Transforming the bedroom of a cancer patient into an oasis of healing is a lofty goal, but well within the reach of creative and motivated people.
“Unconditional” by Lin Salerno The Guild of Creative Art on Route 35 in Shrewsbury will open its building to host an art exhibition titled “The Healing Power of Art.” The exhibit is to be coupled with a panel discussion that will analyze healing, art, suffering and meaning, and hopefully provide inspiration for cancer patients and their loved ones.
“The Healing Power of Art” exhibit will run from Friday through Nov. 10 with an opening reception 6-8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 30. The panel discussion will be 7-9 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 2, also at the guild. The impetus for the discussion will come from the artwork on display in the main gallery.
This long-planned exhibit features artists who have been inspired by a woman who has been affected by cancer. Approximately 70 works by 57 artists and photographers will be displayed throughout the gallery. Art of all media will be showcased: painting, including oil, watercolor and acrylic; pastel; sculpture; photography; photo collage, and printmaking.
“Whatever Happened” by Vicky Culver This promises to be a unique exhibition that will hit every viewer on a personal level because the art is visceral, as the titles of some pieces attest. Lorraine Madson’s oil paintings is titled “A Maze to the Cure”; Joann Carey’s photo is titled “Transitions”; Andrew Lubas’ oil painting is titled “Cancer 01,” and Vicky Culver’s photo collage is titled “Whatever Happened.”
The show’s sponsors are the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, Lin’s Linens and the Guild of Creative Art. The exhibit is to benefit Lin’s Linens Inc., a nonprofit whose focus is women’s cancer.
“Determined” by Lin Salerno Culver, a staff member in charge of gallery operations and membership at the guild, explained that the exhibit and panel discussion have been funded by a minigrant from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities. She explained that Kristen Lanfrank, who teaches art at Rumson-Fair Haven High School and at the guild, approached the guild with a proposal for a show of art created by men and women whose lives have been touched by a woman’s cancer. The guild then applied for and received the grant.
The idea to transform the bedrooms of cancer patients was the brainchild of Lanfrank’s mother, Liz, who owns Lin’s Linens. Her sister, Lin Salerno, is battling cancer.
Lanfrank will moderate the interactive discussion. Panelists include: Salerno; Lilly Daneman, an 11-year-old battling Ewing’s sarcoma and the inspiration behind “Love4Lilly,” a nonprofit that is going to fund a “tween room” at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital for pre-teens who are undergoing treatment for cancer.
Psychologist Judy Krusell will also be a panelist. For the past 30 years, she has been in private clinical practice, working with adolescents and adults. For much of that time, her work has included a focus on spirituality and the nature of healing.
In addition, three humanities scholars from St. John’s University in New York will be on the panel. They are Robert Delfino, William Byrne and Anthony Cirelli.
“We held a pre-panel meeting in August … and it was fabulous; the energy was amazing, just so positive. The humanities scholars are young and enthusiastic, and it is fascinating to listen to their perspective,” Culver said.
The Guild of Creative Art was founded in 1960 by a group of artists who joined together to form an arts cooperative offering exhibition space, a studio for classes and a communal meeting area. Currently celebrating its 50th anniversary, the guild is the oldest nonprofit arts cooperative in New Jersey and the largest, with almost 500 members.
The Guild of Creative Art is located at 620 Broad St. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday; 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday; 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday; and 1-4 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call 732-741- 1441 or visit www.guildofcreativeart.org.