Smith Center for Healing and the Arts

Outside the Lines
2026-04-15 10:30 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89703968439
Creative expression has often been used in the healing process and it is at the core of Smith Center’s philosophy, but fear of judgment and “not being an artist” can often prevent us from tapping into its healing power. Join us for Outside the Lines, where a facilitator will help you reclaim art-making as a healing tool through guided creative projects. Participants who feel comfortable working on their own projects are also welcome to do so.

Facilitators

Cancer Support Program Director | Program Facilitator and Healing Circle Host ,
Kiersten Gallagher

Organizer

Knitting on the Couch
2026-04-15 15:00 - 16:30, 2026-04-22 15:00 - 16:30, 2026-04-29 15:00 - 16:30, 2026-05-06 15:00 - 16:30, 2026-05-13 15:00 - 16:30, 2026-05-20 15:00 - 16:30, 2026-05-27 15:00 - 16:30 | https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82965385575
Join us weekly to enjoy knitting in a safe and welcoming environment. Knitting can provide a respite from one’s immediate situation, serve as a way to productively pass the time, and have a positive effect on reducing stress symptoms.

Knitting is:

relatively easy to learn,

requires no artistic talent or prior experience,

portable,

and results in a useful product.

Sometimes referred to as the “new yoga” — plain and simple — knitting is good for you.

Trained volunteers will provide knitting instruction and quality materials in an effort to foster wellness, comfort, and community. Beginner and experienced knitters are welcome. Starter kits are available, as is a small selection of yarn and knitting supplies.

Our Knitting Circle meets Weekly on Wednesdays from 3:00 – 4:30pm ET.

How to Register

You have two options to join:

Event Registration – Sign up for a specific class date that works for you

Monthly Passes – Enroll for a full month of sessions

Choose what fits your schedule best — join us for one session or commit to the full experience!

Facilitators

Creativity Program Facilitator ,
Ilene Gast

Organizer

SC Writes: A Place for Radical Writing
2026-04-17 13:30 - 15:00 | https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83108634604
Please Note: This month, the session is from 1:30-3:00pm ET on Zoom.

Wherever you are on life’s journey, there are times when it can feel impossible to commit to a recurring program like a workshop series. Radical Writing Space is our answer to this conundrum of wanting to attend for some radical self-care, but struggling to commit.

Clinical studies have documented the healing psychological and psychical impacts of writing within a safe and sacred space. On the second Friday of each month, drop in for one hour for Radical Writing Space and join us for inspiring writing prompts, time to write, and time to share with one another about your experience of putting your most radical emotions, feelings, and experiences on paper.

The part that makes this writing so “radical” is that we create a safe space for it all — raw feelings, emotions, experiences — and, together, we give voice to them in a supportive, nonjudgmental environment.

This healing program offers a place for supporting one another and we stay clear of writing critique. Come and experience writing and sharing together.

Facilitators

Cancer Support Program Director | Program Facilitator and Healing Circle Host ,
Kiersten Gallagher

Support Group Facilitator | Creativity Program Facilitator ,
Mindy Brodsky, LCSW

Organizer

Painting for Life
2026-04-18 10:00 - 12:00, 2026-04-25 10:00 - 12:00, 2026-05-02 10:00 - 12:00, 2026-05-09 10:00 - 12:00, 2026-05-16 10:00 - 12:00, 2026-05-30 10:00 - 12:00
You are invited to work from the heart and express your drama in forms and colors. As you paint, you process your emotions and liberate yourself from the psychological and physical disease they may cause. This is a workshop for processing feelings through painting and group sharing. It is not a good space for finishing existing projects and using other mediums.

By intentionally focusing on the emotional process rather than the artistic product, participants are able to unleash their creative powers and produce striking works, while by sharing their creative process they gain the insight and wisdom often hidden in works created in a state of letting go.

For more information about Painting for Life and what you can expect during a session, please explore this manual:

PFL MANUAL

Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88037430513?pwd=[REDACTED]

Participants are encouraged to drop-in for any session and attend as many sessions as they would like.

Session Schedule:

The Painting For Life workshop on Zoom consists of a 1-hour painting session framed by a 30 minute opening circle (which can often be 45 minutes) and a 30 minute closing circle.

Opening Circle – In the opening circle we build a safe and powerful We-Spacecommunity characterized by “presencing,” sharing with honesty and integrity, deep listening, and resonating in harmony with each other. Noelle will start this opening circle by giving a quick prompting and end it with a 3-minute meditation before sending people off to paint for exactly 1 hour.

