Children’s Artwork Comes to Life Through ArtWorks Intensive C.A.I.R. Program at UMDNJ

July 7, 2011 - PRLog -- NEWARK, NJ--Imagine telling a child that they can make the picture they just drew talk, sing, and even move. That is exactly what children at University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ)-The University Hospital will experience through the ArtWorks, The Naomi Cohain Foundation Intensive Creative Artists In Residence (Intensive CAIR) program, which began on July 1.  

Intensive CAIR brings quality creative arts workshops to chronically ill children and young adults in the hospital.  These multi-disciplinary, quality art workshops are taught by professional artists directly in the hospital setting and create stimulating, empowering experiences for patients, their families and hospital staff.  ArtWorks is currently collaborating with Small Factory Productions and UMDNJ-The University Hospital to introduce these children to the world of animation.

As part of the Creative Arts Healthcare Program at UMDNJ-The University Hospital, Intensive CAIR will work with the hospital’s pediatric in-patients and sickle cell patients in the pediatric hematology program. The workshops will be held weekly for six months.  
As a means of fostering family-centered care and support, siblings and other family members will be encouraged to also participate in the workshops.  In addition, ArtWorks will plan mini-events in the hospital that feature the final works created by patients. These events will serve as an opportunity for families, hospital staff, artists and patients to celebrate their creative spirit and accomplishments.

Small Factory Productions, a state of the art animation and production studio, believes that all children have surprising ideas and big stories to tell. They are committed to supporting children’s literacy and social skills through a unique collaboration of children and professional producers. They combine traditional art, music and storytelling with cutting edge software that allows anything to happen.

Intensive CAIR is designed to teach patients new skills, help them explore new materials, keep them active and give them opportunities to express and communicate their thoughts and experiences in a creative and positive way. In the weekly workshops, the artists will divide their time between working in a group setting and working individually with the children.

ArtWorks has witnessed Intensive CAIR’s profound impact on patients, their families and hospital staff. The program encourages children to use the creative process as a vehicle for healing, communication, self-expression and personal development, and provides them with an avenue to feel proud and uplifted. It also offers families opportunities to interact with other children and families in similar situations as well encourage interaction between patients and hospital staff.  

The Intensive CAIR program is sponsored by The Arnold P. Gold Foundation and ArtWorks, The Naomi Cohain Foundation.

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About The Arnold P. Gold Foundation: The Arnold P. Gold Foundation's mission is to perpetuate the tradition of the caring doctor by emphasizing the importance of the relationship between the practitioner and the patient. Our objective is to help physicians-in-training become doctors who combine the high-tech skills of cutting edge medicine with the high touch skills of effective communication, empathy and compassion. The Foundation is a public, 501 [c] [3] not-for-profit organization, established in 1988 by Drs. Arnold and Sandra Gold, colleagues at the Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons in New York, and dedicated community leaders and philanthropists.

About ArtWorks: Founded in 2002, ArtWorks, The Naomi Cohain Foundation provides children and young adults suffering from chronic and life-threatening illnesses, and their siblings, access to creative and performing arts programming and materials, encouraging the use of the creative process as a vehicle for healing, communication, self-expression and personal development. ArtWorks seeks to empower, validate and honor these children by offering them hands-on experience, supplies to create and the opportunity to publicly share their artistic accomplishments.  

About Small Factory Productions: Small Factory Productions, a state-of-the-art animation and production studio, believes that all children have surprising ideas and big stories to tell. They are committed to supporting children’s literacy and social skills through a unique collaboration of children and professional producers. Small Factory's format is based on professional Television and Music Production Studios. They combine traditional art, music and storytelling with cutting edge software that allows anything to happen. Types of workshops include: Cartooning, Music Production – Create Your Own CD, Animation, Acting and Drawing. For more information visit www.mysmallfactory.com.

About UMDNJ-The University Hospital:  UMDNJ-The University Hospital is one of the United States' premier university medical centers and the principal teaching hospital for University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ)-New Jersey Medical School (NJMS).  Located in the Central Ward of Newark, the hospital offers the highest quality of care across many medical specialties.  

The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) is the nation’s largest free-standing public health sciences university with more than 6,000 students attending the state’s three medical schools, its only dental school, a graduate school of biomedical sciences, a school of health related professions, a school of nursing and its only school of public health on five campuses. Annually, there are more than two million patient visits at UMDNJ facilities and faculty practices at campuses in Newark, New Brunswick/Piscataway, Scotch Plains, Camden and Stratford. UMDNJ operates University Hospital, a Level I Trauma Center in Newark, and University Behavioral HealthCare, which provides a continuum of healthcare services with multiple locations throughout the state.

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ArtWorks provides children and young adults suffering from chronic and life-threatening illnesses, and their siblings, access to creative and performing arts programs.