a group show by artists with Crohn's and Colitis
Pamela Schoenberg, owner/director of dnj Gallery, and Ted Meyer, founder of the original “ArtandMed,” are thrilled to announce their exhibition “Restoring Your Core”: a group exhibit by artists with Crohn’s and Colitis. This ‘Art and Med’ program is a desire to educate, spread awareness and raise funds for chronic health conditions.
The beginning “ArtandMed” curriculum, created for use in medical schools, applies art as a tool to teach an understanding of wellness through patient/artist voices. With this added visual component, one’s ability to comprehend the illness becomes more possible. Thus, Schoenberg decided to embrace this core, as well as combining an additional health component, at dnj Gallery.
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is the topic of our third exhibition. IBD is a chronic group of diseases that cause inflammation in the intestines, with the main types being ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. The symptoms span from mild to severe and can show periods of active illness followed by remission.
Also, this collaboration between Schoenberg, Meyer and patients/artists will exhibit a type of therapeutic healing: a practice which focuses on aiding the release of physical, mental, and emotional energy. In other words, these curators wish to partner with the patient/artist in a creative activity that has physiological benefits in dealing with challenges and stress management.
Daniel Leighton will be the Lead Artist in “Restoring Your Core.” Having issues with Crohn’s disease since he was six, Leighton’s work specifically demonstrates emotions experienced in the controlling of stress (or the lack of control). Daniel Leighton’s paintings are an expressive tale of his life with this traumatic disease. Using a triadic color combination, he asks his viewers to look, study, and acknowledge their feelings. “Each piece revisits my experiences with IBD, not just to relive the pain, but to transform it—to find meaning in it and connect with others who feel isolated in their own struggles.” Leighton utilizes the distinct features of technology, called “Augmented Reality,” to create his iPad drawings and paintings.).
The remaining artists, chosen by Ted Meyer and Daniel Leighton, also have IBD and create their art as a response to their experiences with IBD. This group uses various media to express this disease.
*25% of all exhibition sales go
to Connecting to Cure Crohn's and Colitis and
to The Crohn's and Colitis Foundation.
