Art With a Heart in Healthcare (AWAHIH) and the Museum Of Contemporary Art (MOCA), Jacksonville are thrilled to announce their latest collaborative exhibition, “The Power Within,” celebrating their 14th year of partnership.
This exhibit showcases the extraordinary artwork of 16 pediatric patients from Wolfson Children’s Hospital created during their hospital stays. The exhibition will run from September 15, 2024, to January 12, 2025, with a public reception on September 15 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. We warmly invite you to join us for this free, family-friendly event to celebrate the creativity and resilience of these young artists.
“The Power Within” exemplifies the idea that inner strengths are like superpowers. Guided by AWAHIH Artists-in-Residence, the patient artists imagined superhero versions of themselves, showcasing their unique qualities and abilities to help others and improve the world. Kennedy, age 8, created “The Light Spreading Sisters,” a vibrant piece illustrating herself and her baby sister spreading joy and comfort through their radiant personalities and a magical rainbow-radiating baton.
Through their participation in this project, children like Kennedy not only developed their technical art skills but also found a means to express their identities beyond their diagnoses, contributing to their healing during challenging times. As Kennedy expressed, “I love art because it’s fun, relaxing, and helps take my mind off things. In the art room, I’ve made lots of friends who also love art—it’s like a creative escape that brings us together outside our hospital rooms.”
Having their artwork displayed in MOCA is a significant achievement for these young artists and their families, offering them a valuable and special opportunity. This exhibition has been generously sponsored by the Florida Blue Foundation, with additional support from the City of Jacksonville, the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville, and the University of North Florida.
Art With a Heart in Healthcare (AWAHIH) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization committed to providing fine art experiences in healthcare settings to enhance the healing process for patients and their families. Since its founding in 2001, AWAHIH has delivered over 125,000 fine art sessions, offering healing through art both at the bedside and in group settings across multiple locations in Jacksonville, Florida. For more information about AWAHIH, please visit www.awahih.org.