Contact:

                                                                    Lyssa Harvey, Art Therapist

                                                                    (803) 920-0707 or

                                                                    Samantha Higgins, PR Director

                                                                    Children's Chance

                                                                    (803) 254-5996

Children of Hope 2007 Art Exhibit

Artwork masterpieces created by children with cancer!

For Immediate Release

Columbia, SC: June – July 2007: The 2007 “Children of Hope” art exhibit held at The Columbia Museum of Art, located at 1515 Main Street, during the months of June & July 2007, displays art work created by children with cancer and blood disorders. Children’s Chance will also sponsor a special ceremony to honor these artists for their outstanding work and extreme courage, to be held on Tuesday, July 17 from 3:00 – 5:00 pm at the Museum’s Community Gallery located on the second floor. This event is not open to the public, but media are welcome!

The exhibit displays paintings done by the children while in treatment for pediatric cancer or blood disorders at Palmetto Richland Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders. The children range in age from 4 to 13 years old and come from different parts of the state to be treated at Palmetto Richland’s Children’s Hospital and are there able to participate in the Ryan Crout Art Therapy Program funded by Children’s Chance.

Lyssa Harvey, the Art and Play Therapist for Palmetto Richland and the Coordinator of the “Children of Hope” Art Exhibit explains, “Children approach the arts as children first, not children with cancer or with a blood disorder. Art allows a child to express his feelings about his immediate world in a non-threatening and enjoyable process. Each child’s artwork in this exhibit reinforces his special impact and uniqueness in this life. The artwork in this exhibit portrays the children’s strength and willingness to persevere even during the most difficult of times”.

Sponsored by Palmetto Richland’s Center for Children with Cancer and Blood Disorders, Children’s Chance, and a group of special donors, the “Art Angels”, the exhibit will be open to the public at The Columbia Museum of Art during the following hours: Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm, Friday from 10:00am – 9:00pm, and Sunday from 1:00-5:00 pm. Admission is $5.00 for adults, $2.00 for students, $4.00 for seniors, Children under 5 are free, and free admission on Saturday courtesey of BlueCross Blue Shield.

The exhibit will then be displayed at The Drew Wellness Center, located at 2101 Walker Solomon Way, near the intersection of Harden and Calhoun Streets, during August & September 2007, where it will be open to the public from Monday – Thursday, 5:30 am – 10:00 pm, Friday from 5:30 am - 8:00 pm, Saturday from 8:00 am – 6:00 pm, and Sunday from 2:00 pm - 6:00pm. Edventure Children’s Museum, located at 211 Gervais Street, will then house the 2007 Children of Hope Exhibit during November & December 2007.The exhibit will be available for view there from Tuesday – Saturday, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm and Sunday from 12:00 – 5:00 pm. Admission to Edventure is $6.95 per child (children under 1 are free), and $8.95 per adult.

The Ryan Crout Art Therapy Program is part of the Psychosocial-Oncology program at Palmetto Richland’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders and is funded by Children’s Chance, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping children with cancer and their families throughout the state of South Carolina with non-medical needs. The art therapy program is one of the many programs provided to children with cancer and their families by Children’s Chance, and provides art interventions that address the emotional impact of serious illness on children and families. For more information about Children’s Chance or families facing pediatric cancer, please visit us online at: www.childrenschance.org, or call (803) 254-5996.