September 2014

The opening of The Periwinkle Foundation’s 24th annual Making A Mark® art show at Texas Children’s Hospital was held on Sunday, September 7, 2014. The exhibition features 343 unique pieces of artwork created by children who are affected by cancer and blood disorders, including 26 pieces that were awarded purple ribbons by a panel of judges and 49 pieces from international treatment centers in Peru, Panama, Brazil and Poland. At the show’s opening, many of the artists and their families were able to see the artwork on display, as well as enjoy music, crafts, face painting and even an ice cream sundae bar! The pieces of art will go on tour for one year, both around the US and abroad. They will then return to TCH and be sold for donations.

Each year, The Periwinkle Foundation invites a signature artist to work with the children in the Cancer and Hematology Centers on an art project in their area of expertise. This year, guest artist Camilo Gonzalez with Aurora Picture Show was invited to work with the children to create a short film, I Dream. Over the course of eight workshops held in the clinic and at Aurora Picture Show, children and long term survivors worked with the artists and volunteers from The Periwinkle Foundation to create an incredible film.

Junior League of Houston volunteers helped prepare for the show’s opening by organizing and matting artwork, attaching labels to each piece, entering each artist’s information into a database that was used to print the programs and setting up for the show’s opening. The volunteers also personally called patients’ and artists’ families to invite them to the show. The team really enjoyed working with the artwork and getting to know some of the artists and the Periwinkle Foundation and Texas Children’s staff.