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.
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.
Stone Soup Films and Project Knitwell created a beautiful 3-minute video highlighting the health benefits of knitting. Watch the video here!
Our Knitting Circle meets Weekly on Wednesdays from 3:00 – 4:30pm ET.
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 Project Knitwell
Project Knitwell offers knitting as a tool to promote wellness and help people cope with stressful situations at more than a dozen hospital and community settings.
All of Project Knitwell’s programming is provided by volunteers, and services and supplies are provided free of charge to the people we serve.
Project Knitwell volunteers provide knitting instruction and quality materials in an effort to foster wellness, comfort, and community among those we serve.
This program is being offered on Zoom. This session is currently full, in order to be added to the waitlist or to join the second offering of this program on April 29, please email programs@smithcenter.org.
with Liz Lescault
“Cultivating Hope” as an offering looks to bring more joy and optimism into our lives. During the session we will share some of our hopes and dreams and explore some ways of capturing moments of pleasure and enjoyment in our lives.
We will engage meditation, movement, visualization and sharing our stories as ways to help us embrace hope and optimism.
Suggested Donation: $15
About Liz Lescault
Liz Lescault is a visual artist who has practiced and taught art for over 40 years. Liz is also Coordinator of the DC InterPlay Open Gathering, a group she founded, which serves the Metro Region. She is 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 Healing Arts for the past three years and led a program for the Phillips Collection.
Formerly, Liz, was a hotline crisis counselor, for various suicide prevention lifelines and the Trevor Project providing assistance for LGBTQ youth in crisis as well as 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
This program is being offered in-person. In order to participate, register by clicking the RSVP button above or by emailing programs@smithcenter.org.
with Simone Banks Mackey (They/Them/Theirs)
Dive into the restorative benefits of essential oils. Craft body oil and scrub blends uniquely tailored to your essence. Family Friendly Program!
About Simone Banks Mackey
Since childhood, Simone Banks Mackey (They/Them/Theirs) has always been an eccentric being that had an insatiable passion for life and helping others. After attending undergraduate school to study multiple Studio Arts disciplines and nonprofit management they decided to continue community-centered work. Teaching preschool offered Simone the opportunity to creatively expose children to multiple forms of art. However, they realized the magnitude of how structural stability within the home affects both parents’ mental/emotional/physical wellbeing and the children’s cognitive development. Simone then decided to work with grassroots organization that provided families with tools to be self-sufficient. It was during this time Eccentric Whims was born. While creating and hosting programming to artistically teach parents and children, Simone realized how they could combine their passion for art with community uplifting. Eccentric Whims catapults love and healing into the world by using a multitude of traditional and nontraditional art forms to foster creative thinking and promote healing/wellness while building community. Through carefully crafted community events surrounding any range and of non/traditional art forms such as mixed media collages, decor/crafts, visual media, and movement Simone creates safe spaces for people to express themselves and/or learn. Art is universal and through Art, we can communicate, commune, and create a greater society.
This session has been cancelled and rescheduled to Wednesday, August 21st from 10:30am-12pm EST on Zoom. In order to participate and receive the Zoom link, please email programs@smithcenter.org.
You will receive the Zoom information no later than the morning of your program.
with Annie Levy
Conversations In Photography is Annie Levy’s unique program that allows us to see and have conversations about the most important subjects in our lives – heavy, light, sad, funny and everything in between. An enjoyable and engaging way to discover and see new things about ourselves using a visual language to help us unlock who we are.
My Most Important Photos – Who I Am, Who I Hope To Be, One Small (or Large) Next Step To Move Toward That
Annie will join us and offer a specially tailored Conversations In Photography workshop that will focus on the joy of discovering who we are and envisioning who we are and want to become through the lens of our most important photos. Sometimes it is difficult to put into words answers to questions such as:
What matters most to you?
What would you like more of in your life?
Are you at a crossroads – either by design or because of circumstances?
Images can help us see and articulate these things! Show up as you are and simply bring a photo you love or one that has particular meaning to you in each category: Who I Am, Who I Hope To Be and One Small (or Large) Next Step To Move Toward That. You do not need to know why you love it or even why it has special meaning – that is what our workshop is about and what we will discover together.
About Annie Levy
Annie works with leaders in philanthropy, for profit and non-profit organizations, individuals and small groups from a variety of sectors to help them discover what matters most to them and create ways forward into those experiences. People from all walks of life feel comfortable in working with Annie
and trusting her with their most important photos. From national leaders in medicine and healthcare to teens in military families to groups looking at what longevity means to them – they have all had the joy of working with Annie in looking at their own images and those that have special meaning to them as a way to discover themselves and the futures they want to create.
