TEN YEARS OF
ART + WELLNESS

Our Program
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Dear Sawtooth friends,

Artmaking can be an uplifting creative outlet, a therapeutic experience, or simply a pleasant distraction. For one student in our Art + Wellness program, an afternoon printmaking class meant so much more.

“This was one and a half hours of my life,” they told us, “that I didn’t spend thinking about having leukemia.”

In another instance, our ceramics class at Novant allowed one patient, “to have a break from the chemo/routine…to feel a sense of ‘normal.’”

Many participants thank us for art experiences that break the monotony of hospital days, brighten up some dark moments, and help them connect with other patients and caregivers. Most importantly, they say, these hands-on activities bring them joy.

Ten years ago, the Greer Foundation generously matched funds to pilot a program at Sawtooth, designed to help adult cancer patients express their emotions through art. Now, a decade later, this initiative has evolved and expanded into our comprehensive Art + Wellness program. We regularly offer supportive art experiences throughout the year for individuals of all ages in collaboration with eleven healthcare organizations across Winston-Salem and Forsyth County.

Led by Program Director Betsy Messick, our team organizes art classes at neighboring medical facilities and distributes do-it-yourself art kits with projects designed by our renowned instructors. During COVID, we introduced a virtual reality and digital art component that has become a permanent and popular feature for immunocompromised patients.

The program’s impact is felt outside the clinics, too. Pieces from our Art + Wellness participants are exhibited at the new Intergenerational Center for Arts and Wellness, where we have two new mixed media and ceramics studios. Their creations are also featured in Art-O-Mat® vending machines worldwide, giving these artists an international platform.

Our classes and experiences are completely free for patients, meaning our Art + Wellness Program relies on support from donors like yourself to match Greer’s funding. We have significantly increased our capacity in recent years, serving more than four times as many patients as before, yet our funding has not kept pace with this growth.

Whether you’re looking to make a charitable donation this holiday season, or provide a year-end gift to a beloved non-profit, consider supporting Sawtooth so we can help bring these powerful, creative experiences to the people who need it the most.

In partnership,

Lauren Davis
Executive Director

Help us provide high-quality, hands-on experiences for people of all ages, backgrounds, and skill levels.

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Above: Betsy Messick, third from left, with some members of the Art + Wellness team handing out do-it-yourself art kits at Cancer Services’ Survivors Day event.

Art For All

Our Art + Wellness program serves as a key outreach endeavor and manages a dedicated mixed media studio at the new Intergenerational Center for Arts and Wellness, located near the Fairgrounds. The classes, workshops, and drop-in activities at the Generations Center are open to everyone. To learn more and to register for upcoming offerings, please click the button below.

VIEW UPCOMING CLASSES