Artists in Healthcare Manitoba

May 06

Telus Future Friendly Foundation

Artists in Healthcare are delighted that the Telus Future Friendly Foundation awarded $10,000 to fund a very successful songwriting program at the Manitoba Adolescent Youth Treatment Centre.

Songwriting has provided incredible outcomes with youth, allowing them to express feelings and have meaningful and healing conversations safely.

Here are some comments from young songwriters:

“Thank you so much for coming here, this has been really seriously helping me.”

“I’m going to stop getting fake nails so I can learn how to play the guitar.”

“I love this, I’m going to keep writing after I’m out of here.”

“Oh, so you can practice expressing yourself, and you’ll get better at it…”

“I’ve always wanted to write a song, this is awesome.”

“We’ve been really impressed with the engagement we’ve been seeing. Everyone has been really interested and they get excited for every class.” -MATC staff

There are amazing mental health benefits from telling and sharing your story … thank you Telus!

May 04

Jesse Popeski makes the music happen!

The Personal Care Home of Choice for Winnipeg’s Jewish Community

The Saul and Claribel Simkin Centre is a not-for-profit, government-funded facility that honours Jewish values and traditions while welcoming seniors of all backgrounds.

May 01

Thank you to the Aspers

Our deepest gratitude to The Gail Asper Family Foundation and The Asper Foundation for their continued support of Artists in Healthcare. While some of our programs are suspended until is it safe to be back inside healthcare, we’re working on virtual music programming and our Art at the Bedside program continues to make art kit projects for patients.

Trying times bring us challenges and growth. Having ongoing support to continue work to bring joy and solace to patients is so important, needed more now than ever. We can’t express our thanks more sincerely .. and look forward working in new ways, to adapt to new realities as we find out what they are.

Dec 09

Annual Report: April 2018 – March 2019

Feb 22

MCO and AIHM to promote quality of life for thousands more Manitoban healthcare patients

“One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain,” sang Bob Marley.

Songwriters may take poetic licence, especially where descriptions of their own powers are concerned, but there’s more than a little truth to Marley’s statement. Contemporary studies demonstrate music’s potential to ward off depression and lower stress-related hormones such as cortisol. This is a rather clinical way of expressing what the Ancients already recognized as music’s special power to bring “charm and gaiety to life” (Plato).

More insightful perhaps are recent scientific discoveries that music may also improve blood flow and post-surgery outcomes and quite literally reduce pain.

It’s with such knowledge that Artists In Healthcare Manitoba (AIHM) is proud to expand its programming with the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra (MCO) beginning this spring. AIHM provides arts-centric healthcare programming in facilities across Manitoba, while the MCO is known as “Canada’s, tiny perfect chamber orchestra” (Toronto Star). We think it’s a special pairing.

Among those who will enjoy uplifting concerts through this collaboration are seniors in long-term care, patients and residents in hospitals and hospices, and mental health patients across thirteen Manitoba healthcare organizations. Funding for patient support arts programming is often outside of such organizations’ scope, and the MCO and AIHM are honoured to help fill this need through the support of Johnston Group and The Winnipeg Foundation. Musical styles performed will run the gamut from classical to pop—there will be something for everyone. A priority will be performing Indigenous music for residents of Selkirk Mental Health Centre, in accordance with the traditional emphasis in Indigenous culture on the need of music for healing.

Benefits of this program will extend beyond healthcare, helping to keep Manitoba musicians performing and connected to local audiences. Administrative costs will be kept exceptionally low, with 90% of the program’s budget going directly to participating musicians.

The Manitoba Chamber Orchestra and Artists in Healthcare Manitoba thank both Johnston Group and The Winnipeg Foundation for their generous support of this collaborative program.

Sep 12

2018 Annual Report

Click here to see the Report

After much work and number crunching, we are proud to release the 2017-2018 Artists in Healthcare Manitoba Annual Report.

Jan 09

Annual Report: April 2016 – March 2017

A message from the Board Chair

“On behalf of Artists in Healthcare Manitoba, I am pleased to provide you with our Annual Report for 2016/2017

In the past year, we were delighted to see the work we have done at Selkirk Mental Health Centre culminate in a Sarasvati production held at the Asper Centre for Theatre and Film. The production also toured Manitoba high schools, doing important work to open communication addressing the stigma and marginalization associated with mental illness.

The Art in Hospitals program was introduced to the community with hundreds of pieces of Indigenous Woodlands art being donated to Winnipeg hospitals and Selkirk Mental Health Centre. This program invites donors to gift art works to the facilities of their choice, to be used by the hospitals as they deem fit. Details will be provided further on in this report. As in past years, we continue to see the profound effects and outcomes live music and visual

arts bring to the communities of healthcare, and our ongoing vision is to one day, see our programs in every hospital in the City of Winnipeg and the Province of Manitoba.”

