We enjoyed a wonderful bookfair today at the downtown Bellevue Barnes & Noble. If you missed it, there’s still a chance to participate!

Between now and July 1st, you can shop online at Barnes & Noble, who will generously donate a percentage of sales to underwrite our programs. Just go to http://bn.com/bookfairs and check the box indicating that this is a Bookfair Order (enter code: 10177269). Thanks for your help!

A special thanks to Your Giving Group Real Estate Team at Windermere Yarrow Bay for sponsoring this event.

Gregg Swearingen's page in "Oodles of Doodles"

In 2005, Art with Heart invited illustrator Gregg Swearingen to participate in the “Oodles of Doodles” book project for hospitalized children. Gregg’s illustration ended up being one of the children’s favorite pages. Several years later, while visiting in Colorado, Gregg showed Art with Heart’s book to his brother in law, Jim Wittwer. Immediately impressed with both the quality of the work and the mission of the organization, Jim was eager to find a way to contribute support.

We recently heard from Veronika Mihalj, a teacher and Art Therapist from Canberra, Australia. She wrote:

I wanted to let you know the work you do is an inspiration! I receive your newsletters and have followed what has been happening with Art with Heart for a couple of years now. It is so wonderful to connect with like minded people who believe in the power of Art and creativity. When researching Art Therapy resources for my own practice, I came across your wonderful organization and ordered your ‘Chill & Spill’ journals. They have been an incredible tool to assist me in numerous places where I have facilitated Art Therapy Workshops. Since graduating with a diploma in Art Therapy five years ago, I have had some interesting experiences using art as a healing and community-building tool – particularly during my time in the Philippines and working with Indigenous Australians. This image (left) is from Blue Gum Community School in Canberra. Chill & Spill has inspired our daily relaxations and visualizations. The “Fly Away” activity especially has helped me understand the children’s home life and therefore some of the challenging behaviors that have been occurring. The use of metaphor is so powerful, the children love expressing themselves in this way and we learn so much about them as human beings. When I lived and worked in Manila as an art teacher at the International School a couple years ago, some fellow teachers and I started a volunteer project where we facilitated expressive art workshops for street children. It was amazing to see the children go from being so unsure about even making a mark on a canvas to being so confident in taking risks with color and experimenting with different techniques. There self-esteem increased as well as the potential for breaking out of the poverty cycle they have been a part of. Many saying that they wanted to sell their artwork! The photos (right) were from a workshop inspired by Chill & Spill’s “My Place” visualization activity. So, yes…your work has spread to the other side of the world! The last photo (left)  is myself with a group of students who participate in my weekly expressive art workshops for Bungee, a resilience-building program for young people at risk of mental health issues. Chill & Spill again has inspired many of my workshops. Once rapport has been built with the help of Chill & Spill, I facilitate many collaborative activities where children create art together to foster the idea of community.  They use lots of recycled items to make sculptures –a mermaid made out of CD’s; a whale made out of woven plastic bags. etc. I have promoted your resources to many teachers and Art Therapists here in Australia. I will be coming to Seattle in August and would love to visit the source of Chil & Spill’s inspiration!

“Your Giving Group” and Barnes & Nobel of Bellevue have chosen Art with Heart to be the beneficiary of their Book Fair on June 26th. We hope you and your children can join us for a festival of fun and author book signings!

WHERE/WHEN:
Saturday, June 26 at Barnes & Noble Downtown Bellevue, 626 106th Ave NE, Children’s Stage

SCHEDULE:

11:00 – Authors Steffanie and Richard Lorig read Such a Silly Baby

12:30 – Author Margaret Chodos Irvine reads Ella Sarah Gets Dressed

2:00 – Authors Steven & Carmela D’Amico read Ella the Elephant,

3:30 – Author Samantha Vamos reads Before You Were Here, Mi Amor

After the readings, each of the authors will be on hand to sign your books and each presentation will be followed by question and answers. You won’t want to miss it! Be sure to print out and BRING THIS VOUCHER with you so that a portion of the proceeds of the sale of the books go to benefit children in crisis through Art with Heart’s programs and books!