An Exhibition of Paintings from the Harlem Horizon Art Studio

Renewing Body and Spirit The Harlem Horizon Art Studio advocates self-taught art as a vehicle for improving the health and quality of life for children and adolescents in central Harlem. The increasing number of young people who are affected by violence, serious illnesses, addictions, accidents, and poverty makes hospital art programs of paramount importance. A hospitalized yongster needs not only medical attention but also assistance in confronting and coping with physical and psychological trauma. Art is an excellent vehicle for this purpose, allowing patients to gain self-confidence and self-esteem. For children who are long-term patients or out-patients, intense and continuous involvement with the painting process can be highly transformative, both physically and psychologically. What the young artists at the Harlem Art Studio share is the pervasiveness of loss, either through physical injury (gunshot wounds, falls, car accidents) or psychological truama (divorced parents, a deceased parent or sibling). Loss often ignites the construction of a replacement, a will to fill a void, that painting may provide. The immediate results of the studio's program are vital and imaginative paintings coupled with the improved health of the participants. Many of the paintings created in the studio hang in the halls and offices of Harlem Hospital Center. Several of the program's most accomplished artists exhibit their work professionally and are pursuing art as a career. These young painters developed their own artistic expression without instruction. The Harlem Horizon Art Studio respects the idiosyncrasies of individuals by exalting their intuition as the means toward creative expression. The studio is a challenging and safe place where young people can become who they are. Their paintings are a testament to their "original selves" re-emerging after confrontation with adversity and loss. The artists regenerate themselvs in body and spirit, creating wholeness.

The Artists Checklist For more information about the artists and the Harlem Horizon Art Studio's program, contact: Harlem Horizon Art Studio Harlem Hospital Center 506 Lenox Avenue, Rm 17158 New York, New York 10037