by erin thursby scopes1925@msn.com
The arts, music, visual or performing, aren’t just for entertainment, they can also play a part in healing the mind, spirit and body. To that end, AIM (Arts in Medicine) at Shands Jacksonville is sharing the benefits of the creative and performing arts with the hospital and the greater Jacksonville community. It’s a way to make art an integral part of each person’s health and well-being.
Artists in residence, guest artists and volunteers use their talents in visual arts, performing arts and creative writing to enhance the hospital experience for patients, visitors and staff.
Some patients, such as Vicki Nugent, discover their own artistic talents through the program. Nugent had a near death experience and began drawing angels after she was visited by visual artists in the Arts in Medicine program. Artists in Residence and volunteers work one-on-one and in group settings on paintings, drawing, jewelry making and other crafts. A visit from an AIM artist can be requested by calling (904) 244-1145 or paging (904) 393-3654. Please specify, name, room number and the best time for a visit.
Music is an important part of the program. Volunteer Brian Harris, a seventeen–year-old with a gift for jazz improv on the piano, can be found most weekdays from 11 am - 2 pm in the main lobby of Shands. Any musician that wishes to give his or her time to the community and to Shands can volunteer.
Much of the activities are centered around the staff and patients, but they also hold events open to the public. On November 13th the Lisa Kelly Trio held a concert in the Clinical Center Main Lobby. Lisa Kelly has won awards for her jazz vocals, performing across the U.S. and in Europe. Her solo CD By Request debuted at the Montreux Jazz Festival. She co-produced two successful CDs with JB Scott: Memories of Tomorrow and Live at Simons.
While the visual arts are an important part of the program, it’s music that helps calm patients on their way in. After all, we can miss seeing a painting on the wall because we’re looking elsewhere, but sound penetrates the consciousness, even when we’re distracted.
Arts in Medicine brings the performing arts to Shands Jacksonville in variety of ways: musician in residence Edith Moore-Hubert, The Visiting Artist Concert Series and a partnership with Body & Soul – The Art of Healing, an organization with similar goals. For more info on volunteering as a musician or their various programs, call Musician in Residence Edith Moore-Hubert at (904) 244-4334.
If you are artistically inclined and would like to lend your time and talents to helping others, please contact AIM about volunteering. Arts in Medicine welcomes artists of a wide variety of disciplines, including visual arts, music, dance and creative writing. Opportunities exist for you to work one-on-one with patients, in group settings or to perform in public areas of the hospital.
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