Tag: Art

In order to participate, click the RSVP button above or please email programs@smithcenter.org.

with Renee Sandell, PhD

Join Renee Sandell for a hands-on, interactive art “workout,” designed to strengthen your sense of unity as a virtue for freedom. We will use her Balanced Way of Seeing® method to explore multiple layers of meaning in Norman Rockwell’s 1961 painting “Golden Rule,” created as part of his Four Freedoms series. We will consider this work and its timely relevance to our lives. Reflecting on past and present moments in our history, we can rediscover sources of our own unity and freedom.

  • Experience a hands-on, interactive art “workout” on Zoom
  • No previous art experience necessary
  • Simple supplies: White paper and a black Sharpie marker
  • Emailed post event: Unity Resource PDF

Suggested Donation: $20

Our programs are open to the community, and tailored to meet the needs of people affected by cancer. Classes and workshops are free or low cost on a pay-as-you-can basis, ensuring that our programs are accessible to everyone.

About Renee Sandell

Renee Sandell

Renee Sandell’s art, teaching, and research focus on Visual Fitness 4 All: Engaging Creativity and Insight® for EVERYONE. Renee is founder/director of the expeditionary, museum-based SummerVision DC Program, which she designed and has delivered for the National Art Education Association (NAEA) for 10 years since 2010. Previously Professor of Art Education at George Mason University (2004-2014) and at Maryland Institute College of Art (1990-2003), she is co-author of two books on gender issues and has published numerous articles, book chapters and art curricula. Winner of the 2019 Lowenfeld Award, Sandell was recognized as 2015-2016 Distinguished Lecturer in Art Education at Miami University and 2013 NAEA National Art Educator. Renee has received numerous awards for her leadership and scholarship on her Form+Theme+Context (FTC)® and her Marking & Mapping®, an accessible form of visual meaning-making. Sandell’s Visual Fitness 4 All® for Engaging Creativity and Insight® workshops are designed to nurture envisioning skills for individuals within professional development programs, organizations, health spas, businesses, and other venues. She has been offering Art & Virtues workshops since early in the Pandemic. Renee’s Smithsonian Associates studio courses include: “Curating a Life: Art as Memoir,” Seeing More: Art, Virtues, and Our Lives, and Visual Journaling: Creativity Workshop.

Learn more about Renee’s teaching at www.visualfitness4all.com Renee’s artwork includes artistic installations of multi-media markings on paper, board, and silk, to explore the human condition in time, space, and place. To learn more about Renee’s artwork, visit her website www.reneesandellart.com

Visual Fitness 4 ALL

This session will be in-person. 

with guest artist Deborah Coffey

Outside the Lines: Then, Now, and When – A mixed media, Mood Board workshop

Our earliest memories reflect our innate qualities and values. In this creative arts workshop, we reconnect with our personal qualities, tracking them, like a red thread that moves from our early childhood to ‘Now’ and a desired future – that ‘When’ that we look forward to. A mood board is a place to collect and arrange images, objects and words that capture feeling and what matters in a healing journey. More precious objects, and objects that we want to remain fluid,
can be pinned to the board rather than glued.

We’ll be using the creativity supplies available at Smith Center.  We invite you to bring a childhood photo that resonates with you, as well as any natural materials (e.g., seeds, sticks, leaves) you’d like to include.

Suggested donation: $25

Our programs are open to the community, and tailored to meet the needs of people affected by cancer. Classes and workshops are free or low cost on a pay-as-you-can basis, ensuring that our programs are accessible to everyone.

About Deborah Coffey

Deborah Coffey, BFA MFA, is an artist, certified art educator and mindfulness and Mindful Self-Compassion instructor. She has taught art and mindfulness courses domestically and internationally for many years while also exhibiting her artwork. Deborah especially enjoys facilitating programs for adults and teens that combine mindfulness and art.

This program is being offered virtually through Zoom. In order to participate and receive the Zoom link, register by clicking the RSVP button above or by emailing programs@smithcenter.org.

