Rockwell and Hospice Join Forces
March 21, 2009
CORNING, NY-"Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life." - Pablo Picasso.
On Saturday, the Rockwell Museum of Western Art hosted, in conjunction with the Southern Tier Hospice & Palliative Care, "Good Mourning Springtime," a children's grief event that ran from 9:30 a.m. - Noon at the Museum. Children ages 6-12, accompanied by adults, spent time in the Museum's Visions of the West gallery with Gigi Alvaré, the Museums Director of Education. Alvaré also led the group in completing an art project in the Museum's Education Center. The event gave children who are grieving the death of a special person the chance to remember and reflect on their memories.
Pam Fraboni, Bereavement Coordinator, Andrea Barber, Social Work and Bereavement Specialist, and Jessica Byers, Social Worker, all of the Southern Tier Hospice & Palliative Care helped to facilitate this event in conjunction with Rockwell Museum's Gigi Alvaré.
Using the painting Mount Whitney by Albert Bierstadt as inspiration, Alvaré lead the group in thinking and voicing their ideas about the transformation of winter to spring: "What happens to the snow and ice? The air, the earth, trees, etc.?" The conversation directed participants to the powerful landscape painting of nature. Alvaré used the painting's nature elements as a catalyst to talk about death and grief.
Participants were asked to imagine that they were birds flying in this landscape, guiding the idea that they were birds of their own imaginations. Later, participants created memory nests in the Education Center.
"I asked everyone to think of themselves as birds in the painting. The nest each person created is a safe place where they can keep their special thoughts about the person who died. Each nest has something that represents the person who died and something that represents self," says Alvaré.
Participants also created two decorative feathers. They were asked to write down something that has helped them with their grieving process. At the end of the activity, participants sat in a circle and were invited to participate in a closing ceremony. They kept one feather for themselves and passed the other to the person sitting next to them. Each person left with a new way to help them get through their time of grief.
"Art and creativity are tools that allow humans to bypass the verbal and go directly to the heart. Art is especially helpful in the expression of difficult feelings and fears, as well as hopes and beliefs, when either don't have the words to express them, or choose not to share our most difficult thoughts," says Pam Fraboni, Bereavement Coordinator at Southern Tier Hospice & Palliative Care.
The Rockwell Museum of Western Art is a creative force in the community that can provide the tools to help grieving individuals move closer to constructive expression of one of the most difficult experiences in life - death. Because art and creativity can be a healing experience, the collaboration is believed to benefit those dealing with grief. Both the Museum and Hospice hope to continue this collaboration through future workshops and community events. It is hoped that participants feel more enriched through the Museum's collection and the conversations it can ignite. Research indicates that strong arts programs increase social skills and heals both the young and old. The Rockwell Museum of Western Art is committed to offering an experience to all visitors that encourages thought and conversation.
"The purpose of Hospice collaborating with community partners is to enhance a person's grieving experience and to offer support through a variety of means. People respond differently to death and Hospice is committed to providing different avenues in which people can learn to grieve in a healthy way. It is our hope that through this collaboration, the community will become better informed with the services Hospice provides and the Rockwell Museum of Western Art collection of artwork," says Andrea Barber, Social Work and Bereavement Specialist.
About the Rockwell Museum of Western Art
In these tough economic times, we recognize that the concept of "community" means so much. In response, we are offering free admission on Sundays now through April 2009. We invite you, our community, to the Museum and to be inspired by our vision, collections and programs. Kids & Teens are always FREE (19 & under).
Accredited by the American Association of Museums, the Rockwell Museum of Western Art is located in the center of the Finger Lakes Wine Country of New York Sate and in the heart of Corning's Gaffer District. The Museum is open to the public seven days a week; hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Membership to the Museum includes yearlong free admission. For more information, please visit us online at www.rockwellmuseum.org.
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