Texas Children's Cancer Center and Bernar Venet

As part of the Bernar Venet education outreach program, TFAA is working closely with the Texas Children Cancer Center and the Periwinkle Foundation to set up a program to work with the cancer patients during the month of June 2010. The work will consist of drawing, painting and making their own Bernar Venet with the help of an artist who has already been identified.  

The Periwinkle Foundation enriches the lives of children with cancer and other life threatening illnesses through exciting camping and recreational programs. Doctors help the children to heal physically; we help them to heal emotionally.

The goal is to rehabilitate the emotional well being of patients and their families and give them something positive to look forward to through educational and meaningful creative opportunities while undergoing treatment at the Texas Children’s Cancer Center.

Children with cancer and blood disorders and their families suffer emotionally as well as physically from these devastating illnesses.  They deal with very adult issues of life and death and their childhood is taken from them.  Treatments last all day for long periods of time resulting in most of their life being spent at the hospital.  They face needle pricks instead of playground bruises, feeling bad instead of feeling life. 

So much time is spent at the hospital and generally feeling bad that children miss quite a bit of school.  They fall behind in their studies and miss out on many basics including art and creative writing.  This obviously impacts their studies, but also their self esteem as they fall behind their peers.

 It is critical to treat the emotional side of life threatening illnesses, as well as the physical.  If children are made to feel whole they are better able to fight the physical battle.  Just survival is not enough, if the rest of their lives they are still emotionally devastated.

Distracted from the needle pricks and long hours of treatment, this program will provide opportunities for self-expression, empowerment, because this is one thing in their lives they can control, and the development of coping skills. And it gives the children and their parents something to look forward to when they have to come to the hospital. 

Working with professional artists and writers, the children learn about color, concepts, and to express their feelings and fears through creativity.  Their self-esteem grows when their art is actually mounted and exhibited or published, affirming their feelings, honoring their existence in this world, and assisting each of them toward a fuller life.  TFAA will find a place to display the art that the children created with the professional artist so that it is the centerpiece. In the past, in a similar event, many of the young artists attend the opening and take pride in discussing their art with guests from the Houston community.

“Bringing a visiting artist into the clinic adds some fun and excitement to the time children spend at the hospital. It provides opportunities for children to learn about the world around them.  The patients enjoy the crafts and creative outlets we offer through the Arts and Medicine program. We look forward to creating something unique with the artist from the TFAA.” says the Arts in Medicine Program Coordinator, Carol Herron.

The featuring artist Felipe Contreras will spend 5 sessions working with the children 

•  June 7 from 12:30 to 2:30pm
•  June  11, 14, 17, 18 from 10am – 12pm

If you are interested to volunteer for this program please email or call Vanessa Abahashemi 713-822-2060 or info@texanfrenchalliance.org. 

For more information about Bernar Venet

This project is made possible by a grant from Houston Endowment, supporting the education outreach programs.