You will receive the Zoom information no later than the morning of your program.

with Kiersten Gallagher

Outside the Lines: A Creative Art Studio

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: Social Hour, where we will catch up as we reclaim art-making as a healing tool. Participants are welcome to work on their own creative projects as we socialize.

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. 

Suggested donation: $10 per class

Our programs are open to the community, and tailored to meet the needs of people affected by cancer. Classes and workshops are free or low cost on a pay-as-you-can basis, ensuring that our programs are accessible to everyone.

About Kiersten Gallagher

Kiersten Gallagher

As the Cancer Support Program Director, Kiersten fully believes that through the arts we can expand our perspectives and explore new fulfilling ways of being. She invites you to make our space your own refuge, to circumvent your daily routine to spark creativity, to take time for introspection, and draw outside the lines.

In order to participate, register by clicking the RSVP button above or by emailing programs@smithcenter.org.

with artist & sculptor Liz Lescault

Painting in Community

Floral Creations in Watercolor

January’s session will focus on brushwork. So please bring a variety of brushes including old ones that have seen better days. We will explore creating leaves, petals, stems and flower heads with various brushstroke techniques.Let’s get together and paint.In each session an image, photograph or painting will be displayed which participants can choose as an inspiration for exploring new techniques. Or, participants may choose to bring their own inspirations such as photographs or paintings to the session.  Participants may paint whatever they wish during the session.Participants will be introduced to both basic and advanced techniques with a slide show of watercolor paintings that illustrate those techniques.

Bring yourself and your favorite painting supplies.  We will paint, listen to soothing music and share our creations. There will be opportunities to ask questions with 10 minutes left at the end of the session for sharing and talking about our experience during the session.

**Limited to 12 participantsThe Painting in Community will continue meeting again monthly in 2025, with the first session being Monday, January 27th from 5:30 – 7pm EST.

Suggested Donation: $15/session

Some Suggested Materials*:

Below are some suggested supplies from Cheap Joes www.cheapjoes.com (my favorite place to purchase art supplies – prices are generally 40% off store prices and are of high quality). High quality watercolor supplies are needed to achieve many watercolor effects.

Your favorite watercolor supplies may work just as well.

About Liz Lescault

Liz Lescault

Liz Lescault, a visual artist and sculptor, has practiced and taught art for over 40 years. Liz is also a Coordinator of the DC InterPlay Metro Region, a certified InterPlay leader and a member of the DC InterPlay Board. She leads Open Gathering days for InterPlay DC and organizes and leads workshops regionally and nationally online and in person. Liz has been leading Art Lab both for Smith Center for the Healing Arts, for the Phillips Collection and for InterPlay internationally.

Formerly, Liz, was a hotline crisis counselor, for various suicide prevention lifelines and The Trevor Project providing help for LGBTQ youth in crisis and the Prince Georges County Homeless Hotline.

Liz has also led InterPlay for elders with chronic illness and cognitive disabilities at Iona Senior Center in Washington DC.

Liz melds her art, teaching, guidance and personal philosophy with InterPlay wisdom, tools and forms.

B.S., Psychology, Drew University, Madison, NJ

M.Ed., University of Massachusetts at Amherst, British Techniques of Open Education

Studied watercolor at WICE, an international educational and cultural association in Paris, France

https://www.lizlescault.com/home

This session has been cancelled. The next session will be on Monday, January 27th from 5:30-7:00pm EST. Register here.

with artist & sculptor Liz Lescault

Painting in Community

Floral Creations in Watercolor

December’s session will focus on brushwork. So please bring a variety of brushes including old ones that have seen better days. We will explore creating leaves, petals, stems and flower heads with various brushstroke techniques.

Let’s get together and paint.

In each session an image, photograph or painting will be displayed which participants can choose as an inspiration for exploring new techniques. Or, participants may choose to bring their own inspirations such as photographs or paintings to the session.  Participants may paint whatever they wish during the session.

