Last weekend, we hosted a group of fifteen young people touched by cancer in partnership with the Kids & Art Foundation, an organization that connects pediatric cancer patients and their families with artistic outlets. Youth, alongside their grandparents, parents, and siblings, participated in workshops in Woodworking, