Art Project Unveiling Spotlights New Program Empowering Youth of All Abilities
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A new art installation at Spaulding Hospital Cambridge, created by members of the Partners for Youth with Disabilities Program and local artist Joshua Winer.
Cambridge, MA - Recently, Spaulding Hospital Cambridge celebrated a new art installation created by Partners for Youth with Disabilities (PYD) participants. Local artist Joshua Winer guided PYD’s Access to Arts (ATA) program members in designing an original, multi-panel mosaic piece that will welcome staff and visitors to the hospital for years to come.
For eight weeks in this past fall, a group of 10 youth gathered at Spaulding Hospital on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons to work on the project. Under Joshua Winer’s direction, the youth brainstormed a theme and sketched ideas that would add life and color to the hospital walls. Then Joshua took each participant’s drawings and incorporated them into the final design: a bright garden with different plants, creatures, and objects.
The completed mosaic
Once the design outline was transferred to the panels, the youth cut and cemented colored tiles to fill it in. “The level of flexibility and adaptability for youth was incredible,” added Sadye Bobbette, Manager of the ATA program. “It was a prime example of how to successfully make art accessible and inclusive, where people with ranges of physical, mental, and emotional disabilities could participate equitably.”
PYD is a non-profit that serves youth with disabilities in the Greater Boston area with programs in arts, career readiness, youth leadership, and mentoring. PYD's goal is to create a world where young people with disabilities can live with dignity and pride in who they are, and to lead self-determined lives filled with purpose. PYD has collaborated with various Spaulding locations through the years to support its mission to empower youth of all abilities.
“For all of us at Spaulding this beautiful piece of art both adds brightness and energy to our hospital as well as represents our mission to support anyone of any abilities to participate and thrive. The work PYD does is extraordinary, and we are so proud to join with them and have this incredible project live at Spaulding Hospital Cambridge,” said Joanne Fucile, VP of Operations and Associate Chief Nursing Officer, Spaulding Hospital Cambridge.
The recently rebranded ATA program is available to teens and young adults ages 14-22, with and without disabilities. They strive to create programming where youth can be creative, express themselves, improve communication skills, and build lasting professional and personal friendships. Learn more about the ATA program on the PYD website.
“This program is the thing that made me want to socialize and meet new people. It brought me out of a dark place,” said Amy Luo, ATA program youth participant. Another participant, Ewidji Vincent, shared that “This program helped me find my real self… before I came to this, I was really soft-spoken and now I am more confident in talking and expressing my ideas.”
About Spaulding Rehabilitation
A member of the Mass General Brigham Health System, Spaulding Rehabilitation includes Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, with a main campus in Charlestown the 2nd ranked in the nation for rehabilitation by U.S. News & World Report, along with Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Cape Cod, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Cambridge, Spaulding Rehabilitation Nursing and Therapy Center Brighton, and over 25 outpatient sites throughout Eastern Massachusetts. An acclaimed teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School and home to the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Spaulding is recognized as a top residency program in the U.S. in the Doximity Residency Navigator. Spaulding also was recognized by the 2023 Disability Equality Index as a “Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion.” For more information, visit www.spauldingrehab.org.
About Partners for Youth with Disabilities
PYD empowers youth with disabilities to reach their full potential by providing transformative mentoring programs, youth development opportunities, and inclusion expertise. They motivate youth to reach their personal, educational, and career goals and guide organizations in becoming more inclusive. Learn more at www.pyd.org
Media Contact
Tim Sullivan
Spaulding Rehabilitation
617-952-5325
tsullivan11@mgb.org