Participants will be introduced to both basic and advanced techniques with a slide show of watercolor paintings that illustrate those techniques.

Bring yourself and your favorite painting supplies.  We will paint, listen to soothing music and share our creations. There will be opportunities to ask questions with 10 minutes left at the end of the session for sharing and talking about our experience during the session.

**Limited to 12 participants

This program will be offered monthly on the following Mondays:

  • December 16 from 5:30 – 7pm EST

The Painting in Community will continue meeting again monthly in 2025, with the first session being Monday, January 27th from 5:30 – 7pm EST.

Suggested Donation: $15/session

Some Suggested Materials*:

Below are some suggested supplies from Cheap Joes www.cheapjoes.com (my favorite place to purchase art supplies – prices are generally 40% off store prices and are of high quality). High quality watercolor supplies are needed to achieve many watercolor effects.

Your favorite watercolor supplies may work just as well.

About Liz Lescault

Liz Lescault

Liz Lescault, a visual artist and sculptor, has practiced and taught art for over 40 years. Liz is also a Coordinator of the DC InterPlay Metro Region, a certified InterPlay leader and a member of the DC InterPlay Board. She leads Open Gathering days for InterPlay DC and organizes and leads workshops regionally and nationally online and in person. Liz has been leading Art Lab both for Smith Center for the Healing Arts, for the Phillips Collection and for InterPlay internationally.

Formerly, Liz, was a hotline crisis counselor, for various suicide prevention lifelines and The Trevor Project providing help for LGBTQ youth in crisis and the Prince Georges County Homeless Hotline.

Liz has also led InterPlay for elders with chronic illness and cognitive disabilities at Iona Senior Center in Washington DC.

Liz melds her art, teaching, guidance and personal philosophy with InterPlay wisdom, tools and forms.

B.S., Psychology, Drew University, Madison, NJ

M.Ed., University of Massachusetts at Amherst, British Techniques of Open Education

Studied watercolor at WICE, an international educational and cultural association in Paris, France

https://www.lizlescault.com/home

In order to participate and to receive to Zoom invitation, register by clicking the RSVP button above or by emailing programs@smithcenter.org.

with guest artist Liz Carren

In this workshop, we will delve into the themes of flow, transformations, and letting things go. Through artistic exercises, discussions, and reflections, we aim to cultivate relaxation and promote healing.

Supplies:

If you have ANY art supplies at home they will probably work! What we basically need is:

  • Some fluid paint (my choice is, and I suggest, watercolors)
  • A couple markers – One big and small (I suggest for Large- something like a big magic marker or sharpie and For Small – I like the Micron pens – something around 05 …or an extra fine point sharpie PERMANENT marker)
  • A white Gel pen is nice
  • Paper to paint on (an inexpensive watercolor pad but all you need is a few sheets)
  • A brush(s) for painting with– one small, one medium and one large – or just one big and one medium
  • Jars for water if using watercolors (I just save small jars form the kitchen)
  • Something to mix some paint on- plastic lids from your kitchen or a paint pallet if you have one)
  • A handful of paper towels
  • And of course, a PLACE /Spot for you do your art in!

Suggested donation: $20

Our programs are open to the community, and tailored to meet the needs of people affected by cancer. Classes and workshops are free or low cost on a pay-as-you-can basis, ensuring that our programs are accessible to everyone.

About Liz Carren

Welcome – Discover my world where art meets healing, sustainability, and creativity. My focus is The Intersection and interaction of Art, Medicine, and Healing. The mind is a potent tool. 
Positive thinking is essential for healing, and the transformative power of art and creativity can incorporate it all! Outlets for release and self-understanding are crucial at critical life points, as well as the everyday. That’s where the arts can come to the rescue!