Annie has her BFA from NYU Tisch School of the Arts where she studied writing and photography and her LMSW from Silberman School of Social Work where she learned to work with groups and counsel individuals. Her training and experience have proved to be the ideal combination of skills to do this work.
She is a sought after speaker and has presented about her work at a host of conferences including those for Google, the Cleveland Clinic, the Center for Health Care Design, Cornell Center for Healthy Futures, the International Longevity Center, and the National Academy of Medicine, among others.
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.
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.
Stone Soup Films and Project Knitwell created a beautiful 3-minute video highlighting the health benefits of knitting. Watch the video here!
Our Knitting Circle meets Weekly on Wednesdays from 3:00 – 4:30pm ET.
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 Project Knitwell
Project Knitwell offers knitting as a tool to promote wellness and help people cope with stressful situations at more than a dozen hospital and community settings.
All of Project Knitwell’s programming is provided by volunteers, and services and supplies are provided free of charge to the people we serve.
Project Knitwell volunteers provide knitting instruction and quality materials in an effort to foster wellness, comfort, and community among those we serve.
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.
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.
Stone Soup Films and Project Knitwell created a beautiful 3-minute video highlighting the health benefits of knitting. Watch the video here!
Our Knitting Circle meets Weekly on Wednesdays from 3:00 – 4:30pm ET.
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 Project Knitwell
Project Knitwell offers knitting as a tool to promote wellness and help people cope with stressful situations at more than a dozen hospital and community settings.
All of Project Knitwell’s programming is provided by volunteers, and services and supplies are provided free of charge to the people we serve.
Project Knitwell volunteers provide knitting instruction and quality materials in an effort to foster wellness, comfort, and community among those we serve.
In order to participate and receive the Zoom link, please click the RSVP button above or email programs@smithcenter.org.
You will receive the Zoom information no later than the morning of your program.
with Denise Feldman
Stitched Together
We’re all part of the same cloth…
Join us for a Stitching Circle! Denise Feldman, a local mixed-media artist and cancer thriver, hosts this monthly gathering in (virtual) community as we talk and stitch—a powerful meditative and healing practice. Gathering as many have done for centuries, Denise will share tips and ideas for using needle and thread to bring joy and creativity to our everyday lives. Use her ideas to jump start your own, or bring your favorite hand work projects and join us for community stitching time!
This community stitching circle is for you! For example, maybe you’ve been hand sewing for years; you might be interested in exploring the recent revival of the “slow-stitch” movement; maybe you are are a needle pointer with a project to finish. Or, you might simply enjoy the meditative nature of hand making with needle and thread.
You may consider bringing:
- needles and thread,
- an old pair of jeans or other clothing that was headed to charity,
- left over fabric from another project,
- or simply bring yourself for some (virtual) time in community.
Stitched Together will be offered Monthly on Saturdays 10:00 – 11:30am ET.
Suggested Donation: $10
About Denise Feldman
Denise Feldman is a local mixed media artist who discovered the power of creativity as a healing practice after her treatment for breast cancer in 2014. As a creative ‘dabbler’ who loves working with various materials and surfaces, Denise shares her mixed media processes and soulful perspective with the hope of inspiring others to tell their stories ‘on and off the page’ and clear space for life’s chapters yet to come.
“My philosophy is simply that telling our stories helps us heal by giving us the space to process our own experiences and connect with each other. Getting our stories out from our hearts and our heads helps make room for the next chapter to happen…the one just waiting there in the wings.” ~Denise
This session is being offered in a hybrid format (both on Zoom and in-person). In order to participate, register by clicking the RSVP button above or by emailing programs@smithcenter.org.
If you plan to join on Zoom, you will receive the Zoom information no later than the morning of your program.
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.
Address:
Smith Center for Healing and the Arts
1632 U Street NW
Washington, DC 20009
For those who haven’t been to Smith Center before, Smith Center is a 15-minute walk from both the Metro Red Line (Dupont Circle) or Green Line (U Street Cardozo). For those driving, there is On-street, two-hour metered parking on U St and two-hour, non-metered parking in the surrounding neighborhood.
Stone Soup Films and Project Knitwell created a beautiful 3-minute video highlighting the health benefits of knitting. Watch the video here!
Our Knitting Circle meets Weekly on Wednesdays from 3:00 – 4:30pm ET.
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 Project Knitwell
Project Knitwell offers knitting as a tool to promote wellness and help people cope with stressful situations at more than a dozen hospital and community settings.
All of Project Knitwell’s programming is provided by volunteers, and services and supplies are provided free of charge to the people we serve.
Project Knitwell volunteers provide knitting instruction and quality materials in an effort to foster wellness, comfort, and community among those we serve.
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
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
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.
