Hamline University’s Arts in Health class uses art as therapy

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BrainImageArtTherapy A hospital can be a scary place for children, as they wonder what might happen to them or whether a treatment will hurt. But by introducing art into the picture, some of those anxieties can evaporate as the children concentrate on creating a picture or a shape from clay or a painting. The above artwork was created by Hamline student Kate Monson.

By JAN WILLMS

A hospital can be a scary place for children, as they wonder what might happen to them or whether a treatment will hurt. But by introducing art into the picture, some of those anxieties can evaporate as the children concentrate on creating a picture or a shape from clay or a painting.

Hamline University’s Arts in Health class and internship is providing an opportunity this spring for Hamline students to interact with children who are facing chronic or serious illness, as well as their parents, siblings, and medical professionals. Students are doing internships at Children’s Hospital and Clinics and at Shriners Hospitals for Children.

“The class is being offered by the Department of Studio Arts and Art History in collaboration with the Public Health Sciences program at Hamline,” said Professor Nicola Demonte, who is teaching the class. "This program would not have happened without the support of Dr. Lisa Stegall, Dr. Aida Audeh and Dr. Sharon Preves, who have all been instrumental in making sure the Arts and Health class was offered," added Demonte.

Demonte, who has spent 17 years as an art therapist at hospitals, mental health clinics and educational institutions, said that students from various majors are participating in the class. “We have students from art history, public health sciences, biology and premed,” he said.

There has been a strong interest in the class, with 16 students enrolled.

Lacy Koss, a junior in public health science, said she is looking into going into occupational therapy. “I have done research at Children’s Hospital, in music and art therapy. This seemed like a perfect opportunity for an internship there,” she said.

Koss said she goes to Children’s Hospital two times a week, spending one day with siblings of the patient in a big area where there are games and art projects they can work on. The other day she works directly with patients on a specific art project. “It’s usually just me and the patient,” she said.

ArtTherapyPhoto Hamline University’s Arts in Health class and internship is providing an opportunity this spring for Hamline students to interact with children who are facing chronic or serious illness, as well as their parents, siblings, and medical professionals. Above, student Lacy Koss meets with Prof. Nicola Demonte to discuss her internship at Children's Hospitals and Clinics. (Photo by Jan Willms)[/caption]

Koss said the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, in partnership with Hennepin County Library, has donated “Art Out of the Box” to Children’s Hospital. The box contains images of artwork, supplies and mediums that the child can keep.

“This gives us some sort of image to talk about,” Koss said. “We start talking about the images, and it helps the kids to relax.” She said the art serves as a conduit to start a conversation.

“It’s really fun to work with Art Out of the Box,” Koss added. “It gives us a chance to work with clay, and we can paint on that clay.” Some of the art the children produce is put up in a gallery in the hospital, or in a window sill in their room, or even hung on their IV.

“As long as you go in being excited, the kids want to participate,” Koss said. She said she also enjoyed very much working with the patient’s siblings.

“It’s great that we get to give them an experience in the hospital as well, when the parents are mostly focused on the child who is sick,” Koss said.

Koss said she and her fellow students have become big believers in realizing how art and meditation really complement one another during the course of the class. The lecture and classroom work started in January as a prerequisite to the internship.

“We had guest speakers, art projects and videos,” Koss said. The class ran Monday through Thursday, three hours a day.

One of the guest lecturers was Dr. Robert Fisch, a professor emeritus from the University of Minnesota and a mentor of Demonte.

“Dr. Fisch is a holocaust survivor,” Demonte said. “He is a doctor and an artist and has unique experiences to share. The kids loved him.”

“One of the reasons why I am inspired by Dr. Fisch is that he has been working in oncology for many years, and he has so much faith in art as an integral part of medicine,” Demonte continued.

He explained that studies have shown the positive effects of the use of art in stressful situations.

“Arts intervention can lower the heart rate, reduce blood pressure, reduce pain and psychologically lower someone’s stress,” Demonte said.

The art activities the interns share provide comfort to children and teens as they adjust to their medical experiences, according to Demonte.

“The experience gained by the internship will help facilitate a deep understanding of the relationship of creativity to health using the elements and principles of art,” Demonte said.

Demonte, who has used art therapy to work with clients with mental illness, developmental disabilities, cancer, dementia and Alzheimer’s, said the Arts and Health class is a natural extension of what he has been practicing.

He said the curriculum includes information on behavior therapy, psychoanalysis, mindfulness and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT).

“The Arts and Health focus, adding to the human side of medicine, draws insights from across the social sciences and arts,” he explained. He noted that the art experience not only brings relief from pain, fatigue and anxiety, but also a respite from boredom. “It provides a safe outlet for emotions as well,” he added.

The students who are serving as interns in the Arts and Health class will have an opportunity to display their artwork at an exhibition that will run in the lobby of Hamline University's Fine Arts Department Apr. 1-18.

“This exhibit will give the students a chance to emphasize the connection they are making with the community,” Demonte said. “We’re really proud of this program. The interns are providing a safe, relaxing and creative experience for patients who are undergoing a serious and life-threatening illness.”

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