News from the Heart  
Spring 2019
Art with a Heart in Healthcare
provides personalized fine art experiences that enhance the healing process for patients and their families.

Spring is just around the corner, but Art with a Heart in Healthcare is already blooming! We recently launched a new branch of AWAHIH in our Wolfson Children’s Hospital Day Stay Clinic, which is designed for children who don’t need an inpatient hospital stay, yet require more than a short office visit. And we are also extending a warm welcome to new Artists-in-Residence Lisa Miyares and Dylan Bauer, as well as our talented new volunteers Kianna Godoy, and Teresa Graham. Plus, check out a beautiful new aquatic animal mural in Nemours, and new information about our exhibits, artists, and other happenings on our blog!

Thank you so much for your continued support. The success of our programs would not be possible without you!
Visiting Artist
Artist Steve Barr Visits Wolfson Children's and Nemours
Author, illustrator, and cartoon artist Steve Barr brought smiles to the children at Wolfson Children’s Hospital and Nemours in January, as he and Artist-in-Residence Bob Drost made bedside visits, drawing caricatures and passing out supplies. Steve’s work has appeared in a wide variety of newspapers, magazines, and books, including Chicken Soup for the Soul

Thank you, Steve, for your generosity! We appreciate your art supply donations and your time with the children!
Our Team
News From Nemours
Patients and their families now have an incredible new mural to enjoy on the 8 th floor of Nemours, near the pulmonology department. Created by Artist-in-Residence Brooke McKinney, this interactive mural features aquatic animals found in Florida’s ecosystem, and is accompanied by a new learning center which provides information on each animal featured in the mural. “It’s like an ‘I spy’ game,” says Brooke, because children can learn about the animals from coloring pages she created and then they can try to find those same animals on the wall. This mural was made possible by the Ripple Effect Project, where kids are inspired and influenced by nature.


Brooke provides bedside visits and group art sessions at Nemours and Wolfson Children’s Hospital. While painting, coloring, and creating art and learning experiences, she is always using her incredible talent to calm the children. “Some patients have to wait for tests or MRIs, and creating art is a great way to keep them from feeling anxious.” 
Meet Our Newest Team Members!
Lisa Miyares was a volunteer with Art With a Heart for more than two years when she was invited to become an Artist-in-Residence, and she is now the lead artist in the pediatric chemotherapy and hemodialysis infusion clinic three days a week. Over the years, Lisa taught art to children in preschool all the way through to college students, and earned her MFA at the University of Florida in painting and drawing. Lisa believes that painting “is a very freeing experience, and can also be a great medium for storytelling for a child or adult of any age. My favorite part of the job is seeing joy on a patient’s face when they are creating something, and maybe for a few moments they actually forget about their illness and just find themselves enjoying the process of painting!”
Meet Artist-in-Residence Dylan Bauer! Dylan graduated from the University of North Florida with a BFA in 2018. He held an internship with Art With a Heart in Healthcare, and then became a volunteer for only one day before he was hired in his new paid position. Dylan says, “I’m truly grateful. Seeing the smile on a kid’s face after creating a piece of art for them is really satisfying to me. There is no greater feeling in the world!” 

Dylan also recently joined more than forty other artists in the Color Me Kona project, producing interactive artistic opportunities for Title 1 schools and underserved youth in our community.
Wine Dinner Fundraiser
Wine, Tapas, and Auction
Our second annual Art With a Heart in Healthcare Wine Dinner was an incredible success! We raised more than $46,000 through tickets to the event, silent and live auctions, and raffling off mystery wine in wine bags painted by Art With a Heart in Healthcare artists. 

Thank you to our hosts at Royal Palm Village Wine and Tapas in Atlantic Beach, and all of this year’s participants for making this amazing event such a success!
In Other News...
Art Across the Airwaves
Our regular Wolfson Children’s Hospital media center presentations continued in February, when two of our newest Artists-in-Residents, Lisa Miyares and Dylan Bauer, guided the children step by step in making their own Valentine’s Day heart paintings. 
Art With a Heart in Healthcare has created amazing programs to beam across the airwaves directly to the kids. This is especially wonderful as it allows everyone to create their own artwork in the comfort of their room, or tune in later when the program repeats.
A World Of Their Own
A World of Their Own
“If you could create your own world, what would it look like?” This question sparked abundant creativity in our patient artists as they collaborated with our talented Artists-in-Residence for this year’s A World of Their Own exhibit, sponsored by Capital Bank.
A World of Their Own is moving to the Jacksonville Main Library on March 8, 2019. If you missed out on this delightful show while it was at MOCA, you still have a chance to see it at the Jacksonville Main Library!
Every Mile Brought A Smile at Wolfson Children's Challenge
The Wolfson Children’s Challenge on January 26, 2019 included a variety of races, fun activities, family entertainment, and fundraising opportunities aimed at making sure no child is ever denied care at Wolfson Children’s Hospital due to an inability to pay. This year, Art With a Heart in Healthcare artists provided creative painting experiences for patients and their families. Artists Lisa Miyares and her husband worked at the event painting with the kids, but her favorite moment came after the event. “The organizers had invited 55 special patients to share stories about their care at Wolfson. It was very moving and inspiring.” 

