Sacred Shard Mosaics

ArtsCare is a local Corvallis group that is affiliated through the Corvallis Arts Center. www.theartscenter.net It is associated at the national level with the Society for the Arts in Healthcare. (www.theSAH.com)

ArtsCare artists work in a variety of medical settings from mental health & oncology to cardiac care & dialysis. There are artists working with a tremendous variety of materials as well as muralists and musicians.

GSRMC (Good Samaritan Hospital)/ArtsCare Community Mosaic Project
The mosaic mural evolved as a solution to the view of a gray, concrete generator building out the windows of the Physical Rehabilitation building. The project was completed through the facilitation of two artists, myself and fellow ArtsCare mosaic artist, Wendy Brewer.

Staff and patients were invited to participate in the completion of the mural which took place in three separate week long sessions. The project drew about 160 people from throughout the hospital campus.

The first phase was an introduction to the mosaic process and a community wide invitation to participate.

Due to confidentiality I am unable to provide images of patients but it was wonderful to have so many participate. Clients from Rehab joined us to work on stamina while standing at the wall and others worked on grasp and manual dexterity as they selected glass to include in their work.

The second phase included the addition of mosaic material higher up on the wall to broaden the overall expanse and coverage of the project. Due to the ladder work, participation was limited but it generated a lot of enthusiasm for the third and final phase.

The final phase of the mural was an introduction to the indirect method of mosaic. Rather than applying glass directly into the adhesive, participants were invited to place glass on plywood patterns while seated. Some people used the ones we provided, others created their own. Those with limited time added pieces to larger, collaborative pieces. Mosaicfilm was then applied for mobility and the completed projects were installed at a later date.

The advantage to this method in a hospital setting is that we were able to include participants who were otherwise unable to physically attend the wall. Wendy brought the activity to a group of folks at Pastega house (a place to stay for those who are visiting from out of town) and it was a big hit. We were both quite excited about the outreach possibilities.

The project benefited the hospital in creating an atmosphere of community as well as beautification. It was so lovely to see workers from all disciplines working side by side and patients being treated to something fun and unexpected.

People now seem eager to visit a corridor that is vibrant, colorful and infused with the life energy of those who helped to create it.

The bonus in the location was being able to see it both on the wall of the generator building and also in the reflection of the therapy office window!

From Surviving to Thriving

For three years, I was involved in a workshop series called Life After Cancer: From Surviving to Thriving. The group is still going strong. It now meets at the Albany Cancer Rescource Center. Classes are free for anyone who has completed their cancer treatment. The six week series provides exposure to a wide range of art mediums. Mosaics, ceremonial basket weaving, soft doll sculpture, quilting and creating clay rattles are all offered up along with a lot of laughter. Emphasis is definitely on play rather than artistic ability! Inspirational poems are read, and journals are available to record thoughts & ideas. The last session offers the opportunity to view all of the participant projects collectively with beautiful music played by harpist, Kathy Morris.

If you would like more information or to sign up as a participant please phone 541.812.5888/p>

I first became involved in the ArtsCare program through a torso that was created as a mantra for the healing of my friend, Peg, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her Spirit Remains Intact is now on display at SRCC between the two radiation treatment rooms.

Her Spirit Remains Intact…

This project evolved as a friend, and former teacher of my two daughters, underwent a double mastectomy this past October. As my friend began to schedule chemo treatments, I started laying tesserae, each piece with a mantra for wellness and healing.

I estimate 8,000 pieces of frosted pink beach glass. The piece also includes shards of stained glass, beads, spheres of rose quartz, and dichroic fused glass tiles. Handmade clay face tiles represent the seven chakras of healing and the voices of women with wisdom to share. The butterflies rising up off her right shoulder symbolize triumph and the birthing of new endeavors.

Many blessings for wellness ~

This piece was also chosen as the artwork for Flying on One Wing: Poems for Breast Cancer Patients, Survivors, and Those Who Love Them by Marjorie Power. In addition to Marjorie’s amazing poetry, she has included a series of questions for reflection which are a fantastic tool for journaling, discussion groups etc.

Call 541.768.5220 for your copy or download it as a free pdf at: www.samhealth.org/regional_health_services/cancer/publications.html

The Life Goes On spiral was a community project completed by eight ambulatory infusion patients.

As pieces of tesserae were glued down, cell phones rang with messages from children at school, there were buses to catch and people waiting for us in meetings. Stories were shared with care givers and treatment time passed more quickly.

I loved the “tree of life” which was created out of white glass with all of the chemo washing away in dark muddy glass. This person also surrounded the tree with vibrant little bits of glitter glass which she said were her supporters. The outcome of eight different individuals working one piece together was eclectic but fabulous!

On the Road to Greater Well Being was a community project that I facilitated with patients on the Ambulatory Infusion unit in the Neville Building, Good Samaritan Hospital, Corvallis. Individuals created the trees that line the highway as well as collaborating on the Good Sam logo, the “House of Healing” and the golden sun.

On The Road To Greater Well Being is symbolic of the journey one takes from home to medical appointment and then home again. The experience sometimes begins with a fantasy about all of the other places we would rather be going but comes full circle as we leave with a sense of gratitude for the kindness and care we have received. For a few moments the pages of the calendar do not turn and the clock stops ticking. We find a renewed sense of peace in the sun and in the trees around us. The road which once felt anxious now joyfully returns us to the healing comforts of home…

Petra was a donation I made to the hospital’s Physician’s Gourmet fundraiser event. Poor folks, I think they were looking for a nice bowl of some sort?! She was whimsical and I can only hope that she went to the office of someone with a sense of humor.

Lucky For Petra It Was Only A Case of Lepidoptera Stomachus! (Her stomach was filled with charming little butterfly beads.)

Anatomy mannequin, shards of hammered stained glass, assorted bone & glass beads
18″tall x 8″wide x 4.5″deep

Touched by Cancer Art Exhibit
An organization called the Lilly Oncology on Canvas art show “invited people from all over the world to express their feelings about cancer through art narrative. People diagnosed with any type of cancer, their families and friends, cancer advocates, health care providers, including doctors and nurses were eligible. The rich tapestry of emotions conveyed in these pieces of art endure and provide hope and inspiration to others.” This summer a local exhibition called, Touched by Cancer will feature the work of local people at the Linn County Fairgrounds from July 17 – 20th.

A Good Pair of Earrings…
Hair is not only part of our identity but part of our celebratory dance of life.

As little girls we covet our first package of plastic barrettes. On school picture day we are reminded to smile and “run a comb through it!” Tribes of girls debate whether to wear their hair up or down for the prom. Brides continue the debate. In the early days of motherhood, our baby’s eyes are drawn upward to meet our own as a wisp of our hair touches their cheek. And if we’re lucky, we experience these moments again as we raise our children or brush the hair back from a parent’s forehead one last time.

Meeting women who encounter cancer on their journey of becoming who they are meant to be, has taught me that a bad hair day is minuscule in the grand scheme of life. And yet there are days when it can unravel even the best of us.

There are days when we know that our sense of value and worth comes from the light within and are also able to see it in others. And on the darker days, when we must rely upon others to remind us of our light, a good pair of earrings can be our saving grace.

Medium: Mixed Media
mdf substrate, 13″ x 13″
Stained glass, Triangular Bevels, Earring Backs, Human Hair, Paper and Radiology sticker