healing arts
art for all
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Our commitment to our community is our byline: ART FOR ALL! One of our eight Gallery Shows each year is our Members' Show that welcomes the creative and artistic works from all our members -- youth, novices, emerging artists and experienced or professional artists alike in many varied categories in one unique-to-us gloriously inclusive ART FOR ALL show. Fine art and fun art! This show is a cornerstone show that highlights our commitment to fostering a community of support for artists of all levels. ART FOR ALL also includes our special needs neighbors - adults and children - and elderly men and women in assisted living homes. We regularly hold free or low-cost art classes for these groups, serving (at this writing) five different agencies and many individuals. If you'd like to teach or be a volunteer assistant in these classes, please email Lori Art is for all! |
art MD healing art kits
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ART FOR ALL also encompasses those who are hurting and and can benefit from the healing nature of art. Art MD healing art kits come in two options: one for kids and another for teens and adults. These are boxes our volunteers pack up to give (for free!) to Piedmont-Walton Hospital, DFACS, local fire stations and other agencies who in turn give the kits to children and teens/adults in times of trauma, loss or illness. Our Art MD kits are truly healing arts! Funded through donations and grants, the original kids' boxes contain our original art journals, stuffed animals, crayons, stickers, Play- Doh, and when available, original angel paintings by our artists. Original art by Donna Coffman and Sandy Blanchard. The Teen/Adult kit includes a 60-page Art & Distraction Journal, colored pencils & sharpener and a black marker. Original art by Sandy Blanchard. You can make tax-deductible donations HERE for this worthy cause! |
mwca is committed to bringing the healing nature of art to our community
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Hope Reese, director of MWCA, saw a need to help those hurting the most - children in times of illness, trauma or loss - and wanted MWCA to step in and help. It is proven that the sooner you get art supplies into someone's hands, the quicker healing begins. Art can even help ward off the effects of PTSD in veterans. We did some research and found nothing quite like the idea of our Art MD healing art kits. With the wholehearted approval of the board of directors, we got to work! We started with the kids' kit in 2018 but with the onset of the pandemic, it became clear in 2021 that we needed a teen/adult kit as well which we launched in February, 2022. |
with the help of ...
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Gratuity Paper Company, a logo and box design was developed. Our artist-members, Donna Coffman and Sandy Blanchard, created original artwork for the Art MD journals. Our very first round of boxes was supported primarily by two businesses: Animal Care Hospital of Bold Springs and S|B Paisley Estate Sale Company. The Monroe UPS Store printed the original journals. Play-Doh, Crayola Crayons, stickers and stuffed animals were purchased, thanks to donations from our community and generous support from The Walton EMC RoundUp Foundation. Our Adult Art MD journals are printed by Moore Business Communications in Loganville. 678-475-7440 |
volunteers |
Artist-members and volunteers of all ages have painted original angels to add to each box. Our potters have made and donated angel ornaments to sell to raise money for the kits. As you can imagine, we always need more angels - please consider helping in this way ... |
... and more volunteers
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Our volunteer coordinators, Debbie Criswell and Michelle Mobley oversee the Art MD project - keeping track of "inventory" for the kits, coordinating kit assembly days and distributing the kits out into our community. Julie Bell and her son Ian have put together hundreds of boxes and Julie is our main contact at the hospital. Hospital staff know all they have to do is stop by Julie's office to replenish kits for their department.
This has been a community effort for sure! We LOVE how our small town has embraced this effort! As mentioned above - We also need lots and lots of angel paintings! You can complete these at home or come to one of our Monroe Makers FREE Creative Gatherings on Thursdays from 1 - 3pm. We usually do these on thick watercolor paper or other art paper cut into sizes about 3" x 5" to 4" x 6". We have paper here you can pick up to work on your angels at home, or all supplies ready for you on Thursdays during Monroe Makers. Email Lori and ask to be placed on her email list and she will let you know about future volunteer dates. You can also donate toward this project HERE. Donations are tax-deductible. |
kits have been donated to:
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Another volunteer opportunity: We also need help delivering kits. Call us or drop by the center if you'd like to help! |
contact us
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* If you work with children, teens or adults in times of distress and would like some Art MD kits * If you'd like to volunteer to help * If you have contacts with foundations or businesses that might like to help us keep this idea going (indefinitely - there is a HUGE need!) We'd love to see this idea spread to other communities! Please help us spread the word. If you'd like more information, feel free to email Hope or call 770-207-8937. |
angel ornaments
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Year-round, we offer our Angel Ornaments for a donation of $15. These clay and glass ornaments are made by volunteers in our pottery studio. Donations for the Angels fund the Art MD Kits. You can make tax-deductible donations HERE for this worthy cause! |
paint angels for us
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We've had friends and even entire neighborhoods (!) like the Tara subdivision in Loganville, shown in the picture, offer to paint angels for us. We LOVE that.
Of course, you and your friends - and your kids! - can visit MWCA on Thursdays from 1 - 3 pm (drop in for as long as you like) and paint angels with our volunteers. We have all supplies on hand. Tips for having an ANGEL PAINTING PARTY If you'd like to paint angels at home or with a group of friends here are the supplies you will need:
You can look up "angel painting" on Pinterest or Google and find lots of inspiration! We don't want them to all the the same, by any means. Use your imagination and have fun. Signing your name and even writing a short, encouraging few words or Bible verse on the back of the painting is a nice (but not required) touch. Finally, just deliver your paintings to us and we will make sure they get packed into our Art MD kits. |