1-hour Painting Session – Participants paint at home, using cheap materials such as paper, tempera paints, watercolors, acrylics, or pastels, Crayolas, and even color pens. When the hour is over, people take a picture of their painting and text it to Noelle before coming back to the Zoom room.

Closing Circle – Noelle then shares each painting on the screen as people explore their process while the group may offer feedback and further insights get sparked. We end this closing circle with a group hugs as we shout “May all beings be happy!” thus fusing personal and collective healing together.

Facilitators

Creativity Program Facilitator ,
Noelle Imparato, PhD

Organizer

Painting in Community: Landscapes in Watercolor
2026-04-27 17:30 - 19:15 | https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86592438570
Painting in Community

Landscapes in Watercolor

During this series, we will explore wet-on-wet watercolor techniques for landscape painting. In this session we will continue to explore techniques for painting water in watercolor.

Those new to watercolor may choose to just play with the ideas and techniques Liz introduces. Others who are more advanced may decide to work on a painting of their own inspiration or from slides that Liz shares during the class.

We will paint, listen to soothing music and share our creations. There will be opportunities to ask questions during and at the end of the session.

Bring yourself and your favorite painting supplies. (Also see suggested materials below).

Here are the upcoming session dates:

-April 27

-May 4

From Liz: I highly recommend that you have a 9×12 inch cold pressed Arches watercolor block or larger. The pages are adhered to the block and allow for wet in wet washes essential to watercolor landscapes so that the paper does not warp. If you just have a watercolor sketch pad or loose sheets of watercolor paper it will be very difficult to accomplish the washes and techniques I am introducing. I also recommend that you have the type and size brushes recommended in the announcement for this session.

**Limited to 12 participants

Some Suggested Materials*:

Liz recommends Blick Art Supplies: dickblick.com for supplies. High quality watercolor supplies are needed to achieve many watercolor effects.

Acid-free white flat tape

Arches Watercolor Pads (9×12” cold pressedor size of your choice Quality watercolor paper is essential for the best wet on wet effects and Arches is a high quality but reasonably priced paper. I recommend the pad for testing and experimentation while the block is essential for wet on wet paintings. (see below)

Arches Watercolor Block (9x 12 inch cold pressed or size of your choice) essential for wet on wet watercolor paintings

Watercolor Paint Van Gogh or Winsor and Newton pocket box set). Pocket boxes or field box sets are the best way to start out as they provide all the basic colors you need for a very affordable cost,(or bring paint you have on hand). High quality paints are highly recommended to ensure the effects unique to watercolor painting.

Watercolor Brush, round size 6 or 8

Watercolor Brush, Flat Wash, size 3/4” or 1”

Squeeze bottle for water

Soft eraser (Tombo Mono Erasers).

Small plastic palette

Pencils: standard and/or mechanical

3 small jars or containers for water 4-6 ounces is sufficient

Paper towels

Daniel Smith Masking Fluid with five drawing tips

Grafix Liquid Frisket Remover

Facilitators

Creativity Program Facilitator ,
Liz Lescault

Organizer

A Funnel to Love: An Expressive Writing Workshop
2026-04-28 18:00 - 19:30 | https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84800351855
This expressive writing program provides an opportunity for all of those connected to cancer whether you are a patient, survivor, caregiver, etc to bring any emotions in, whether that be resentment, anger, fear, gratitude, hope, or anything else, and funnel that emotion into love through the process of letter-writing.

This program will include 3 opportunities to create love letters to yourself, another person, and your future self. During the hour and a half you will be invited to write, share what feels comfortable for you in the group, and reflect on how others’ writing resonates with you.

Overall, this program aims to channel any cancer-related emotions that have come up for you and funnel those into love letters through a nonjudgmental writing process, in hopes that you will leave with a stronger sense of self-compassion and love.

The host of this group will be Madison Shaw, an intern at Smith Center through George Mason’s MSW program.

Organizer

Outside the Lines: Social Hour
2026-05-06 10:30 - 11:30 | https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88249017381
Outside the Lines Social Hour is an informal gathering and does not include a guided art exercise. This monthly offering is intended for checking in, catching up, and connecting with others in the Outside the Lines community – whether you’re reconnecting with familiar faces or meeting participants who are already active in the group. Participants are welcome to work on their own creative projects as we socialize.

