GRANTEE SPOTLIGHT.

Children's Hospital of Los Angeles: Art Therapy Program

The Mark Taper-Johnny Mercer Artists Program at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles uses art and music to allow children to express themselves and to create an interactive environment for children facing illness and injury. For more information visit www.childrenshospitalla.org or contact the program at (323) 361-4555.

For children recovering from injuries and illness, the hospital stay can be a lonely, scary and painful experience. Coping with the stress of illness and hospitalization requires more than medication. The Mark Taper-Johnny Mercer Artists program at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) uses art to give children fun, creative activities and provides a way for them to communicate feelings and fears about their illness or mortality.

Between shots and surgeries, children use painting, poetry and music to express concepts they are often unable to articulate. An art therapist or professional artist visits children—sometimes in their rooms for those too sick to leave bed—and presents an array of art supplies. The child can choose from the various paints, brushes and markers to play and create. Working on art projects distracts patients from their pain and fear and can help children stay calm before surgeries and medical procedures. The therapists can facilitate and explore thoughts and feelings related to illness and hospitalization.

This innovative program, which reaches 6,000 children each year, emphasizes caring for the whole child, not just the sickness. Creating art enhances the physical, mental and emotional well-being of the children. The patients’ self-esteem improves as children master different artistic techniques and gain mediums for self-expression. Child patients are often physically limited and unable to make decisions about their treatment at the hospital. Art projects allow patients to be active and independent, returning a sense of normalcy to their lives.

The program also fosters an early appreciation for the arts. Patients learn how art, poetry and music can help them find strength during their recovery. Walter, age 16, said “Poems are made … to keep us moving and give us hope.”

The art therapy program at CHLA continues to expand, allowing more children the opportunity to use artistic expression and creativity to augment their healing process.