Download - The Healing Power of Art in Action
-
7/31/2019 The Healing Power of Art in Action
1/1
The Baltimore Times, September 25 - October 1, 2009 (www.baltimoretimesonline.com) Positive stories about positive people!Page 14
Altered bookscompetitionTurn an old book into a work of art
Baltimore, Md.Feeling creative? So
get in the act! Grab one of those un-wanted books and turn it into a work of
art. The Enoch Pratt Free Library is
proud to announce its first ever Altered
Books Competition.
An altered book is any book, old or
new that has been recycled by creative
means into a work of art. They can be
rebound, painted, cut, burned, folded,
added to, collaged in, rubber stamped,
drilled or otherwise adorned. Altered
books may be as simple as adding a
drawing or text to a page, or as complexas creating an intricate book sculpture.
We are excited to provide an environ-
ment for readers and artists to enjoy with
our first ever Altered Books Competi-
tion, said Carla D. Hayden, CEO of the
Enoch Pratt Free Library.
Baltimore is full of talented artists
and we cant wait to see the wonderful
works of art they will be creating.
Come join the Pratt Library at the Bal-
timore Book Festival on Friday, Septem-ber 25, 6 to 8 pm, and make your own
altered book. The library will provide
old books and supplies for free.
All entries to the competition should
be received no later than 1 p.m. on Sat-
urday, September 26. Prizes will be
awarded to the top three altered books.
The top 15 altered books will be on dis-
play at the Central Library during the
month of October.
For more information, guidelines anda registration form for the Pratts Altered
Books Competition, visit our website at
www.prattlibrary.org/alteredbooks.
By Zaina Adamu
The Mt. Washington Pediatric
Hospital in Baltimore held a
dedication ceremony for a chil-drens tile mural located on a
cleverly disguised garden wall
on the hospitals grounds Sep-
tember 17, 2009.
The mural consists of 100
artistic tiles, each created by the
hospitals patients. After the
tiles were decorated, Maryland
Institute College of Art student
Caroline Van Sicklin glossed the
tiles, arranged them according
to style and attached them to
produce a singular piece of art.
The project introduced me
to the Mt. Washington Pediatric
Hospital family of clinicians,
patients and families, said Van
Sicklin. There is much
warmth here. You feel it when
you first step through the doors.
It truly is a very special place.
Van Sicklin was introduced to
the garden when it first openedlast year and proposed the idea
to create the mural for the chil-
dren. She said art not only en-
lightens the countless children
who are physically disabled
and bed-bound, but it opens a
new side of creativity within
thema side most children
subconsciously conceal. I
think its important to have
something permanent whenyoure in a hospital for months
at a time, she said.
Seven-year-old pediatric
patient Victoria jumped with
glee when she saw the tile she
created on the mural. She
proudly painted her tile in deeppink with her name (written
backwards) in big bold letters
across it. I love it, she ex-
claimed. It was easily notice-
able that she loved the hospital
as well. They took care of me
when I was sick, she added.
There are a lot of people I like
around here.
Sheldon Stein, president and
CEO of Mt. Washington Pedi-
atric Hospital knew the garden
would serve as a therapeutic
environment for the children.
The addition of the mural
sealed the deal. Many images
painted on the tiles symbolize
hope and renewal, he said. I
am confident the mural will in-
spire thousands of children,
families and visitors for years
to come.
Stein continuously thankedVan Sicklin for her selfless
contribution to the garden.
She is a remarkably talented
young artist, who provided an
outlet for our patients to ex-
press their emotions through
art, he said.
The Mt. Washington Pediatric
Hospital has helped make
stridesin children health devel-
opment through inpatient andoutpatient care for children with
special medical needs. For more
than 86 years, the hospital offers
a host of medical services in-
cluding evaluation, diagnosis
and treatment. More recently,
the hospital implemented an in-ventive element of therapy
through art for children in the
recovery process of illness.
The mural is dedicated to
Ruth Carol, who helped start a
program two years ago that fo-
cused on exposing patients to
different forms of art.
(Top): L-r: Brittany Everett,
sister to pediatric patient;
Maryland Institute College of
Art student Caroline Van Sick-
lin, creator of the children's
mural; Victoria Everett, pedi-
atric patient at Mt. Washing-
ton Pediatric Hospital in
Baltimore pose in front of the
new children's mural at the
hospital's children's garden.
(Center): Brittany Everett, sis-
ter to pediatric patient, glee-
fully points out the a title inthe recently unveiled mural.
(Bottom): President and CEO
of Mt. Washington Pediatric
Hospital Sheldon Stein gives
flowers to Maryland Institute
College of Art student Caro-
line Van Sicklin for her cre-
ation of the children's mural
at the hospital's children's
garden.
Credit: Courtesy photo
The healing power of art in action