recently, Sascha Mallon, one of our Artists-in-Residence, worked alongside a patient on a painting in progress. As she worked, she and her roommate began talking about the piece together, sharing thoughts, observations, and building a moment of connection in the middle of a hospital stay.

Isolation is one of the most significant challenges facing hospitalized patients, and it's increasingly recognized as a public health priority. Moments like this are small on their own. But across a hospital unit, and across a health system, they add up to something bigger - less isolation, more connection, and a more human experience of care.

08/14/2026

Space to create at your own pace 🎨 Drop in to The Creative Center on Thursdays for Art Therapy Open Studio!

Art Therapy Open Studio - Drop-in
Natasha Edelstein
In-person @ 184 Eldridge Street
Thursdays
September 17 & 24
12:00 PM - 2:00 PM EDT

At The Creative Center, we use art therapy to support wellbeing through the creative process - no artistic experience or talent required. It's simply a way of using art-making, alongside the guidance of a trained facilitator, to help process emotions, reduce stress, and connect with others.

Join our art therapy intern, Natasha Edelstein a graduate student in Pratt Institute’s Art Therapy master’s program, for Art Therapy Open Studio, a relaxed, drop-in space to create at your own pace. Unlike a structured class, this session follows your lead: bring whatever you're feeling that day, try different materials, and use the time and space to explore in whatever way feels right for you.

All materials provided. No previous art experience necessary, just an openness to show up and create.

Register at link in bio.

08/13/2026

A space to write, experiment, and find your voice. ✍️

MOVING PEN 2.0
FRANK HABERLE
Virtual on ZOOM
Tuesdays
September 8, 15, 22 & 29
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM EDT

Join this new iteration of our popular The Moving Pen creative
writing series, which has been running at The Creative Center for 18 years! Led
by writer Frank Haberle, this prompt-based workshop is open to writers of all
experience levels and is designed to help participants discover their voice,
develop new material, and write alongside others in a supportive and
welcoming community. No prior writing experience is required, and
participants are encouraged to work at their own pace and comfort level.

Register at link in bio.

08/04/2026

The Creative Center is proud to announce our participation in UNGA Healing Arts Week 2026.

Held annually alongside the UN General Assembly, this program brings together events across New York City that highlight the role of the arts in global health and well-being.

We will be hosting the following workshop, facilitated by Valeria Koutmina, a leader in the field and member of The Creative Center community. If you are interested in art therapy and want to learn how creative expression can support your health, mental health, and overall wellbeing, we invite you to attend!

Narrative Threads an Art Therapy Workshop
Valeria Koutmina, MPS, LCAT, ATR-BC
Sunday, September 20th, 2026 I 4:00 - 6:00 pm
The Creative Center @ 184 Eldridge Street, New York, NY 10002

During this workshop, we will discuss some of the actual and mythological history of textile arts, their connection to text and narrative, and the beneficial impacts of engaging in work with fibers that entertain both the destructive cathartic release and the possibility of creating a new whole out of disparate threads. Workshop participants will be guided through a sensory exploration and the unraveling of a piece of fabric to create their own re-imagined visual narrative.

About Healing Arts New York:
Healing Arts New York is part of the Jameel Arts & Health Lab’s global outreach campaign in collaboration with the World Health Organization. Incorporating a dedicated community of practice, online resources, and an annual city-wide activation during the United Nations General Assembly, the ongoing initiative is designed to embed the arts as a vital resource for public health and well-being across all five boroughs of New York.

07/14/2026

Join us as we celebrate the voices of our writing community!

The Creative Center invites you to Speyer Hall at University Settlement (or online via Zoom with closed captions available) for an evening of short stories written in or inspired by our Art Workshop Program.

This is a special gathering for our community to come together, connect, and support one another as we celebrate the creativity and courage of our participants. It's also a chance to find inspiration to join a workshop yourself alongside our talented instructors and storytellers.

Bring a friend, bring family, and come share in the power of story with us!

RSVP today, and reach out to [email protected] with any questions.

Reading Our Writing, Sharing Our Stories with The Creative Center
Monday, July 27th from 5:00–8:00 pm
In-person and virtual
184 Eldridge Street I Speyer Hall

RSVP here: https://bit.ly/4fjXal7

Interested in becoming a community member? Register here: https://bit.ly/479RAMU See less

07/07/2026

Humanity at the core ✨🌏

We just got back from Athens, where we joined the 2026 SNF Nostos Conference at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center to demonstrate what humanity looks like with creativity at the center!

The TCC team led a series of Abayomi doll-making workshops, using beautiful up-cycled textiles sourced through our partner Materials for the Arts here in NYC.

The non-verbal communication that took place during the workshops was an important reminder that art is itself a language, one that carries meaning and connection across cultures.

The Greek word for doll is κούκλα (koúkla). It’s also used as a term of endearment or a loving nickname for a child. It felt like the perfect word for a group of people making something with love and care.

Abayomi dolls come from African and Afro-Brazilian tradition, and every one is different by design. The tactile nature of doll-making is grounding, especially with unique materials that traveled all the way from an NYC reuse warehouse to a workshop table in Athens.

So grateful to the Stavros Niarchos Foundation for having us, and to Materials for the Arts for helping us bring sustainability across the ocean.

06/23/2026

😊😊 Joy is the best medicine!

This gentle and uplifting workshop uses laughter yoga, breath-work, music, self-expression (dance) and playful creative laughter exercises to help participants relax, express themselves, and reconnect with joy intentionally.

The session is designed to be accessible for individuals living with cancer or chronic illness and emphasizes comfort, connection, and self-expression without having to say much. Participants will leave with measurable difference in stress levels, increased wellness and perceived connection with others.

Unlock Your Creativity Through Laughter Yoga
Sahadeo Ramharrack
In-person @ 184 Eldridge Street
Fridays, July 10, 17 & 24
12:00 PM - 2:00 PM EDT

Community members can register here: https://bit.ly/4egfYT4

Interested in becoming a community member? Register here: https://bit.ly/479RAMU

Address

New York, NY

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 6pm
Tuesday	10am - 6pm
Wednesday	10am - 6pm
Thursday	10am - 6pm
Friday	10am - 6pm

Website

http://thecreativecenter.org/

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Heart River Center for Intuitive Healing

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