CRH & Crittenden Arts Council Partnership

July 2, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Rebecca Winter, Marketing Services
Crittenden Regional Hospital
870.735.1500

Crittenden Arts Council and Crittenden Regional Hospital have partnered in an innovative and imaginative learning project. Conceived by Ramona Taylor, Development Director of Crittenden Regional Hospital, and made possible by a Heart Disease and Stroke Community Grant through the Arkansas Department of Health, healthcare providers and artists came together every two weeks from December 2008 through May 2009. Together they sang, danced, acted, and painted their way through imaginative experiences focused on enhancing their relationships with hospital and hospice patients and their clients who are attempting to make positive changes in their lives. Led by Anne Davey, visual artist and Crittenden Arts Council Lead Facilitator, the teaching artists engaged participants in activities that explored their roles as nurses, counselors, and health care administrators and focused on discovering new and imaginative ways to work with their clients and patients.
Specific relevant themes were investigated throughout the workshops including transformation, self-esteem, the power of humor, and inner struggle. Participants and their clients had the opportunity to attend performances and exhibits based on these themes which included Starry Road to Freedom (the story of Fredrick Douglass), The Ugly Duckling, and the photography exhibit, Hope and Despair Live Here, at Mid-South Community College. These works of art provided an additional impetus for reflection on how the arts mirror real life and can inspire a creative rethinking of day to day work experiences. Angie Whatley, RN educator with the DAHEC, states, “This learning has helped me to think out of the box to empower and counsel clients wanting to make behavioral changes in their lifestyle for positive results,” and, Allison Earnshaw, RN educator with CRH, shared, “I have enjoyed working with the artists throughout the program. They were extremely skilled at drawing us into each activity and responding positively to everyone’s efforts.” The culminating activity was designing and stitching a quilt that reflects the circle of life from birth to death and the essence of each participant’s contribution to their clients at different times in their lives. This creative and compelling work of art will hang at the hospital as a symbol of the artful and diverse work being done by these healthcare professionals. Amelia Barton, Artistic Director of Crittenden Arts Council and designer and director of the project, describes the experience this way saying, “I am always overwhelmed by the power of art exploration to inspire imaginative thinking about they way we see and do things in our day to day life and work. All of these extraordinary healthcare participants were so willing to take risks and delve into the experiences which enabled them to discover their own creativity and innovative potential relating to their profession.” Elaine Dupree, parenting counselor, expressed it best when she said, “This experience has allowed me to realize things about myself that were already there.” From writing a blues song, to choreographing trust dances and creating transformative journals, the participants had the opportunity to bond, explore their own work, and discover how their different roles in the healthcare profession connect and how through imaginative thinking they can become even more effective in their roles.