HER | ArtWall has history of survivor voices:

Marshall Wood hugs his daughter Haley on Sept. 11, 2012, in front of the Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council's Art Wall during at an unveiling ceremony for paintings created by breast cancer survivors or family members who have lost loved ones to breast cancer.  Wood lost his mother to breast cancer, and Haley made a painting on the wall in her honor. (FILE PHOTO BY DOUG STRICKLAND)
Marshall Wood hugs his daughter Haley on Sept. 11, 2012, in front of the Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council's Art Wall during at an unveiling ceremony for paintings created by breast cancer survivors or family members who have lost loved ones to breast cancer. Wood lost his mother to breast cancer, and Haley made a painting on the wall in her honor. (FILE PHOTO BY DOUG STRICKLAND)

For years, the ArtWall at the Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council's ArtSpark downtown featured the powerful work of breast cancer survivors. TRAHC provides the ArtWall panels to interested groups who'd like to share art, such as school groups. And for several years, TRAHC and the local Susan G. Komen chapter brought ArtWall projects to life to honor the experiences of women who've faced breast cancer.

For example, in fall 2012 TRAHC and Susan G. Komen for the Cure Texarkana brought about 50 individual art panels to the ArtWall with a project called "Imaging a World Without Breast Cancer, Expressions of the Power of Pink."

Terrie Arnold, Komen Texarkana executive director at the time, told the Texarkana Gazette back then, "We wanted them to create something that was a reflection of their personal feelings. Some of them are just awesome. A lot of cancer survivors had grandchildren with them to help them create their art. Every one is special and has a special meaning for each person. Whether they were an artist or not, we wanted them to be able to put their feelings on a canvas so people will see a variety."

"It's a great partnership between the two organizations for such a wonderful event," TRAHC executive director Brian Goesl said about this project in a Gazette story about the art.

Annually the exhibit was shown to coincide with Race for the Cure. But with no race scheduled this year, plans are up in the air, said Kay Thomas, national teaching artist and arts integration consultant at TRAHC. They'd welcome an exhibit if artists are interested.

Thomas said while TRAHC does not propose art projects for the ArtWall, they do provide panels and the paint. They'll work with groups, such as art teachers and their classes, and let them know when space is free on the calendar.

"Now that they don't have a formal Komen thing, our hope is that the survivors will get together and want to do something," Thomas said.

Groups come to TRAHC with a project in mind, and that's how they get involved. The Komen ArtWall exhibit became an annual one focusing on women who had breast cancer. It was a way to tell their stories.

"The survivors, it's a very moving experience. They'd usually come and they'd set up refreshment tables. Families would come and have their pictures taken in front of the panel that their survivor in their family made. It was very moving. They would share their stories with you," Thomas said. "It was pretty incredible."

In September, Thomas said TRAHC was taking a wait-and-see approach to see if anyone wants to participate. There are 44 panels that can hold art.

"I have some student panels up there," Thomas said. "Hopefully some folks will approach us."

In the past, a Texas High School teacher even made the ArtWall part of the curriculum for student participation.

"She had a certain time every year when she would put hers up. We knew that," Thomas said. "We're hoping some folks are going to return and want to do this again."

(On the Net: TRAHC.org.)

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