By Rubin E. Grant
When Ascension St. Vincent’s Bruno Cancer Center art therapy group couldn’t meet on campus because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hope Long stepped in.
Long is library director at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens.
“Most people don’t even know we have a library at the Botanical Gardens,” Long said. “But we are part of the Jefferson County Library Cooperative.”
Louis Josof, an oncology counselor at Ascension St. Vincent’s, knew because he used to serve on the Botanical Gardens board. He had begun the art therapy group at the cancer center several years earlier.
“I had been reading about art therapy and how it was used as a mechanism for children with cancer because children love to draw and color,” Josof said. “I knew adults like to draw and color, too, but they make excuses not to, so I started the art therapy group so they wouldn’t have any excuses.”
The pandemic threw a wrench into the group meetings, but the attendees still had a desire to continue to meet. Long provided them a place to do just that.
“When COVID hit, a couple of months in, Louis contacted me,” Long said. “I told him we had an open space for the art therapy group to meet. We have a nice garden outside the library with a covered shed.
“I’m also a cancer survivor and an amateur artist, so it worked out.”
The group met in the outside pavilion during the warm months and moved inside to one of the library classrooms when it turned cold.
Joel Cleveland, a cancer patient and artist who runs an advertising agency, has been meeting with the group for several years. He was glad when the group could continue meeting at the Botanical Gardens.
“This therapy group has meant more to me than I could have ever imagined,” Cleveland said. “We have so many great artists and the group is so diverse. It really is something special.”
The group continues to meet at the Botanical Gardens even though it could meet at the cancer center.
“It’s so relaxing at the Botanical Gardens,” Cleveland said. “I used to go there a lot as a kid. It’s a beautiful place. It’s been a wonderful experience for our group.”
Art Gallery, Too
Long noticed the group’s artwork was quality craftsmanship and will feature it in a gallery during November and December. The art gallery can be found in the hallway leading to the Library at the Gardens in the Garden Center.
“Since I’ve been there, I have commandeered the walls in the hallways and turned them into an art gallery,” Long said. “It’s become so popular, especially with the lighting.
“We’ve had some great artistic groups display their works. Louis and I had been talking about having an art show for the therapy group, so we finally pulled the trigger.”
There will be a special artists’ reception Nov. 4 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. to officially unveil the artwork done by the cancer support group participants. Art is available for purchase through the Library at the Gardens.
Seventy percent of the proceeds will go toward Ascension St. Vincent’s Camp Bluebird, which is a twice-a-year camp retreat for cancer patients, and 30 percent will go to the Library at the Gardens, a program of the nonprofit Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens.
“I’m delighted we are involved,” Josof said. “It’s a win-win situation.”
