UH program uses art workshops as part of the healing process

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On Saturday, community members from the Greater Cleveland Area who have been affected by cancer gathered at the Cleveland Heights Library to make accordion books as a part of their healing process.

The event was part of University Hospital's Arts for Wellness program, which seeks to use art workshops to help cancer patients through the difficult stages of their treatment.

"Some people are going through treatment and they're not feeling really well," explained program artist Laura Cooperman, "Art for Wellness is a way to get their minds off of it and also to get them connected to other people."

The program was created by art therapist Barbara DiScenna, who applied and received a grant for the initiative from the Livestrong Foundation in October of 2013.

Arts for Wellness started out by holding small workshops in the infusion waiting room of University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center. Patients waiting for treatment could spend ten to fifteen minutes making a little art project they could then take with them.

Cooperman believes that the small waiting room workshops serve as a way for people to relieve any anxiety they might have about their appointment.

"A lot of people know they're not going to feel well after chemo," explained Cooperman, "so the art workshops helps to get their minds off of that."

The waiting room workshops also serve as an icebreaker for patients to meet other patients going through the same things. Cooperman explained that sitting at the table with other people and making artwork together was another way to form connections and support networks.

After the success of their initial waiting room workshops, the Arts for Wellness team decided to expand the program to the community.

They began to hold workshops at the Heights Library, usually on Saturday mornings.

At these longer workshops, participants are able to make more complicated and more time-consuming projects, such as a three-part ceramics workshop, spirit doll making, silk scarf painting, and book making.

Now, Arts for Wellness has workshops in Cuyahoga County Library, Strongsville, North Olmstead, both east and west locations of the Gathering Place, and at Hope Lodge.

The events are free to anyone in the community who has been affected by cancer.

"We've had everyone at our workshops from children, to adults, to seniors," added Cooperman.

At Saturday's event was Barbara S. Walker, a Cleveland Heights local. Walker, who is an English teacher, heard about the event through the Heights Library. She was interested in accordion bookmaking because it provided her with another way of looking at books.

Karen and Gary Kelly, a couple from East Lake, came because they had never done accordion bookmaking.

"We like to do different things," explained Karen Kelly.

To find out when the next Arts for Wellness workshop will take place, check out University Hospitals Calendar of Events.