Last month, the Department of Psychiatry at Jamaica and Flushing Hospital Medical Center unveiled the anonymous artwork of patients in therapy at the Queens Museum. This momentous event took place shortly after both hospitals celebrated Creative Arts Therapy Week.
Creative Arts Therapy Week is observed each year, in the third week of March, to raise awareness of the importance of utilizing creative art modalities to improve treatment outcomes for patients in therapy. This year, Jamaica and Flushing Hospital celebrated the observance by hosting the public art exhibit “Creating Balance.”
Creating Balance featured several pieces of art that illustrated the thoughts and reflections of patients participating in therapy. Artwork with vibrant colors and self-expressive notes were displayed in each hospitals’ main lobby, and enjoyed by the community and staff.
The exhibit was later moved to the Queens Museum where it made its big debut. An opening reception was held to reveal the artwork. The event was well attended by several museum visitors, past and present patients as well as their families, artists and staff. Art spectators actively viewed and explored the various media in which the art was presented.
The showcase included drawings, paintings, sculptures and music. Also presented were a compilation of video and an interactive experience utilizing apps and programs on an iPad.
Overall the MediSys Health Network’s Creating Balance exhibit was a tremendous success. “We achieved our goal of reaching out to the community, to showcase the value of artwork and how it has helped patients and families to facilitate an open discussion about therapy,” stated Michelle Hololob, Chief of Creative Arts Therapy at Jamaica Hospital.