August 31, 2016 | By Annie Rogers
This week, in each of our chapters across the state, we are saying “so long” to our summer interns. The end of the summer is always bittersweet. 12 weeks – the length of time summer interns commit – goes by in a blink, so packed are their 16 weekly hours with teaching, planning, community outreach, […]
| By Annie Rogers
Have you noticed that “coloring” is having a moment? These days, you can buy coloring books everywhere – even in the grocery store line! This lesson offers the same mind-quieting, free-flowing benefits of coloring, with some added challenge and dimension. You can use that 1980’s atlas gathering dust on your highest bookshelf or – if […]
| By Annie Rogers
…except when they’re making art! That’s what the kids at the art table at the Valvano Day Hospital at Duke Children’s all agreed as they sat together transforming old black and white maps into colorful works of art using this Local Map Doodles lesson last week. The lesson is just one of sixteen different lessons […]
July 27, 2016 | By Annie Rogers
Have you ever noticed how everything that moves – cars, bikes, birds, planes, people – moves in a different way? Some things, people, and animals travel slowly with purpose and intention; some travel in choppy rhythm. Some glide, some hop, some roll, some even crash! What if you had to draw that motion? What would […]
| By Annie Rogers
For most of us, summer, with its long sunny days and laid-back schedule, is the time of relaxation, exploration, travel and adventure. For many of the kids and families at our hospital art tables, however, a summertime vacation is not always possible. That’s why in July and August, we are bringing exploration and adventure to […]
| By Annie Rogers
One day not very long ago, I was teaching at the art table in the Zeis Pediatric Hematology/Oncology clinic at Mission Hospital, and a family came in for their son’s yearly off-treatment follow-up appointment. I had known this family for a long time, and had really gotten to know them during the three years Ryan […]
June 29, 2016 | By Annie Rogers
When a well-known, innovative, inspiring, colorful, and charismatic, professional artist and illustrator seeks you out with an offer to lead a workshop with Arts For Life patients and families, it’s like opening your door to a person standing on your stoop with one of those giant checks and a fistful of balloons. It’s winning the […]
| By Annie Rogers
What do you think of when you hear the word community? Maybe you think of your friends or family, your colleagues or teammates. You might think of your school, your church, or your neighborhood. If you’re a patient or family member going through treatment for a serious illness or disability though, chances are, you think […]
| By Annie Rogers
[all photos courtesy of Kait Neely via http://www.kaitcetera.com/] Kait Neely is a Winston-Salem-based artist known for her colorful, imaginative quilts. You can see more examples of her beautiful work on her website. Mimicking quilt patterns with paper scraps is a great way to encourage creativity while also developing math skills! As you place you […]
May 27, 2016 | By Annie Rogers
With our December theme, Gifts, Giving, and Holiday Celebrations, and lessons like this one, our Arts For Life teachers are helping kids and families celebrate the generosity, hope, and joy they see around them in the hospital, and spread it through their wider communities.