A new art exhibit, sponsored by Medline Industries, Inc., in partnership with the University of Arizona Cancer Center, is sponsoring the exhibit titled “Voices and Visions, Standing on the Bridge between Health and Disease.”
The exhibit will be on display at the University of Arizona Cancer Center (North Campus) inTucson April 4 – May 8, and then continue with stops at health care facilities around the country.
The exhibit features more than 27 artists and 45 pieces of art. All the pieces have been produced by artists who have been dramatically affected by women’s cancers.
“We are excited and moved to host this special art exhibit right at our cancer center,” said David Alberts, MD, University of Arizona Cancer Center director. “The art and artist testimonials powerfully reflect the feelings and anxiety many of our patients and their family members are experiencing, and we hope the community will visit the cancer center and experience this powerful and moving exhibit.”
The exhibit also features statements from women who have undergone breast or ovarian surgeries. Whether elective, for preventive reasons, or recommended because of a positive diagnosis, women who undergo surgeries endure life changes, both physical and emotional.
“The art exhibit is an extension of our breast cancer awareness campaign with the goal of empowering those who live on that bridge between health and disease,” said Medline President Andy Mills. “Similar to our message with the Pink Glove Dance video movement we helped inspire, our hope with the art exhibit is to reach people in a creative and interesting way to get them engaged and talking about breast cancer.”
In one way or another, all of the artists have been dramatically affected by women’s cancers. Some are survivors; some have had family members with the disease and some are carriers of the BRCA1 gene linked to the development of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. One photographer, for example, had an 18-year-old cancer patient ask him to photograph her. Another male artist took care of his mother through multiple cancers, including ovarian. Several artists have sisters who had cancer, and others had mothers with the disease.