In Celebration of Breast Cancer Awareness: University of Arizona Cancer Center Partners with Medline to Sponsor Art Exhibit Created by Cancer Survivors
Exhibit runs from April 4 through May 8 at the University of Arizona Cancer Center, Tucson
A new art exhibit, sponsored by Medline Industries, Inc., gives voice to those who have been touched by women’s health, who may live in fear, or who are survivors of women’s cancers.
Medline, in partnership with the University of Arizona Cancer Center, is sponsoring the exhibit titled “Voices and Visions, Standing on the Bridge between Health and Disease.” The exhibit will be on display at the University of Arizona Cancer Center (North Campus) in Tucson April 4 – May 8, and then continue with stops at health care facilities around the country.
The exhibit features more than 27 artists and 45 pieces of art. All the pieces have been produced by artists who have been dramatically affected by women’s cancers.
“We are excited and moved to host this special art exhibit right at our cancer center,” said David Alberts, MD, University of Arizona Cancer Center director. “The art and artist testimonials powerfully reflect the feelings and anxiety many of our patients and their family members are experiencing, and we hope the community will visit the cancer center and experience this powerful and moving exhibit.”
The exhibit also features statements from women who have undergone breast or ovarian surgeries. Whether elective, for preventive reasons, or recommended because of a positive diagnosis, women who undergo surgeries endure life changes, both physical and emotional.
“The art exhibit is an extension of our breast cancer awareness campaign with the goal of empowering those who live on that bridge between health and disease,” said Medline President Andy Mills. “Similar to our message with the Pink Glove Dance video movement we helped inspire, our hope with the art exhibit is to reach people in a creative and interesting way to get them engaged and talking about breast cancer.”
About the Artists
In one way or another, all of the artists have been dramatically affected by women’s cancers. Some are survivors; some have had family members with the disease and some are carriers of the BRCA1 gene linked to the develop¬ment of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. One photographer, for example, had an 18-year-old cancer patient ask him to photograph her. Another male artist took care of his mother through multiple cancers, including ovarian. Several artists have sisters who had cancer, and others had mothers with the disease.
About The University of Arizona Cancer Center
The University of Arizona Cancer Center is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center headquartered in Arizona. With primary locations at the University of Arizona in Tucson and at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, the Cancer Center has more than a dozen research and education offices in Phoenix and throughout the state and 300 physician and scientist members work together to prevent and cure cancer. For more information, go to www.arizonacancercenter.org.
About Medline’s Breast Cancer Involvement
As the nation’s largest privately held manufacturer and distributor of medical supplies, Medline is focused on helping to improve lives. So it’s a natural extension of its corporate mission to help save lives through the early detection of breast cancer (visit www.medline.com/breast-cancer-awareness for details). Over the past seven years Medline has conducted an awareness campaign and donated more than $1 million to the National Breast Cancer Foundation to provide education and free mammograms to those in need and continues to make contributions every year.
In addition to sponsoring the “Voices and Visions” art exhibit, Medline created the Pink Glove Dance video, which now has more than 13 million views on YouTube. Due to the popularity of that video, Medline sponsored a national competition that inspired more than 135 organizations to make their own videos featuring over 17,000 people across the United States and Canada. Medline recently announced it will hold the Second Annual National Pink Glove Dance video competition beginning July 2. For more information on the competition, visit,www.pinkglovedance.com.