UF Health Cancer Center Showcases Patient Artwork at Local Art Exhibition
City Arts Factory Hosts the Annual Art Meets Medicine Exhibit
Orlando, FL (March 27, 2017) – The UF Health Cancer Center – Orlando Health is showcasing artwork created by cancer patients at the ‘Art Meets Medicine’ exhibition. The art exhibition is taking place at City Arts Factory where more than 100 pieces of artwork created by cancer patients are on display. It is organized by the cancer center’s Arts in Medicine program which emphasizes the power of art in the healing process.
“Through art, our patients are able to discover that they are something much more than cancer and this art exhibition is a way of showcasing that,” said Diane C. Robinson, PhD, program director of Integrative Medicine at UF Health Cancer Center – Orlando Health. “It also sends a message about art itself – art is for everyone and it should be important for all of us. Our patients feel a sense of pride to have their art exhibited in a real art gallery and it’s a way of sharing with the community what we do here at the cancer center.”
The Arts in Medicine program, which is part of the Integrative Medicine department at the cancer center, began in 2011 with a LIVESTRONG grant of $16,000. It has provided patients a chance to learn and practice art as an aid in their diagnosis and treatment process. During these art lessons, patients are able to discover the artist within and learn something about themselves. The Art Meets Medicine exhibition is a simple and creative way of showcasing that process.
The Art Meets Medicine exhibition opened with a reception where patient-artists shared their own personal stories and the impact of art in their treatment process. It features 12 different art forms created by patient-artists at the cancer center and will be open from 11:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. on Tuesdays through Saturdays until April 14, 2017 at the City Arts Factory.
About Orlando Health
Orlando Health is a $2.6 billion not-for-profit health care organization and a community-based network of physician practices, hospitals, and outpatient care centers throughout Central Florida. The organization is home
to the area’s only Level One Trauma Centers for adults and pediatrics and is a statutory teaching hospital system that offers both specialty and community hospitals. More than 2,000 physicians have privileges at Orlando Health, which is also one of the area’s largest employers with more than 18,000 employees who serve nearly 2 million Central Florida residents and more than 4,500 international patients annually. Additionally, Orlando Health provides more than $204 million in support of community health needs. More information can be found at www.orlandohealth.com.
