Our Artist-in-Residence program (AIR) engages patients and clinical staff in creative arts activities
12/19/2024
The Artist in Residence program at Inova Schar Cancer closed out 2024 with an experiential workshop about the healing power of sound, inspired by ancient Indian musical ragas that have been used for millennia to support the human experience. Thank you so much Preet Singh for leading us through breathwork and visualization to the sound of your dilruba. As we tune our vibrations with the environment and with each other, we soothe our spirits and become better prepared to create healing spaces for our program participants.
12/04/2024
We’re celebrating the season at Inova Center for Personalized Health and Inova Schar Cancer with music and art through the month of December!
11/05/2024
Members of Artist in Residence team at Inova Schar Cancer made new connections and found inspiration at this year’s NOAH conference in Houston, TX. We are honored to bring home an Honorable Mention for the Cam Busch award in the “Arts Transforming Environments” category, for a collaborative art piece “The Hope Sculpture” at Inova Schar Cancer in Fairfax.
10/08/2024
We are loving this new infographic from the University of Florida's Center for Arts in Medicine. We couldn't agree more. (thanks Gary Lloyd for sharing this too)
🎉 It’s National Arts & Humanities Month! A perfect reminder that engaging in the arts is more than fun—it’s a health behavior. 🧠🎨
“Arts Engagement is a Health Behavior,” is new research that shows how the arts can support mental health AND reduce mental health inequities at all levels, including
🔽 Reducing stress and blood pressure levels
💜 Increasing connection with others
🌟 Elevating underrepresented voices
🚀 Reducing mental health stigma
This article has also helped to inform the recent World Health Organization (WHO) Arts and Health Lancet Series’ focus on discretely investigating the ways in which engagement in the arts may constitute as a health behavior.
National Endowment for the Arts, a2ru, National Organization for Arts in Health, Arts & Healing Initiative, International Arts + Mind Lab, Arts For EveryBody, UF College of Public Health and Health Professions
10/04/2024
Artists in Residence Martina and Tiffany set up a candlemaking station for staff in Radiation. Participants could select from an array of essential oils for scent, and choose their wax color and floral add-ins. Thank you to all who took part in the activity! We loved working with you and we hope you are enjoying your candles. 🙏
10/01/2024
At last week's Artist Circle meeting, we asked our Artists in Residence to complete the prompt "I used to think...but now I think..." Here are a few responses.
- I used to think some of life was playful...now I think all of life is playful. If you're not having fun, you're missing the point of living.
- I used to think I needed to do something to make things better for patients...now I think I just need to be with them where they are.
- I used to think being busy and having lots to do was a measure of success, now I think its more important to be present, fully embrace my emotions and show up as I am.
- I used to think cancer was one thing and one response, now I think that cancer is many things and many responses. Everyone is different.
- I used to think I was providing a service to someone else, now I realize how much more I'm getting back!
Thank you to our AIR team for the wisdom and creativity you bring to the lives of everyone at Inova Schar Cancer.
The Traveling Postcards exhibition is a powerful platform that raises awareness and offers healing for survivors of Gender-Based Violence. Through art, it creates an experience of connection, solidarity, and support. Traveling Postcards are pieces of art carrying messages of solidarity.
Made by survivors and allies alike, these cards spread love and healing to survivors around the world. We invite anyone impacted by domestic violence, either directly or indirectly, to join one of our 4 upcoming in-person workshops on September 30th (12-1:30 or 6-7:30pm) and October 1st (12-1:30 or 6-7:30pm) at the Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery at 1632 U St NW in DC.
Cards created will be part of the Traveling Postcards exhibit, installed in the Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery, with an opening reception on October 4th. For more information and to RSVP for a workshop, please visit: https://www.travelingpostcards.org/speak-your-truth-exhibition.
09/11/2024
A hilarious opportunity to support Smith Center for Healing and the Arts! Hope you'll join us.
🎗️ Sense of Tumor 2024: Cancer Comedy Showcase! 🎤
Get ready to laugh for a cause at the Sense of Tumor 2024! Join us on September 14 at the Silver Spring Black Box for a night of comedy featuring cancer survivors who turn their experiences into humor. It’s more than a show—it’s a fundraiser for Smith Center for Healing and the Arts.
📅 Saturday, September 14
🕒 7:00 PM (Doors open at 6:30 PM)
📍 Silver Spring Black Box
🎟️ https://zurl.co/l6J4
Highlights:
- Local comedians who are cancer survivors
- Fundraiser for The Smith Center for Healing and the Arts
- Raffle prizes
- ASL interpreted show
- ADA accessible venue
Don't miss this inspiring and hilarious event! Bring your friends and family for an unforgettable evening.
07/24/2024
July 27th is National Arts in Health Day! On this day we celebrate the transformative power of the arts in improving health and well-being. This day highlights how creative practices, from music/visual arts, to drama and dance, all enhance patient care, support mental health, and foster healing.
DC is one of 18 cities celebrating National Arts in Health Day with a festival filled with art, music and healing. How lucky are we!? You can take part too on the National Mall this Saturday from 12-8 p.m. Find our more at: https://tinyurl.com/artsinhealthdc
Join us in recognizing the vital role that arts play in healthcare and communities!
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Co-created by Smith Center for Healing and the Arts and Life with Cancer at Inova Schar Cancer Center for Inova Health Systems at the Inova Schar Cancer Institute.
Smith Center for Healing and the Arts and the Inova Life with Cancer program are pleased to announce the development of the Smith Center Artists in Residence Program as part of the Integrative Arts and Healing Program to be created for the new Inova Schar Cancer Institute.
For over two decades, Smith Center has worked with professional artists to integrate their creative process as a tool and strategy to help others strengthen and sustain their healing process. Smith Center artists in residence have described their work in cancer institutes and with patients and staff in other clinical settings as one of the most meaningful and rewarding experiences of their lives. Patients and caregivers who participate often express great relief from pain and anxiety associated with their illness. Most especially, they are grateful for the opportunity to discover and explore what they Can do, when otherwise feeling inhibited or confined by their current situation.
The program trains and supports local artists to guide patients, caregivers and clinicians to participate in arts-based activities that lead to stress reduction, self-awareness and self-expression. Patients and caregivers who participate often express great relief from pain and anxiety associated with their illness and are grateful for an opportunity to discover and explore what they can do.Through Smith Center’s partnership with the Inova Schar Life with Cancer Program, Smith Center artists will have access to clinical professionals, including registered arts therapists, to receive ongoing training and supervision as members of the unique team and culture comprising the Institute.
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Smith Center for Healing and the Arts is a nonprofit health, education, and arts organization in Washington DC. Our mission is to develop and promote healing practices that explore physical, emotional, and mental resources that lead to life-affirming changes for people affected by cancer.
