Braving the Wind: Kara’s Story

Behind the Artwork

Braving the Wind at ArtPrize 2011

Kara, a young woman, had been battling cancer for several years. To portray her story for ArtPrize 2011, I combined the paintings of Kara in Braving the Wind with an interactive metal Healing Tree. Visitors were invited to write notes, honoring loved ones struggling with cancer and then hanging the notes on the tree. This was the first time I created an interactive healing installation. Now visitors had the opportunity to expand the work with their own stories.

Years later, Kara and I reconnected. We had a special opportunity to sit down and discuss our ArtPrize journey: An immersive experience with the ArtPrize audience. Art had made a bridge for us to connect and develop a special friendship while the art also had created a pathway to inspire exhibit visitors. Through Kara’s perseverance and willingness to help others—in the midst of her own reoccurring cancer battle—20,000 ArtPrize visitors ended up being inspired to participate.

How can you encourage a friend or loved one battling cancer or simply help a friend in need?

Visit healinginarts.org to learn more about our inspirational work.

Our healing art involves you—because you matter!

Woman in Red: Natalie’s Story

Behind the Artwork

In partnership with the Go Red For Women movement, my 2010 ArtPrize work, called Woman in Red, features Natalie Ruggeri. Natalie, the model portrayed in the paintings, tells her story as a congenital heart survivor. Following heart surgery, Natalie offers this advice: “Listen to your symptoms. Don’t take things for granted. Cherish what you have.”

What are some things you can do to keep your heart healthy?

Our healing art involves you—because you matter!

An ArtPrize Artist: How It All Started

Behind the Artwork

ArtPrize ushered my 2010 paintings onto a large stage—with thousands visiting my Woman in Red collection that was created in partnership with the American Heart Association and featured at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel. Through ArtPrize over the following years, my work began transitioning beyond watercolor paintings to interactive healing installations that focused on soul care—that is, unlocking the hearts of the wounded through sensitive and meaningful artwork.

What do you do to help promote soul care for others? For yourself?

Our healing art involves you—because you matter!

ArtPrize Collaboration: Go Red For Women

Behind the Artwork2 Comments

For my second year of ArtPrize, the American Heart Association invited me to tell the story of Natalie Ruggeri, a young heart patient survivor. The work called Woman in Red combined two-dimensional and three-dimensional elements with paintings and an elegant red gown displayed on a mannequin. This healing work continues to inspire and challenge viewers with beauty, health, and what really matters in life.

What experiences have you had that challenged you to rethink the value of life?

Our healing art involves you—because you matter!

A New Kind of Interactive Healing Art

Behind the Artwork

Setting up The Scarlet Cord Popout Gallery

“Your art speaks of healing,” said New York artist Makoto Fujimura when Pamela Alderman showed him her humble portfolio in his book signing line. Following this powerful five-minute encounter, Pamela started creating a new kind of artist/citizen work that invites audience collaboration. Her work lets others speak and respond.

After ArtPrize 2014, her work, The Scarlet Cord: Healing for Sex-trafficked Children, traveled to Phoenix during the Pro Bowl and Super Bowl to raise awareness and inspire healing. For ArtPrize 2015, visitors voted Hometown Hero into the Top 20 and 3rd Place in the Time-Based category. Over the last nine years of ArtPrize, 270,000 visitors have personally responded—by hanging notes, signing names, or tying ribbons—at her interactive healing installations.

ArtPrize Nine: Let Go

Behind the Artwork

Let Go in the studio

ArtPrize Nine Let Go by artist and facilitator Pamela Alderman will be showcased at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel from September 20 through October 8, 2017. The 19 x 6 foot mixed media painting is made of acrylic, paper, and transparent fabric on five wood panels. One hundred twenty-six participants pre-submitted handwritten Let Go sentences and letters that are now collaged into the painting.

Like many of Pamela’s past ArtPrize installations, visitors can interact with the work by writing their own Let Go sentences. The artist statement below explains how individuals may respond at the Let Go installation. Here are a couple of examples of the Let Go statements from the ArtPrize audience:

I’m letting go of your need to let go.
Signed, your wife

I’m letting go of self-blame for my son’s autism diagnosis.
Signed, your mother

Several people have attested to the healing they experienced as they wrote their Let Go statements. One participant said, “While thinking about what to write, I realized that I hadn’t forgiven my dad.” The pent up anger had been festering inside of him—even though his dad had been dead for thirty years. So he wrote a Let Go letter and forgave him. In doing this, he experienced a new freedom and healing at an art exhibit.

Artist Statement

…it takes much more strength to know when to let go…
Ann Landers

Let Go in progressLife’s ebb and flow eventually may bring us to a healing place. At times, we feel like we’re drowning in the sea of despair, defeat, or disappointment. But transformation can occur if we are willing to accept change. Once we muster the courage to let go of whatever is dragging us under, a tiny lifeline of hope reaches back through the breakers to keep us afloat.

Invitation: Viewers Participate

Write a couple of words on the vellum paper to identify your struggle—the thing that is weighing you down—like control, fear, unforgiveness, etc. Just writing the words activates the healing process.

Next, crumple this paper. As you release the crumpled paper, it symbolically becomes one with the painting—mixing with the waves and being carried out to sea. Experience a new level of peace and soul healing as you begin to release the past or the present. So crumple the paper—and let go.

What are you letting go of?

Addictions
Anger
Anxiety
Bitterness
Control
Doubt
Expectations
Failure
Fear
Grudges
Guilt
Insecurity
Judgment
Lies
Memories
Misfortune
Mistakes
Pain
Perfection
Pride
Shame
Worry

 

A special thanks to PlexiCase Inc and Moonlight Graphics for their generous support!