Artwork can inspire and create hope. A path for treatment can address the fears of the unknown, loneliness, isolation, and the need for hope on a deeper level; incorporating arts and mindfulness into the treatment plans can be a missing link to health and happiness again.  In 2019,  I embarked on a journey that would forever change my life’s trajectory. What started as a persistent stomachache was soon diagnosed as Stage 3 cancer, shaking my foundation of existence. Amidst the turmoil and uncertainty, art emerged as a beacon of light, guiding me through the darkest of times.

Driven by this transformative experience, my focus has shifted towards harnessing the power of art to heal and inspire. Through drawing sessions, I found solace, release, a channeling my fears, tensions, and a clarity laid upon a canvas, paper or iPad. What began as a means of coping evolved into a profound journey of self-discovery and renewal.

This program is being offered virtually through Zoom. In order to participate and receive the Zoom link, register by clicking the RSVP button above or by emailing programs@smithcenter.org.

You will receive the Zoom information no later than the morning of your program.

with Kiersten Gallagher

Outside the Lines: A Creative Art Studio

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: Social Hour, where we will catch up as we reclaim art-making as a healing tool. Participants are welcome to work on their own creative projects as we socialize.

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. 

Suggested donation: $10 per class

Our programs are open to the community, and tailored to meet the needs of people affected by cancer. Classes and workshops are free or low cost on a pay-as-you-can basis, ensuring that our programs are accessible to everyone.

About Kiersten Gallagher

Kiersten Gallagher

As the Cancer Support Program Director, Kiersten fully believes that through the arts we can expand our perspectives and explore new fulfilling ways of being. She invites you to make our space your own refuge, to circumvent your daily routine to spark creativity, to take time for introspection, and draw outside the lines.

In order to participate and to receive to Zoom invitation, register by clicking the RSVP button above or by emailing programs@smithcenter.org.

with guest artist Deborah Coffey

Outside the Lines

Mindfulness Through Art combines mindfulness practices and art-making into an exploration that allows for reflection and insightful expression through art. Mindfulness in the present moment gently illuminates what calls for attention. Compassion eases suffering. Art impersonates and records that process in which elements are creatively hidden and revealed. Deborah will guide us through a slow looking exercise where impressions are gathered and
evolve into a poetic narrative for interpretation in the art.

Supply List:

  • Light colored or white
  • Heavy paper or Bristol Board
  • Graphite pencils
  • Colored pencils
  • Crayons
  • Acrylic paint (if you have it)
  • White tempera paint or white watercolor paint
  • Paint brushes
  • Q-tips or paper towels
  • Water
  • Glue stick
  • A small piece of gold foil from a candy wrapper

Suggested donation: $20

Our programs are open to the community, and tailored to meet the needs of people affected by cancer. Classes and workshops are free or low cost on a pay-as-you-can basis, ensuring that our programs are accessible to everyone.

About Deborah Coffey

Deborah Coffey, BFA MFA, is an artist, certified art educator and mindfulness and Mindful Self-Compassion instructor. She has taught art and mindfulness courses domestically and internationally for many years while also exhibiting her artwork. Deborah especially enjoys facilitating programs for adults and teens that combine mindfulness and art.

In order to participate, click the RSVP button above or please email programs@smithcenter.org.

with Renee Sandell, PhD

Join Renee Sandell for a hands-on, interactive art “workout,” designed to strengthen our sense of thankfulness in this season of gratitude. We will use her Balanced Way of Seeing® method to explore multiple layers of meaning in Norman Rockwell’s painting “Freedom From Want,” created in 1943 as part of his Four Freedoms series. We will consider this work and its relevance to our and others’ lives. Reflecting on past and present moments in our history, we can rediscover sources of our own thankfulness and gratitude.

  • Experience a hands-on, interactive art “workout” on Zoom
  • No previous art experience necessary
  • Simple supplies: White paper and a black Sharpie marker
  • Emailed after the program: Thankfulness Resource PDF

Suggested Donation: $20

Our programs are open to the community, and tailored to meet the needs of people affected by cancer. Classes and workshops are free or low cost on a pay-as-you-can basis, ensuring that our programs are accessible to everyone.

