The magical atmosphere of wild Alaska has the unique ability to inspire artistic expression. In this immersive writing experience last August, I joined a group of authors for a week of critiques on my next book. As part of our once-in-a-lifetime adventure, we traveled by seaplane across vast, green terrain before reaching picturesque Harvester Island…
A Pamela Alderman Art Collaboration We Drew a Circle invites inclusion and healing. For this creative care workshop, each participant painted repeating circular patterns on wooden tiles with warm and cool colors to form a larger design. This mosaic art form soothes and alleviates stress through the radiating circle motif. Inspired by a line from…
Red pants with black lettering hung from the wall. The red against the white walls intrigued me to walk closer. I approached the pants to discover I could actually read them. I realized I was reading someone’s true story. It touched my heart, as if I heard the voice speaking from the pants. I walked…
A Healing in Arts Collaboration with Girls Court Quilting has been part of American history for many generations. Quilts carry narratives, family connections, and lifelong traditions, but they also reflect feelings of love and originality. This Healing in Arts project, with artists Pamela Alderman and Kameko Madere, draws inspiration from the quilt patterns passed down…
The students at Pine Grove Learning Center created a Butterfly Kaleidoscope together. Each child sponge-painted their own butterfly shapes with acrylic paints. The finished paintings were combined into one large collage. This Healing in Arts project symbolizes the beauty of transformation through colorful changing patterns from butterfly to butterfly—and student to student. We tailored the…
Pamela started painting as a ten-year-old, when her mom enrolled her in an adult art class. Her dad taught her how to draw on paper napkins after dinner. Decades later, her artwork expanded from individual paintings to include participatory art with a focus on healing and resilience. Drawing on Pamela’s own journey towards restoration, following…
Art can provide an open space for the critical exchange of ideas. Due to the harsh realities in this world, at times we need to discuss content that some may find offensive or traumatizing. We try to forewarn about potentially disturbing content, such as the following story about child sexual assault, so you can opt…