Children Battling Chronic and Terminal Illnesses Are Recognized As Artists Instead Of Patients.

Oct. 22, 2010 - PRLog -- Montclair, NJ – On November 14th ArtWorks, The Naomi Cohain Foundation, will present its 8th annual Express Yourself-New Jersey event at the Montclair Art Museum sponsored by The Connors Group. Express Yourself is a creative and performing art exhibition that provides children and young adults suffering from chronic and life-threatening illnesses, and their siblings, with the open and loving forum to express themselves through the arts. In a safe environment, filled with families, friends, healthcare specialists and ArtWorks supporters, these children sing, dance, recite poetry, play instruments and stand proudly by their works of art.

Participants spend months preparing for the Express Yourself event which provides them with a much needed creative outlet and gives them something to look forward to and work towards, taking the focus away from the pain and sorrow of the illness. At Express Yourself-NJ 2010, over 110 artists and performers, ages 3-21, from 11 participating New Jersey Healthcare Agencies will display their creative masterpieces.

This year’s artwork will include 100 amazing paintings, drawings, and sculptures including a painting by 15 year-old cancer survivor Jasmine, which depicts a simple pink flower growing strong and tall through the power of hope. The show will also highlight over 20 performances featuring singing, dancing, readings, and instrumental compositions. This year, a very special reading is included by 11 year-old Ryan, who lost his brother in 2002, about what it would be like if he and his brother could continue to play. In addition to artwork and performances by  our inspiring participants, Express Yourself-NJ 2010 will also include art activities and refreshments for all attendees as well as gift bags and certificates of participation for all children and young adults who participate in the event.

Participating agencies in Express Yourself-NJ 2010 include: The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, Goryeb Children’s Hospital at Morristown Memorial Hospital, Joseph M. Sanzari Children's Hospital at Hackensack University Medical Center, K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Meaningful Movements, PSE&G Children’s Specialized Hospital,  Saint Barnabas Medical Center, Saint Peter's University Hospital, Saint Joseph's Children's Hospital, The University Hospital, and The Valerie Fund Children's Center at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center.

To learn more about ArtWorks, please call 201-608-0146 or visit http://www.artworksfoundation.org.

ABOUT ARTWORKS, THE NAOMI COHAIN FOUNDATION:
Founded in 2002, ArtWorks provides children and young adults suffering from chronic and life-threatening illnesses, and their siblings, access to creative and performing arts programs that encourage 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 the hands-on experience and materials with which to create, as well as the opportunity to publicly share their artistic accomplishments.

ABOUT THE CONNORS GROUP
The Connors Group was founded in 1998 by a group of professional traders led by Larry Connors, along with industry leaders -- including Kevin Haggerty, former head of trading for Fidelity Capital Markets. The Connors Group now has offices in Los Angeles and New Jersey.

The Connors Group is dedicated to applying the power of quantitative analysis to financial market trading data in order to understand how markets really work. We apply the findings of our research to build statistically validated trading methodologies and systems that can be used by institutional and individual investors to make their trading decisions.

The Connors Group product mix encompasses a range of professional-grade solutions for both institutional and individual clients.

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About ArtWorks, The Naomi Cohain Foundation: ArtWorks provides children and young adults suffering from chronic and life-threatening illnesses, and their siblings, access to creative and performing arts programs.