MISSION: helping hospital patients heal through the arts
ART at HEART Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing creative arts to hospital patients.
Hospitalization is an overwhelming experience for anyone. Facing an illness or a serious disease often involves far more than only managing physical symptoms. One will endure painful procedures, separation from family and friends, inability to engage in daily activities, causing fear and anxiety. Such experience can affect our inner self, impacting our identity, confidence, faith, emotions, way of life, ability to do daily activities and relationship with others. The ART at HEART programs are designed to minimize these impacts to patients of Toronto hospitals, to give them a sense of normalcy during their stay, distract them from anxiety about their health condition and the need to be in the hospital environment. We achieve this by giving them a chance to use their vivid imagination, acquire new skills and grow their artistic talents.
Research has shown that arts activities and experiences provide not only opportunities for artistic and self-expression, but also deliver measurable health benefits. These activities relieve stress, reduce fear, help to heal psychological traumas and improve self-esteem.
Art at Heart provides free-of-charge weekly on site art workshops in the hospitals. Class curriculum covers a variety of mediums including drawing, painting and sculpting.