"STRINGS" Magazine

 

WEBERN QUARTET

November/December 2026

by Laurence Vittes

 

dnj Gallery on KTLA

 dnj Gallery's owner/director Pamela Schoenberg and artist Jill Covell sit down with KTLA to discuss the 'In Strength: a group show by artists connected to breast cancer' and 'Jill's journey' installation. They talk about how art can become a meaningful part of the healing journey. 

As part of our ArtandMed program, In Strength reflects our belief in the meaningful connection between art, health, and wellness; highlighting artists who have a personal connection with breast cancer. Our goal is to create a space where creativity encourages conversation, fosters understanding, and brings communities together. 

For the featured artist,  Jill Covell, the exhibition is deeply personal. A breast cancer survivor, Jill began creating artwork during her treatment as a way to process the physical and emotional challenges of her journey. 

Her collection of 20 paintings uses animals, colors, and symbolism to tell her story. Dolphins, for example, represent the need to come up for air during difficult times, while a dragon and butterfly symbolize the strength and vulnerability that coexist through the cancer journey. Gold lines inspired by the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery reflect transformation and the beauty of being put back together.

At its heart, In Strength is about sharing stories, celebrating resilience, and reminding those navigating the cancer journey that they are not alone.

We invite you to visit the show and experience the exhibition for yourself.

Jill's Journey Reception and CALM Art meditation

 Saturday, October 17th

CALM Art (an Art Mediation) pairs simple mindfulness techniques with meditative, guided art-making. The practice is designed to help shift the mind out of the high-alert Beta and Gamma wavelengths associated with stress and into the calmer, more focused Alpha state linked to better sleep, lower stress and improved emotional regulation. 

CALM Art was founded by Jill Covell MFA, ATP, and Certified Master Mindset Life Coach, who developed the program out of her own healing journey through breast cancer, combining her fine arts background with mindfulness and art therapy practice. Her installation “Jill’s Journey” chronicles that same experience through the lens of spirit animals. 

A reception and book signing with Covell immediately followed the workshop, giving guests a chance to meet the artist and view “Jill’s Journey” in the gallery.

Living Beauty sponsored this workshop. Living Beauty Cancer Foundation is a national nonprofit organization that exists to educate, uplift and empower more than 8,000 women with cancer. Living Beauty has spent more than two decades empowering women living with cancer through community, sisterhood, resources and holistic wellness programs. 

Sponsoring this session also continues their mission, connecting Living Beauty women and the broader community with a creative, supportive space led by one of their own.

'Paint and Sip' Fundraiser

Saturday, October 10th 

The participants recreated a fall-inspired painting while supporting programs for people affected by cancer. Artist, breast cancer survivor, and founder of CALM Art, Jill Covell will guide you through recreating this fall scene on the theme of Transitions.

For Breast Cancer Awareness Month, this event benefited Cancer Support Community Los Angeles' free mental health and wellness programs for people affected by cancer. CSCLA offers support for anyone affected by cancer—including patients, caregivers or loved ones, children, those who are post-treatment, and those who are bereaved.

This fundraiser is in partnership with dnj Gallery's group exhibition, In Strength, by artists connected to breast cancer, on view September 26th through December 5, 2026. In addition to facilitating the Paint & Sip fundraiser, Jill Covell is also one of the artists whose work is featured in this breast cancer awareness exhibit. 

  

Opening Reception

                          "IN STRENGTH"             a a group show by artists connected with breast cancer

Saturday, September 26th

Thank you to everybody who came. Our mission is to further educate, raise awareness, and support our charities through a portion of the sales from the artworks. We wish to explore and create a community, those who share a sense of connection.

Pamela Schoenberg, owner/director of dnj Gallery, and Ted Meyer, founder of Art and Med, are thrilled to present the exhibition, “In Strength”: a group show by artists connected to breast cancer. Shedding light on the challenges of living with a chronic disease, the Art and Med program, curated by dnj Gallery, includes a ten-week art exhibit and corresponding community-focused events. The Art and Med program is designed to increase awareness, further education, and raise funds for charities.

In 2024, Pamela Schoenberg recognized the need for community among people living with long-term illness. She shifted her focus at dnj Gallery from a solely commercial space to one with a charitable and educational perspective, and deals with medical patients/artists. In 2019–2022, she studied nutritional science and preventative medicine. In 2023, she then received her certification as a registered Health Coach.  Schoenberg combines her two passions, art and health, and thus presents art by individuals living with chronic illness to tell their stories, foster community, and create safe, supportive spaces for those who are chronically ill.

Effective communication and making your goal simple and easy to understand is a priority in the Art and Med curriculum, which includes listening, feeling and nonverbal body movements. Ted Meyer, the founder of this program, is the artist-in-residence at the USC Keck School of Medicine. He began this strategy to demonstrate to the med school students the importance of the patients’ voices. Art and Med elicits an appreciation of the human aspect of the illnesses.

Presented in partnership with Tower Cancer Research Foundation, the exhibition brings art and advocacy together to illuminate the realities of breast cancer, honor the strength and individuality of those affected, and encourage meaningful conversations about women’s health, healing and the continuing need for research and support. The exhibition is also sponsored by: AARP California, The American Cancer Society, Living Beyond Breast Cancer, Cancer Support Community Los Angeles, Living Beauty, Keep a Breast and Sharsheret.

dnj Gallery’s multimedia exhibition “In Strength” explores the cognitive journey of women suffering from breast cancer. For instance, as dnj Gallery artist Jill Covell explains in “Jill’s Journey,” ‘Jill’s Journey’ stands as more than just an exhibition; it is a heartfelt invitation to share in a collective experience of courage, resilience, and healing.” (This is a separate installation made up of paintings, a map and an accompanying story that guide viewers through her experience.) Jasmyn Marie, a preservation artist featured in the show, describes her artwork in similar terms: “My journey as a preservation artist began not from a desire to decorate, but from a profound need to hold onto time.” The remaining artists in “In Strength” express the stories of personal growth -- inviting viewers into the lived experience of breast cancer through the eyes of those who know it firsthand.

Open Mic

 Thank you to everyone who came to the

"Open Mic"

"These gatherings (community building) make all the difference."

Our mission is to further educate, raise awareness, and support our charities through a portion of the sales from the artworks.  

If you are interested in purchasing a piece of artwork please contact the gallery.

This is a platform for any individuals living with mental health challenges to share personal stories, poems, and reflections about their experiences.

Moderated by Pamela Schoenberg

"A Library For The Inner Child"

Thank you to everyone who came to the

Artist Reception for "A Library For The Inner Child"

"These gatherings (community building) make all the difference."

Our mission is to further educate, raise awareness, and support our charities through a portion of the sales from the artworks.  

If you are interested in purchasing a piece of artwork please contact the gallery.

In support of NAMI Westside LA's work with children's mental health, this space will feature over 45 unique pieces of illustrated mental health literature for children and grown-ups. They will include a healing sound element at the reception.