Through the Hospital Education Program, the University of Virginia Children’s Hospital offers art therapy as a way to provide patients with a creative outlet throughout their treatment and healing process. Though art therapy seeks to benefit children in the midst of medical care, the program also produces an exciting amount of original artwork.
Beverly Goodrum has been the hospital’s resident art therapist for the past 12 years. Although Goodrum operates specifically in oncology, she works with both inpatients and outpatients — ranging from ages two to 18 — in every department. She conducts art therapy using several mediums.
“We do a host of activities. Everything from painting, to sculpture, to collage, to drawing — you name it, everything,” Goodrum said. “I often have featured projects, and since I am an artist, I offer art instruction as well.”
The artwork created thus far by the hospital’s patients has been displayed in collaborative art installations on the fifth floor of the Battle Building for pediatric specialties.
“What we’re doing is the art exhibit in the Battle Building classroom, and that’s to showcase student work and also represent the overall Hospital Education Program,” Hospital Education Program Director David Dixon said.
Since Dixon became program director, he has viewed firsthand the incredible influence art therapy has in allowing patients to utilize their creativity, physical bodies and free choice.
“Last week [Goodrum] had styrofoam pumpkins, so she allowed this little girl the option of either cutting the pumpkin to make a jack o’lantern or using stickers, or paint, or markers to create the pumpkin however she wanted,” Dixon said. “She gave that freedom for the child to make that choice, so the little girl loved it and got lost in the art — that’s what art therapy’s supposed to be about.”
Goodrum said giving patients choice in art projects is an especially important part of the program.
“One of the things is that the art therapy program allows the kids to have some choice in a situation where they really aren’t able to choose much,” Goodrum said. “They’re sick—they don’t have a lot of choice.”
The therapy also offers an opportunity to normalize the situation, relieve stress and empower the patients, Goodrum said.
“I’ve had some kids that don’t want to leave after their appointments are over,” Goodrum said. “I had one girl once, a little four-year-old girl, who got up at five in the morning the day of her appointment because she wanted to go to ‘art camp.’”
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