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Fair Students share art with hospice patients
“Paradise,” “Serenity,” “Wonderland,” “Peaceful Path.” These are the names of some of the new art pieces that will be on display in the hospice wing at Long Island Jewish Valley Stream, part of the Northwell Health system, for patients with terminal illnesses. Nine students from Baldwin High School’s Art Honor Society shared their artwork during a ceremony at the hospital.
“Art has always been a healing medium,” said Michelle Liemer-Kelley, an Advanced Placement art teacher. Liemer-Kelley said that the Calming Murals Project would “bring images of peace and serenity to those patient and their families going through the final stages of cancer.”
Sage Fortune, who painted a piece titled “Cherry Blossoms,” agreed. “I think it’s nice that we get to give them an image of where they would like to be instead of where they are,” Fortune said, “because that can be really useful for them, to imagine a happy place. I think that’s what we all tried to do and accomplish.”
It took the students about three months to complete the paintings, but Liemer-Kelly said she was glad they were able take on the assignment. “This is the first year we collaborated with Northwell Long Island Jewish Health on this type of project,” she said. “It was such a wonderful experience for our students, I look forward to working in the future with . . . them again. I would love to continue this concept, but we are a creative crew, and there are many ways to bring art into the hospital.”
Liemer-Kelly also pointed out the importance of sharing artwork and knowing the impact that it can have on other people. “It’s important to create art,” she said. “But if you don’t share it, who will appreciate it? These types of projects are the best and most satisfying way to share our talents. As a teacher, and a citizen, I feel it is my duty to share these experiences with my students.”
Scherezade Ueno, a junior who painted “Paradise,” explained that sharing her artwork with children in hospice was the most rewarding part of the project. “I think the best part was knowing who these painting are going to be for and what our paintings will be doing for children who are really not in the best position,” Ueno said. “It’s nice for them to have something to cheer them up.”
The Art Honor Society is also involved in several other projects related to community service. “For 11 years we have been a part of the Memory Project, where our art students paint portraits for orphans around the world,” Liemer-Kelly said. “Each year their portraits are hand-delivered to these children. We have participated in painting murals and tables at the Baldwin community garden, adding our talents to our immediate neighborhood.”
The students have also helped organize art workshops for elementary and middle school students in which they make arts and crafts, paint faces and play games. But Liemer-Kelly said she felt that the Calming Murals Project was the perfect ending to their A.P. class.
“Watching my students paint with such confidence and verve at the end of the year is the perfect closure to our class,” she said. “But knowing they’re giving these beautiful paintings away to bring some relief to someone’s struggle is heartwarming.”