About Renee Sandell

Renee Sandell

Renee Sandell’s art, teaching, and research focus on Visual Fitness 4 All: Engaging Creativity and Insight® for EVERYONE. Renee is founder/director of the expeditionary, museum-based SummerVision DC Program, which she designed and has delivered for the National Art Education Association (NAEA) for 10 years since 2010. Previously Professor of Art Education at George Mason University (2004-2014) and at Maryland Institute College of Art (1990-2003), she is co-author of two books on gender issues and has published numerous articles, book chapters and art curricula. Winner of the 2019 Lowenfeld Award, Sandell was recognized as 2015-2016 Distinguished Lecturer in Art Education at Miami University and 2013 NAEA National Art Educator. Renee has received numerous awards for her leadership and scholarship on her Form+Theme+Context (FTC)® and her Marking & Mapping®, an accessible form of visual meaning-making. Sandell’s Visual Fitness 4 All® for Engaging Creativity and Insight® workshops are designed to nurture envisioning skills for individuals within professional development programs, organizations, health spas, businesses, and other venues. She has been offering Art & Virtues workshops since early in the Pandemic. Renee’s Smithsonian Associates studio courses include: “Curating a Life: Art as Memoir,” Seeing More: Art, Virtues, and Our Lives, and Visual Journaling: Creativity Workshop.

Learn more about Renee’s teaching at www.visualfitness4all.com Renee’s artwork includes artistic installations of multi-media markings on paper, board, and silk, to explore the human condition in time, space, and place. To learn more about Renee’s artwork, visit her website www.reneesandellart.com

Visual Fitness 4 ALL

To register for this program, please click the RSVP button above or email olivia@smithcenter.org.

with artist & sculptor Liz Lescault

Painting in Community

Still Life and Floral Creations in Watercolor

Let’s get together and paint.

In each session a watercolor painting will be displayed which participants can choose to copy for the purpose of exploring new techniques. Or, participants may choose to bring their own inspirations such as photographs or paintings to the session.

Participants will be introduced to both basic and advanced techniques relating to the watercolor on display.

Bring yourself and your favorite painting supplies.  We will paint, listen to soothing music and share our creations. There will be opportunities to ask questions with 10 minutes left at the end of the session for sharing our progress.

**Limited to 8 participants

This program will be offered monthly on the following Mondays:

  • November 18 from 5:30 – 7pm EST
  • December 16 from 5:30 – 7pm EST

Suggested Donation: $15/session

Some Suggested Materials*:

Below are some suggested supplies from Cheap Joes www.cheapjoes.com (my favorite place to purchase art supplies – prices are generally 40% off store prices and are of high quality). High quality watercolor supplies are needed to achieve many watercolor effects.

Your favorite watercolor supplies may work just as well.

About Liz Lescault

Liz Lescault

Liz Lescault, a visual artist and sculptor, has practiced and taught art for over 40 years. Liz is also a Coordinator of the DC InterPlay Metro Region, a certified InterPlay leader and a member of the DC InterPlay Board. She leads Open Gathering days for InterPlay DC and organizes and leads workshops regionally and nationally online and in person. Liz has been leading Art Lab both for Smith Center for the Healing Arts, for the Phillips Collection and for InterPlay internationally.

Formerly, Liz, was a hotline crisis counselor, for various suicide prevention lifelines and The Trevor Project providing help for LGBTQ youth in crisis and the Prince Georges County Homeless Hotline.

Liz has also led InterPlay for elders with chronic illness and cognitive disabilities at Iona Senior Center in Washington DC.

Liz melds her art, teaching, guidance and personal philosophy with InterPlay wisdom, tools and forms.

B.S., Psychology, Drew University, Madison, NJ

M.Ed., University of Massachusetts at Amherst, British Techniques of Open Education

Studied watercolor at WICE, an international educational and cultural association in Paris, France

https://www.lizlescault.com/home