Millers06

Millers06

Photos courtesy of Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach.

Come this Friday, pediatric patients will have the chance to show off their artwork ranging in styles from painting to collage, thanks to Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach’s 7th annual art exhibition.

Millers05The works, all revolving around the theme “The Boardwalk,” are part of The Artful Healing Program that helps patients take their minds off of the stress from being in a hospital through a creative means of self-expression. This will be the first time many current and former patients of Miller Children’s will see their artwork on display. The exhibition will feature interactive music sessions with local musicians as well as art creating sessions, followed by an artist’s reception held to celebrate the patients’ work.

The process of creating purely for the sake of creation, improves the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of patients during such a stressful time in their lives. Art therapy provides an environment for patients and their parents and siblings to come to terms with emotional conflicts, unspoken and unconscious concerns about the daily struggles they face in the hospital.

The Child Life Program was developed to help make the hospital experience a more positive endeavor for children of all ages. Child Life Specialists use medical play and distraction techniques to help pediatric patients adjust and to promote the continuity of normal, daily childhood activities at the hospital. The Artful Healing Program is one of several programs that fall under The Child Life Program in an effort to improve the hospitalization experience for kids.

Millers06Don’t miss the special presentation of a unique work of art created by Miller Children’s resident artist, Denise Clayton-Leonard, to Aaron Brothers Art & Framing and the Memorial Medical Center Foundation for their continued support of the Artful Healing program.

“Artful Healing for Our Heroes,” presented by the Artful Healing Program, a facet of The Child Life Program at Miller Children’s, will occur on Friday, October 24 from noon to 7:00PM, with a special presentation at 2:15PM. Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach is located at 2801 Atlantic Ave. Enter the parking lot off of Memorial Medical Center Drive and enter Houssels Forum. Parking will be validated.

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Asia Morris is a Long Beach native covering arts and culture for the Long Beach Post. You can reach her @hugelandmass on Twitter and Instagram and at [email protected].