If you are looking for a guided art workshop, please join us on the 3rd Wednesday of each month. It’s listed on our calendar as Outside the Lines (without “Social Hour”).

Outside the Lines is held Bi-Monthly on Wednesdays from 10:30am – 12:00pm ET. The Social Hour sessions will only run from 10:30 – 11:30am ET.

Facilitators

Cancer Support Program Director | Program Facilitator and Healing Circle Host ,
Kiersten Gallagher

Organizer

Painting in Community: Landscapes in Watercolor
2026-05-11 17:30 - 19:15 | https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86592438570
Painting in Community

Landscapes in Watercolor

During this series, we will explore wet-on-wet watercolor techniques for landscape painting. In this session we will continue to explore techniques for painting water in watercolor.

Those new to watercolor may choose to just play with the ideas and techniques Liz introduces. Others who are more advanced may decide to work on a painting of their own inspiration or from slides that Liz shares during the class.

We will paint, listen to soothing music and share our creations. There will be opportunities to ask questions during and at the end of the session.

Bring yourself and your favorite painting supplies. (Also see suggested materials below).

Here are the upcoming session dates:

-May 11

From Liz: I highly recommend that you have a 9×12 inch cold pressed Arches watercolor block or larger. The pages are adhered to the block and allow for wet in wet washes essential to watercolor landscapes so that the paper does not warp. If you just have a watercolor sketch pad or loose sheets of watercolor paper it will be very difficult to accomplish the washes and techniques I am introducing. I also recommend that you have the type and size brushes recommended in the announcement for this session.

**Limited to 12 participants

Some Suggested Materials*:

Liz recommends Blick Art Supplies: dickblick.com for supplies. High quality watercolor supplies are needed to achieve many watercolor effects.

Acid-free white flat tape

Arches Watercolor Pads (9×12” cold pressedor size of your choice Quality watercolor paper is essential for the best wet on wet effects and Arches is a high quality but reasonably priced paper. I recommend the pad for testing and experimentation while the block is essential for wet on wet paintings. (see below)

Arches Watercolor Block (9x 12 inch cold pressed or size of your choice) essential for wet on wet watercolor paintings

Watercolor Paint Van Gogh or Winsor and Newton pocket box set). Pocket boxes or field box sets are the best way to start out as they provide all the basic colors you need for a very affordable cost,(or bring paint you have on hand). High quality paints are highly recommended to ensure the effects unique to watercolor painting.

Watercolor Brush, round size 6 or 8

Watercolor Brush, Flat Wash, size 3/4” or 1”

Squeeze bottle for water

Soft eraser (Tombo Mono Erasers).

Small plastic palette

Pencils: standard and/or mechanical

3 small jars or containers for water 4-6 ounces is sufficient

Paper towels

Daniel Smith Masking Fluid with five drawing tips

Grafix Liquid Frisket Remover

Facilitators

Creativity Program Facilitator ,
Liz Lescault

Organizer

Outside the Lines
2026-05-20 10:30 - 12:00 | https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89703968439
Creative expression has often been used in the healing process and it is at the core of Smith Center’s philosophy, but fear of judgment and “not being an artist” can often prevent us from tapping into its healing power. Join us for Outside the Lines, where a facilitator will help you reclaim art-making as a healing tool through guided creative projects. Participants who feel comfortable working on their own projects are also welcome to do so.

Facilitators

Team facilitators data is not available.

Organizer

SC Writes: A Place for Radical Writing
2026-06-05 13:30 - 15:00 | https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83108634604
Please Note: This month, the session is from 1:30-3:00pm ET on Zoom.

Wherever you are on life’s journey, there are times when it can feel impossible to commit to a recurring program like a workshop series. Radical Writing Space is our answer to this conundrum of wanting to attend for some radical self-care, but struggling to commit.

Clinical studies have documented the healing psychological and psychical impacts of writing within a safe and sacred space. On the second Friday of each month, drop in for one hour for Radical Writing Space and join us for inspiring writing prompts, time to write, and time to share with one another about your experience of putting your most radical emotions, feelings, and experiences on paper.

The part that makes this writing so “radical” is that we create a safe space for it all — raw feelings, emotions, experiences — and, together, we give voice to them in a supportive, nonjudgmental environment.

This healing program offers a place for supporting one another and we stay clear of writing critique. Come and experience writing and sharing together.

Facilitators

Support Group Facilitator | Creativity Program Facilitator ,
Mindy Brodsky, LCSW

Organizer
