A Healing in Arts collaboration with Calvary Church Refugee Ministry “Let us love one another, for love is from God.” –1 John 4:7 This summer, 108 individuals from around the world came together for a joyful art project with Healing in Arts. Fathers, mothers, grandparents, and children each painted a unique tile, expressing their personal creativity and cultural identity. Placed together, these hand-painted pieces symbolize the universal love and connection that spans geographical boundaries. Patchwork of Love serves as a powerful reminder of the strength found in diversity. The colorful tiles celebrate the beauty of each person—every heart matters. This mosaic reminds us that no matter where we come from, love and hope unite us all. Patchwork of Love collaborators: Pamela Alderman and Yeram Leonard

At the Creatives Unleashed Conference in Budapest, Hungary, Healing in Arts created a new collective art project. For our second session, we discussed the importance of art in community, highlighting former HiA collaborative projects such as Butterfly Dreams, Yellow Ribbon Project, and Art for Honor (formerly Voices). This session included an art mystery project that encouraged participants to create a one-of-a-kind design by working together. After sketching out a design, everyone hand-painted an assortment of different-sized tiles. The tiles acted as puzzle pieces; no one knew what the final outcome would look like until the pieces were assembled, adding an element of excitement and anticipation. The project invited individual creative expression while also bringing people together in a group experience. The experience demonstrated how art can unite people with incredible aesthetic outcomes. We titled the spontaneous project The Song Tree. By working towards a common goal, participants not only contributed

Our faces hold emotion, express love and peace, and tell our stories and dreams. Healing in Arts was honored to partner with Creatives Unleashed in Budapest, Hungary to explore how portraits can help us engage in self-reflection and healing. HiA artist and board member Yeram Leonard partnered with me in the four-day art workshop series. Starting with a session on the art of creative care, I challenged participants to think about new forms for artistic expression and storytelling. The presentation included the inspiring story of Jochebed, Moses’ mother, and how she used her artistic skill to save her son by weaving a basket. Following examples of how I have told my story through handmade postcards, paintings, or public exhibits, the group turned to their own self-portraits to nurture and inspire personal creative care. Participants gathered after a quick drawing demonstration to sketch their self-portraits on large pieces of Japanese paper made from

Under the Surface is a Healing in Arts collaboration with Noorthoek Academy, servicing adults with learning challenges and other intellectual disabilities. For this project, eighty Noorthoek students and Dr. Jeffrey Frank, a U.S. military veteran and Academy board member, will take part in the gigantic art mystery collage. But participants won’t be painting in the usual sort of way, with paint brushes. Instead, they will paint with their forearms. After loading up their arms with paint from wrist to elbow, the students will swipe or bounce their arms across the surface of the tiles. Each individual will leave their personalized mark. This unique painting method is only the first aspect of the art mystery project. Project creators Pamela Alderman and Yeram Leonard will have more fun surprises ahead for the students. Stay tuned to watch our project unfold. And follow us on Facebook! Thank you! Under the Surface, part of

Helping Teens’ Hopes and Dreams Soar Healing in Arts spearheaded the Butterfly Dreams project in collaboration with Young Life. The art workshop took place in the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico and left an indelible mark on a group of teenagers. Under the guidance of board member Kathy Pluymert, the art centered on the theme of belonging, using the analogy of monarch butterflies and how they huddle together to stay warm. By highlighting how each butterfly depends on the others for survival, she shared a personal reflection on how humans are designed to be part of something greater—a sacred message on the importance of each individual. Pamela Alderman and Healing in Arts artist Yeram Leonard, who designed the butterfly motif, brought the artistic collaboration to life. Using the pointillism technique inspired by Georges Seurat’s iconic style, each participant painted a tile with a series of colorful dots. When assembled, the tiles