Art & Culture
Artfeel Celebrates 5 Years with The Sound of Healing Art Bench
Local art lovers came together to express themselves and watch as others shared their thoughts and feelings about the new Sound of Healing art bench, presented by The Woodlands Arts Council and underwritten by Canopy Cancer Survivorship Center (Canopy), at Artfeel’s 5th Anniversary Celebration November 5, 2022.
View photos of the event on Hello Woodlands’ Facebook page here:
It was a beautiful clear evening at Hughes Landing as Artfeel, a community-based art appreciation show, welcomed members of the public onstage to share their reaction to the art bench. One of the hallmarks of Artfeel is that participants do not have to be an artist to share how they feel about the art. The serenity of the calm waters of Lake Woodlands served as a backdrop for attendees to speak, sing, perform, and play music.
Artfeel is a free public event that allows members of the community to participate in the enjoyment of local public art and express how it makes them feel, regardless of whether it is positive or negative, or somewhere inbetween! Some are serious, some are playful, some are musical, some are poetic, and some are made up on the spot. The art benches, commissioned and installed in partnership with The Woodlands Township, have been the pieces highlighted as creative prompts for the community’s exploration.
Two of the Sound of Healing art bench artists, Michele Old and Stacy Moore, were in attendance at the event. Underwritten by Canopy, The Sound of Healing art bench was inspired by the bell that cancer patients ring to signify the end of their treatment at Memorial Hermann Cancer Center. The bench features chimes designed to be reminiscent of the bell.
Nickole Kerner Bobley, founder of Artfeel, shared her story onstage about how the idea for Artfeel began. She had recently been diagnosed with two autoimmune diseases and needed a way to get out of the house. She credits our local public art with helping her focus and reflect on something other than her pain, and helped her mobility as she walked around to take in the art.
Marcella Herrera, Program Manager at Canopy, was at the event familiarize the audience about how Canopy helps the community. “We are incredibly passionate about the arts and the impact art has on healing especially in cancer survivorship,” said Herrera. “With the support from generous donors, as Canopy is completely driven by philanthropic support, we are proud to be able to share the breathtaking Sound of Healing Art bench with our community. We hope those that visit our bench in Hughes Landing will feel a moment of peace, relaxation, strength and healing which takes place at Canopy Cancer Survivorship Center every single day through our various therapeutic programs, available at no cost to anyone impacted by cancer.”
Additionally, Herrera was there to support a cancer survivor who brought art she created while at Canopy, which she shared as she spoke about what the bench meant to her.
Guests were treated to performances by singer-songwriter Gideon Bustamante (aka The Painter), Montgomery County’s Poet Laureate Dede Fox, expressions from the public, and more. Jenny Carattini-Wright, CFEE, Executive Director at The Woodlands Arts Council, hosted the event. The Woodlands Children’s Museum provided crafts for children.
TWAC began the Art Bench program in 2015 to seek local, national and international artists and designs for permanent installations along The Woodlands Waterway. A unique combination of form and function, the Art Benches draw adults and children alike. Some benches are interactive, such as The Urban Conga bench modeled after a xylophone, or glowing as in the Light Balls Bench, or the giant yellow Woodlands Wind-O, an architectural bench, as well as benches reflective of the natural surroundings as in the fanciful Umbrella Tree Bench. The Woodlands Art Benches can be found from The Woodlands Mall, to The Woodlands Waterway, Town Green Park, and Hughes Landing on Lake Woodlands. To see photos of all 30 Art Benches, download a map of the locations, and read more about the artists and their inspiration, visit https://www.thewoodlandsartscouncil.org/p/programs/public-art/art-bench-project1.
The Woodlands Arts Council provides regional, cultural, and educational enrichment opportunities that encourage, support and promote the visual and performing arts in our community. From the award-winning Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival to public art installations and the year-round community and educational outreach programs of Because Art Matters, the council has one primary goal … making our community better, Because Art Matters! For more information on The Woodlands Arts Council, visit www.thewoodlandsartscouncil.org. To learn more about Artfeel, visit www.thewoodlandsartscouncil.org/p/programs/artfeel.
The Woodlands Arts Council is the producer of Fidelity Investments The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival set for April 14-16, 2023. To join the Art Lover’s program or to donate, visit the website at www.thewoodlandsartscouncil.org.
The goal of Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center is to integrate a cancer survivorship center into the continuum of cancer care. Their strong community connection and compassionate support system make it possible for Canopy Cancer Survivorship Center to provide programs geared towards improving the health and quality of life of cancer survivors post-diagnosis. If your life has been impacted, whether you were the patient or the caregiver, you have a safe haven at Canopy. Learn more at www.woodlandscanopy.org.
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