Performers visit children’s hospital
Young residents at Children’s Healthcare Organization of Northern California (CHoNC) in Campbell, an inpatient facility for severely ill or catastrophically injured children, were treated to live, musical performances on Aug. 9.
The performance featured students from Starting Arts, a nonprofit that provides arts education to more than 40,000 K-12 students in 125 Bay Area schools, thanks to Starting Arts’ newest board member, Dr. Amelia Hausauer, a dermatologist with Aesthetx, a plastic surgery and dermatology practice in Los Gatos.
The children’s hospital, which is close to Hausauer’s office, had long intrigued her. In fact, the performance is part of what Hausauer hopes will be an ongoing partnership.
“The arts have a profound ability to transcend human pain and suffering,” she said. “They are a way of expression and healing, especially in children who have fewer ways to communicate. It’s immensely gratifying to be part of such a project.”
Kathleen Tuckness, CHoNC’s activity director, said she was excited about the performance and the possibility of more to come.
“Starting Arts is bringing us a professional experience that’s not usually accessible to our kids,” she said. “Music, art and dance are things all of our patients—and their families—can enjoy.”
Hausauer herself is no stranger to the healing power of art. Growing up in the North Berkeley Hills, she saw her father, a prominent therapist, suffer the life-alerting effects of polio he had contracted as a child. His determination to live life to the fullest despite his physical limitations were lessons she took to heart as a young ballerina with the Oakland Ballet.
Hausauer eventually melded her love of science and art into a career in aesthetic dermatology, skills she brings to her clinical practice.
Her dedication to enhancing the lives of others through art and medicine came full circle when she joined Aesthetx, a practice which is itself committed to community giving. (Among other endeavors, Partner Dr. Laurence Berkowitz has worked to provide life-saving cleft palate surgery in developing countries; another partner, Dr. Kamakshi Zeidler, recently dedicated part of her salary to helping war-stricken Ukraine.)
“As a dancer, I became intimately aware of how we can use our bodies to create beauty and vitality,” Hausauer said. “At Aesthetx, we work to help patients claim this same sense of self and become better, more productive members of our community.”
“We are thrilled to have Dr. Hausauer on our Board of Directors and honored to bring joy into the hearts of the children at CHoNC,” said Ann Watts, executive director of Starting Arts. “Her efforts embody our mission: Making the healing power of the arts accessible to all children.”
ArtNow receives statewide honors
New Museum Los Gatos (NUMU) was awarded the 2023 Superintendent’s Award for Excellence in Museum Education for ArtNow, NUMU’s annual juried Santa Clara County high school art exhibition and educational program established in 2012.
The Superintendent’s Award for Excellence in Museum Education competition recognizes the outstanding achievements in California museum programs that serve K-12 students and/or educators. The competition is a joint project of the sponsors, the California Association of Museums (CAM) and the California Department of Education (CDE). Since 2012, the competition has recognized 66 programs, presented by a diverse range of institutions that demonstrate the contributions museums make to California’s K-12 educational system.
In 2023, CAM and the CDE recognize six programs that took place in 2022. For information, visit calmuseums.org/superintendentsawards.
The ArtNow exhibition and supporting programs offer opportunities for high school student artists, from Palo Alto to Gilroy, to gain real-world experience in participating in a juried museum exhibition. Each year, a new theme is chosen for the exhibition and students are asked to submit works based on that theme.
A total of $16,000 in scholarships and awards are given to select participating students. Accepted students have the opportunity to win awards in eight artistic categories as well as an overall Best in Show prize and a People’s Choice Award. The categories are Painting, Drawing, Mixed Media, Printmaking, Sculpture, Photography, Digital Art and Video/Animation.
“ArtNow 2023: Unarmed Truth” marked 12 years of showcasing the voices and experiences of high school students throughout the county. NUMU received 800 submissions from 37 high schools, the highest number of individual submissions ever received, and accepted works from 83 high school artists across 23 high schools.
For the first time, the exhibition theme was co-conceived by the ArtNow Teen Council.
“ArtNow offers students the real-life experience of what an artist goes through to get their work exhibited in a museum,” said Los Altos High School teacher Christine An. “The experience fosters self-confidence, critical thinking skills and creative expression, as well as teaching students the intrinsic value of art. ArtNow is one of the rare programs that reward students for the inherent value of art. I wanted my students to work with a sense of hope and to take on the challenge of visually expressing the future world they want. By participating in the program, students were able to bring their voices and artworks outside the confines of classrooms.”
For information, visit numulosgatos.org/artnow.
Santa Clara County seeks Poet Laureate applicants
The Santa Clara County Library District (SCCLD) and the County of Santa Clara, in partnership with SVCreates and Poetry Center San José, announced a call for 2024-2025 Santa Clara County Poet Laureate applications.
The Poet Laureate is an honorary post that acts as an advocate for poetry, literature and the arts.
The next Poet Laureate will serve from January 2024 to December 2025 and will receive a stipend of $6,000 per year, a budget of $1,000 per year for reimbursable expenses related to their activities, and the opportunity to publish a chapbook through Poetry Center San José.
Applications will be accepted through Sept. 22 at 5pm.
“The Poet Laureate serves as an ambassador for the art of poetry and the spoken word across the county,” County Librarian Jennifer Weeks said. “We look forward to working with the new County Poet Laureate to host and participate in poetry and other events for the community at our libraries.”
The honorary post of Santa Clara County Poet Laureate was created by the Board of Supervisors in 2008. The Santa Clara County Library District works in partnership with SVCreates to identify a nominee, who is then appointed by the supervisors to fill the two-year post.
Current Poet Laureate Tshaka Campbell conceived and produced “Bringing the Light: In Our Words,” a series of initiatives to uplift youth poets through the publication of an anthology, projections of images of poems in public spaces, and postings on VTA vehicles.
“Santa Clara County is a wonderful mix of influences from many cultures across the world. The County Poet Laureate is a great opportunity to represent and grow our vibrant artistic community in new and exciting ways,” said Alexandra Urbanowski, associate director for SVCreates.
Among the eligibility requirements, the individual must be a current Santa Clara County resident who has resided in the county for the past three years and has been published or recognized for poetry and literary contributions.
For information, visit bit.ly/SCCPoetLaureate. For accommodation for application submissions outside of the online process, contact Alyssa Erickson at [email protected] or 408.998.2787, extension 204.
Art proposals sought for utility box program
The Town of Los Gatos is currently accepting applications for the “Outside the Box” Utility Box Art Program Phase VIII until Aug. 31 at 5pm.
Successful proposals will integrate diversity, equity and inclusion while demonstrating a sense of community, sustainability, diversity, inclusivity and creativity. The chosen designs will be converted into a vinyl wrap and installed on select utility boxes around Town.
For information, visit losgatosca.gov/2208/Utility-Box-Art-Program.
