October 26, 2009, 12:10 pm

This week is Art with Heart week, according to Rahzo, the maker of stylin’ sustainable bamboo tee shirts and more!

In honor of AwH Week, they will double donations on all apparel purchases through October 31st. Go online and check them out!

ABOUT RAHZO:
Rahzo carries a sustainable line of organic cotton and bamboo shirts that are produced in renewable-energy, wind-powered, eco-friendly, carbon-neutral facilities, with sustainable processes wherever applicable, a low water footprint, and low-impact farming practices.

Garments are produced with the highest standards for ethical, monitored labor practices; production of our garments is independently audited by the Fair Wear Foundation, which exists to promote fair labor conditions in the clothing industry.

They are also an online community for people to share and purchase creative works to benefit nonprofit organizations. Rahzo’s exclusive tee shirt artwork and coffee package designs are submitted by creative professionals worldwide.

October 23, 2009, 6:42 pm

Art with Heart is please to announce that our “Oodles of Doodles” book  is one of 36 case examples of exemplary health care arts projects and programs highlighted in a new book – “Transforming the Healthcare Experience through the Arts” by Blair Sadler and Annette Ridenour.

In 2005, Oodles of Doodles won a first place honor from the Society for Arts in Healthcare (SAH), and as a result was on Blair and Annette’s radar. Annette is one of the top leaders in the use of Art in HealthCare.  She is also one of the founders and leaders of the SAH and Blair is the former CEO of Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego. He is a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, a member of the faculty at the UCSD Schools of Medicine and Management, and now serves as an advisor to Art with Heart.

This amazing book – years in the making and being released in December of this year – is an indispensable compendium of ideas and resources that assist healthcare organizations in successfully planning and implementing transformative arts programs. Orders are being taken by mail and you can download the flyer for the book here.

, 12:24 pm

Ann Field, Illustration Chair of Art Center College of Design in Pasadena California, and Mark Todd, the cover artist for “Chill & Spill” and Art Center instructor, wanted to find a way to introduce the work of Art with Heart to their students.

After several conversations, Mark introduced an book project to his illustration class, asking them to create a personal book inspired by activities from “Chill & Spill” guided journal. Over the next seven weeks, the class will meet once a week and go over their ideas one-on-one, as well as in the group. At the end of the semester, they will have created a collective book that Art with Heart can use to help engage other youth.

We are excited to see how it turns out! In the meantime, the students will learn more about the power of creativity to heal.

October 8, 2009, 8:47 am

TONIGHT
Thursday, October 8

Artist’s Reception
Capital Hill Arts Walk

Join local artist Justin Hillgrove for a showing of his imaginative Imps and Monsters paintings at Whimsy Home Decor on Thursday Oct. 8th from 5–8pm during the Capitol Hill Arts Walk. Stop on by and enjoy wine and snacks while you view Justin’s art. Whimsy is located on 14th and Pine in Capitol Hill (1535 – 14th Avenue, Seattle • ph: 206-324-4679). Paintings will be on display from October 4–11.

Ten percent of all Justin’s sales will be donated to Art with Heart to help us help more children through the power of creativity!

October 7, 2009, 10:16 am

What a wonderful way to start the morning!

300 bright-eyed guests filled the Grand Ballroom for Art with Heart’s third annual “Color of Hope Benefit Breakfast” on Tuesday, September 29. Photos of children’s smiling faces filled the lobby and hand-made flowers filled the ballroom with feelings of hope and happiness, as  guests learned about the meaningful way in which Art with Heart has been helping youth in crisis.

Benefit Breakfast Committee Chair Ame Lewis kicked the morning off by acknowledging the contributions of the sponsors and donors, highlighting the generosity of the Purple Heart sponsor, Marler Clark, whose outstanding support since 2004 has allowed Art with Heart to reach thousands of children through its therapeutic books and programs.

To see a full listing of all the donors, please visit artwithheart.org/events/coh-heroes.

Art with Heart’s fundraising goal was $85,000. The breakfast benefit serves as the organization’s only major fundraiser for the year. Although the goal was not reached, we raised close to $70,000 in gifts and pledges, which is remarkable given the state of the economy.

Board President Madzy Besselaar branded the event a success in other ways, saying, “Even though we haven’t meet our financial goal yet, this has still been a wonderful event that inspired and moved those who attended. For those who were unable to be there, you still have the opportunity to help us reach our original goal with your online donation.”

At the event, Steffanie Lorig, Founder and Executive Director, shared highlights from a year-long evaluation study on the positive effects of Chill & Spill on high-risk youth (which you can read about on an upcoming blog post).

Our keynote speakers were George Gonzalez, Deputy Director from Casey Family Programs, and Stephanie Collier, mom and Art with Heart volunteer.

George spoke about his observations about the youth in foster care who have been helped by Art with Heart’s “Chill & Spill” program. Said George, “If it’s raining outside, I can’t make it stop, but I can give kids like Tina and Mikey an umbrella to try to help them stay dry. And really, that’s what Chill & Spill helps us do… give them something that can teach them how to cope, how to connect and how to explore their identities and emotions in a safe and healthy way.”

Stephanie shared her story of her son, Patrick’s, journey through leukemia and how Oodles of Doodles transformed their hospital experience and gave both Patrick and his brother a way of expressing the sorrow and fear they both felt during his illness. Stephanie also told the audience that after Patrick passed away, she became a volunteer for Art with Heart, bringing the “Chill & Spill” program to a group of girls in a residential treatment center and the transformation she observed, “These C&S workshops gave the girls a way to work through their pain; it gave them a voice and a vehicle to get out all the junk inside of them and not have to hold it all in. To an outsider, it might have appeared that the girls were just drawing, but what we all knew was that we were communicating, connecting and giving voice to what was inside of them.”

Board member Bob Bowen reminded us that “Your investment today is far less expensive than what happens to a child who doesn’t get help early-on in life.” Please, keep those donations coming! We are confident we can still make our goal and provide a solid base for Art with Heart to be able to reach more children in the coming year.

Click here to see more photos (by Kristi Lloyd) that reveal the joyous spirit of the morning.

, 7:51 am

We had an opportunity to share our heart with foster care children and youth who are available for adoption this past weekend at the Rotary Club/DSHS Adoption Party in Bellevue.

This is the second year this event has taken place, but the first year Art with Heart has been present to help. Last year, because of this event, almost all of the children who were available for adoption found a family that year from the folks who attended. This year, with even more children attending, we are hoping for the same, or better results!

The event was a success with many children, parents and volunteers combining their artistic efforts to create colorful ornaments to cherish the fun day. The event was packed with people decorating cupcakes, pumpkins, jewelry and playing games. Sounds of laughter filled the gymnasium while pizza and sweets fueled creativity!

Each child was on a mission to complete a scavenger hunt, in which they had to go around the room asking questions that a parent or volunteer might be able to answer. As they went down their list, finding people who enjoyed roller coasters, rainy weather, was a big brother or big sister, they won a fun prize. This was a great way to break the ice since we were all making new friends and new memories. Once the scavenger hunt ended, the creating began!

We at Art with Heart met an amazing group of children and parents who had fun creating beautiful pieces of art but most importantly, enjoyed getting to know each other and providing the opportunity for potential families to meet potential new members of their family.