Click on the link below to read the report:

2017 AR PDF

Nov 12

Art Donation Program

LAUNCHES ART DONATION PROGRAM

Please join us on November 28 at 10:30 am

in the Grace Hospital Cafeteria for a launch event and refreshments.

Artists in Healthcare Manitoba today announced the launch of a program that will see artwork collected for display in various health care facilities across the province.

“The Art Donation Project for Healthcare Facilities will help transform spaces where clinical care is provided,” said Shirley Grierson, Executive Director of Artists in Healthcare Manitoba. “The therapeutic benefits of art are well established, and this program will help enhance not just the patient experience, but also the experience for visitors and staff.”

Artist Leland Bell. Was Sa Gallery

The program is straightforward. Artists in Healthcare Manitoba seeks out and collects donations of art. Donors receive a charitable tax receipt and if they wish, can specify a health care facility for their donation. Artists in Healthcare Manitoba assures that the art is properly appraised, that the subject matter is appropriate and that the art is suitably framed and behind glass.

Once that art is received by a health care facility, they are free to display it, or can even sell it at a charitable event or via consignment. The art is provided to the facilities free of any encumbrances. Participating facilities include; Concordia Foundation, Deer Lodge Centre Foundation, Grace Hospital Foundation, Misericordia Health Centre Foundation, Pan Am Clinic Foundation, Riverview Health Centre Foundation, Selkirk Mental Health Centre, St. Boniface Hospital Foundation, Victoria General Hospital Foundation and A Port in the Storm (a residence that provides accommodations for people coming to the city for health care).

The program was created by Gary Scherbain, the long-time owner of the Wah-Sa Gallery, in collaboration with Artists in Healthcare Manitoba.

“There are many beautiful collections of art in Manitoba,” Mr. Scherbain said. “As collectors get older and begin to downsize, they often seek opportunities to either sell or donate. This program provides the perfect vehicle for them.”

Artists in Healthcare Manitoba is a not for profit group that offers many services, including bringing art and music to the bedside in most health care facilities in Winnipeg.

Please join us on November 28 at 10:30 am in the Grace Hospital Cafeteria for a launch event and refreshments.

For more information please contact Jon Einarson at 204-837-0488.

May 30

Canada Summer Jobs 2015

May 20, 2015

Today, Joy Smith, Member of Parliament for Kildonan – St. Paul, announced an investment of $194,032 through the Canada Summer Jobs Program for student jobs in Kildonan – St. Paul. In total, 20 organizations will be able to hire 43 students for the summer.

Canada Summer Jobs helps students gain the skills and experience they need to be successful, now and in the future, while earning money for the upcoming school year. In 2015, the Canada Summer Jobs program is expected to create approximately 35,000 jobs, while helping employers address skills shortages.

Our sincere thanks to the Government of Canada for funding through Canada Summer Jobs. On May 20, 2014, Joy Smith, Member of Parliament for Kildonan – St. Paul, announced an investment of $194,032 through the Canada Summer Jobs Program. In total, 20 organizations will be able to hire 43 students for the summer. Artists in Healthcare Manitoba (AHM) received $5,034 in Canada Summer Jobs funding to support a summer student position.

“Artists in Healthcare are delighted to have received another student placement from the Canada Summer Jobs program this summer. Our placements are used to hire student musicians who spend their summers playing for patients and residents in hospitals and long term care. The students provide support, playing music which reduces stress and anxiety. Live music offers unique support to seniors living with Alzheimer’s and dementia – the students have close relationships with them and skills such as empathy and compassion are developed. Many thanks for supporting this fine program once again!”
– Shirley Grierson, Executive Director, Artists in Healthcare MB

May 29

An Odd Choir

“Yesterday at Boundary Trails Health Center I had an exceptional time singing with 3 people of varying seniority. One was a woman in her late eighties, one in her mid seventies and one was a gentleman who’s age I couldn’t tell in the thin yellow pj’s provided. We sat around in a hall that joins the palliative and medical wards. Mrs. 80’s told us a story of the soldiers from one of the world wars – how they used the Eatons building for all their essential activities; dancing, sleeping, eating, inviting women to New Zealand. “It’s a good thing she didn’t go, it would have been maybe two days and then she’d have been left high and dried.” She told this story about 8 times. Mrs. mid seventies requested “Pack up your troubles in your old suit bag” and sang it in a high quaver after tearing up and telling us of the love story that was hers and her husbands. The gentleman sang ‘Leaning on the everlasting arms” with gusto and informed me of the death of a man we’d visited and sang with a few weeks back. This was real life. Life at the end of life. Life with flourescent lights, tubes, walkers, running shoe squeaks and smells of sickness where people spend slow min, hours, weeks and more. We were a queer choir. I love my job!”

Juice Reimer