Thank you to all of the volunteers and organizers for making this year’s event so special!
The HeART of Giving
Thank you, Mett family!
Every year, the Mett family celebrates son Kaylum’s life and keeps his memory alive by giving back to Art with a Heart. With the help of friends Trent Maddox (owner of Amelia Rental and Management Services, mom Shannel’s employer) and Diane and Tony Fiscarelli, the family collected money to buy art supplies for Art With a Heart in Healthcare. The supplies will be used in countless future art sessions with hospitalized children at Wolfson Children’s Hospital. We are so grateful for donations like these, which make an enormous difference in our mission to enhance the healing process for patients and their families with personalized fine art experiences. 
St. Mark's Valentine's Day Love
The second-grade students at St. Mark’s Episcopal Day School brought joy to our Wolfson Children’s Hospital patients with their incredible Valentine’s Day artwork. Thank you to all of these little kids with big hearts! The students at St. Mark’s also collected and donated art supplies to Wolfson so that our patients can enjoy creating their own art projects.
Culture Builds Florida
Major Funding cuts for Arts organizations in Florida
Some of you may be aware that Florida’s recently approved budget has drastically reduced and eliminated funding for many arts organizations in the state. As a nonprofit organization, Art With a Heart in Healthcare relies on much of its funding from grants and sponsorships, as well as donations from caring people like you.
If you are an artist who enjoys helping adults, children, and families discover their creativity, we encourage you to join our volunteer team.

We have open opportunities available seven days a week. Our volunteers represent all ages and sectors of the community. For more detailed information, please see our  Volunteer page  on our website. 


Art with a Heart is grateful for the selfless devotion of our volunteers.

Welcome to Kianna Godoy and Teresa Graham!


Patsy Moore
Pati Merrill
Helen Meatte
Janet Massey
Ilyssa Harrington
Carol Moon


Join
Our Team
-Be Part of Our Story-
Foundations, corporations, partners, sponsors, and individual donors who through their generous funding ensure that the children, adults and families we serve have the best staff, volunteers, and art supplies available. 

Donations support our growing programs, and we invite you to join our team by making a tax deductible donation. 
A copy of the official registration and financial information may be obtained from the Division of Consumer Services by calling toll-free within the state. Registration does not imply endorsement, approval, or recommendation by the State of Florida. 
Registration # CH39925
Christy Ponder 
Executive Director and Artist in Residence
 
Lori Presto, MSW 
Program Director and Artist in Residence

Artists in Residence
 
​Ajamu Mutima 
Samantha Solley 
Matt Richards 
Maddie Firestone 
Anne Roberts 
Bob Drost 
Alexis Audate 
Jill Olmo 
Brooke McKinney
Meredith Sullivan
Lisa Miyares
Dylan Bowers
Board of Directors

Brooks Cannon- Board Chair
Kacey Roache- Secretary
Judy Powell- Treasure   
Laird
Hillary Whitaker
Casey Andeer
Bebe Alexander
Bonnie Hayflic


Board of Advisors

Lori Guadagno - Co-founder
Lisa Ullmann - Co-founder
Robert Monsky
Cynthia Jacoby Greene
Katherine Loeb
Sam Hall
Guy Cuddihee
Kathy Soler-Sala
Melissa Roland


Honorary Trustees

Louise Freshman Brown
Professor University of North Florida
 
Suzanne Taylor
Community Volunteer
 
Karen Wolfson
Wolfson Children's Hospital

Patient Artwork
"Untitled"
"Flower or Donut?"
"Untitled"
"We Are Not Alone"
Art with a Heart
in Healthcare
Sponsors

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St Vincents
Culture Builds Florida