Teen patients unveil artwork

Photography by Seth Dixon



With the help of the St. Jude Child Life Program, 22 new pieces of art created by 19 talented adolescent patients were unveiled during the Teen Art Show earlier this month. The artwork is on display in a hospital hallway that was transformed permanently into the Teen Art Gallery.

The gallery displays brightly colored, powerful photography, group projects, drawings, sculptures and poetry created by teen patients. Using paint, canvas and other media, young artists communicate emotions that may otherwise be difficult to verbalize. The Teen Art Show—this year themed “My Journey”—is a formal gathering that displays various works from teen patients, some of whom were in attendance to reveal their own art to St. Jude staff, patients and their families.

“The art show gives teens another way to express themselves,” said Kelly Anderson, Child Life specialist. “Teenagers can have deep and often conflicting emotions, especially if they have cancer. Sharing their emotions in this fashion helps them get those feelings out there somehow. It allows patients to share feelings and experiences concerning their illness in an artistic fashion.”