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Art Therapy: Kandinsky Project for Helen DeVos Children's Hospital

First Posted: 02/02/11 08:48 PM ET   Updated: 05/25/11 07:30 PM ET

Art is not only creative, but also a therapeutic process. When the new Helen DeVos Children's Hospital opened earlier this year in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the interest in creating a creative environment for patients was clear. The hospital includes more than 1,500 artworks created by more than 8,000 students from across the state.

One of the participating schools was the Lincoln Development Center. The students at the center have cognitive or physical impairments, including many students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Art consultant Elain Dalcher and Cathy Ripmaster, physical therapist, implemented the Kandinsky Project, a school wide art program inspired by the famous Russian painter, Wassily Kandinsky. For the project, the students listened to the music that inspired Kandinsky while they created their art. For more on their creative process and the finished paintings, watch the video and click through the images below.

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Inspired
Inspiring!!

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Art is not only creative, but also a therapeutic process. When the new Helen DeVos Children's Hospital opened earlier this year in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the interest in creating a creative environme...
Art is not only creative, but also a therapeutic process. When the new Helen DeVos Children's Hospital opened earlier this year in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the interest in creating a creative environme...
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03:27 PM on 02/12/2011
Yes, but not "art therapy"...this is art in healthcare and very inspiring. Huff Post, you need to get your terminology correct.
11:37 AM on 02/16/2011
Cathy, yes this is very inspiring. Related to your comment however: In many states, the term Art Therapy is not regulated under any laws. While there is a licensing board now for Art Therapists, most people, and yes even reporters, don't know about this effort to categorize Art Therapy as a profession. I am guessing you are technically an Art Therapist. Why don't you write an article for the Post that explains this new and exciting profession that is gaining wide-spread momentum. Also, please don't be so sensitive about the terminology. All art is therapy.
02:22 PM on 02/05/2011
I love the art, I love the music, I love the concept, I love the engaged people, I love the strategies, I love the variety of opportunity. What's not to love about it? Wonderful!
04:58 AM on 02/04/2011
Art is always being used in the form of pleasure, expression and communication. It always played with human psychology in order to communicate, entertain, express and satisfy. Art is as useful for a common person as for an artist in creativity.

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greenmonk
The Only Thing We Have to Fear Is Fear Itself
05:31 PM on 02/03/2011
Really great.
The positive power of art, making it or even simply enjoying it, is too often ignored by the media and instead is seen as a bogeyman that is only concerned with self absorption and sucking tax dollars.
04:09 PM on 02/03/2011
Excellent. Some drip painting from a height would be good. Pollocking.
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CHMB
What's long and brown and sticky? A Stick.
12:23 PM on 02/03/2011
I'm a big fan of the seventh slide.

Thank you for posting about programs that are actively using art to help patients. So many people slam "The Arts", yet they fail to realize just how it is an important therapeutic tool, among other things.
04:09 PM on 02/03/2011
me too