May 26, 2009, 9:15 am

Art with Heart had a presence at this year’s 3-day, national Child Life Conference for the 4th year in a row.

Child life specialists work with hospitalized children to help them cope emotionally through play, education, and self-expression activities. Art with Heart’s books are a perfect fit for their work, complimenting their mission and giving them the tools to help even the most reluctant child.

While there, we met the founder of the Alicia Rose Victorious Foundation, an organization in New Jersey that helps bring hope, excitement, and entertainment to teens that are facing difficult medical conditions. She was so impressed with our Chill & Spill therapeutic journal, that she purchased 500 to put in their “Teen Kits” that they give to newly-admitted and diagnosed teenagers with life-threatening illnesses. The kits contain “comfort items” to help meet teen’s unique needs during their in-patient stay at a hospital and make them feel less isolated. We are thrilled to know that 500 teens are going to benefit from this amazing collaboration!

May 25, 2009, 7:25 am

I just returned from Boston where the national Child Life Conference was held. Child Life Specialists often use our therapeutic tools because they support their mission, which is to promote psychological well-being of children undergoing stressful medical situations by using play, recreation, education, and self-expression activities.

night crossing movie download While there as a “vendor,” we met folks from the Alicia Rose “Victorious” Foundation, whose mission is to provide activities, programs, and events that enhance the quality of the lives of adolescents with life-threatening illnesses.

They reviewed the Chill & Spill book while there, and then brought a copy back with them for their teen advisory board to review as well. The decision was unanimous to include the therapeutic journal in their “Teen Kits” in order to welcome and comfort newly diagnosed teen cancer patients. We are thrilled that 500 hospitalized young adults will now benefit from this resource!

May 18, 2009, 1:57 pm

The gallery opening for the teen Chill & Spill artists was so very gratifying. Local restaurant, Tutta Bella, hosted a pizza party before the event for the youth and their families. Then we walked to Columbia City Gallery, where the teens were amazed to find that their artwork had the best spot in the house!

The self-portraits were created in Art with Heart’s Chill & Spill class by students at Seattle Urban Academy (an alternative school for those who had failed out of the public school system). It was wonderful to see how extremely proud they were of their accomplishments. Terrone (top right) and Charles (bottom right) both were interviewed by a local cable TV show about their artwork. Both students enjoyed the limelight.

Art with Heart has been invited back to continue the Chill & Spill class during the Spring quarter and we are very grateful to the Kismet Foundation for making this possible. The artwork is up through May 24th, so please stop by if you are in the neighborhood.

May 16, 2009, 1:01 pm

In this Skill-Building Workshop, fabric artist and craftswoman, Wendy Sloneker, led the hands-on activity from Chill & Spill called “Fly Away,” a strength-building exercise designed to help youth realize the importance of self-care and nurturing. Over the years, Art with Heart has received generous donations of fabric and yarns. We utilized them for this project, which we began after a visualization exercise.

The group was a mix of artists and therapists, most of who had little experience using fabric in any way whatsoever. So, this was a challenging medium.

Attendees created amazing works of art, but more importantly, they discovered things about themselves that hadn’t been apparent before.

See more photos in our gallery!

ABOUT CHILL & SPILL SKILL-BUILDING WORKSHOPS:
Each month, Art with Heart offers these workshops for therapists, social workers, and educators, as well as volunteers in youth-focused organizations and individuals seeking personal enrichment. (see the Events section of our website for upcoming dates). The projects are planned and art media are selected to suit each unique activity in the Chill & Spill guided journal. We tag-team a licensed mental health therapist with a teaching artist to bring participants a full experience that they can bring back to the youth they work with.

Working together on the Chill & Spill activities, participants and the leaders find that art is not only enjoyable, but also therapeutic. They now have a new skill that directly relates back to their work with youth. Sign up today!

May 9, 2009, 1:35 pm

This is the second time that Blank Canvas has chosen to benefit Art with Heart. And, as before, it was an amazing event!

It was a day-long affair, beginning with teams of architects, interior designers and creative professionals – brought together to create spontaneous, collaborative and original pieces of art.

The event cumulated in the evening with a live and silent auction, with the winning bidders bringing home wonderfully inspired masterpieces, with all the proceeds benefiting Art with Heart’s work on behalf of children in crisis!

Blank Canvas is an effort to inspire self-expression and impact communities through art. It was started by Kristen Young several years ago. She brings together a team of creative individuals who believe that a charitable contribution can be more than monetary; that the inspiration to dive into the creative process can come from one’s desire to have a positive impact on their community.

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Board member, Bob Bowen from World Vision, put on a wonderful event for Art with Heart in Issaquah at Revolution Gallery letters from iwo jima download yes man online the four horsemen of the apocalypse download . The Open House, which featured live music, wine and hors d’oeuvres, served two purposes: to introduce Art with Heart to a new audience and to raise much-needed funds for youth in crisis.

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The Holton family joined us, and mother, Reisha, spoke about what it was like during her daughter, Hallie’s, cancer experience – an ordeal that lasted 10 years. Hallie, the inspiration behind Oodles of Doodles, and Katie, the inspiration behind Magnificent Marvelous Me, also spoke about what it was like for them and how Art with Heart made a difference in their lives.

Hallie was cured at the age of 11, a decade after she was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a rare childhood cancer. buy amaryl

“I am so happy that other siblings just like me have benefited from Art with Heart’s work,” said Katie, who had spent many of her young life in the shadow of Hallie’s illness.

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May 7, 2009, 9:38 pm

download hellboy animated sword of storms online Have you ever started thinking about something because the subject just keeps “randomly” coming up from several different sources? Well, this week, three different people all talked to me separately about children in Africa, so now it’s on my mind.

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1. Our new Board member, Bob Bowen from World Vision mentioned wanting to bring Art with Heart’s Chill & Spill program (and me!) to Capetown next year to work in a village dedicated to helping youth develop coping skills through art and sports. This would be an incredible opportunity to expand our reach globally and help children who are in dire need.
2. An art therapist in South Africa recently received free Chill & Spill journals through the generosity of a wonderful donor (thank you Joe Isaak!), and has reported that she is considering leading an all-girls group of pre-teen girls from disadvantaged areas who are part of an HIV program. Wow. Powerful stuff…
3. I had a meeting today with Mary Schroeder who is a mental health educator with a huge heart for Ethiopian refugees. She envisions many ways Art with Heart’s programs and books can help these children heal from the difficulties they encounter as they are displaced from their cultures.

Obviously something is percolating and I’m excited to see what it is and how Art with Heart can make a difference for these children…

May 4, 2009, 4:21 pm

The Second Annual Very Sheri Art Collective Shopping Event took place this last weekend with over 30 indie artisans who showcased their incredible work. Offerings ranged from ceramics to handcrafted jewelry to mosaics to everything in between.

Long-time supporter and event organizer Sheri Hauser (far left) created the event for the purpose of promoting unique Northwest talent as well as her favorite charity, Art with Heart.
The event is in its second year. If you missed this year, DON’T miss next year…it’s sure to be a huge hit!

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We are thrilled to learn that Uncommon Goods, one of our favorite shopping sites, has picked up both Magnificent Marvelous Me and Chill & Spill on their online store!

We are thrilled to be in the company of their other creatively designed and unusual offerings that emphasize sustainability, integrity and social value.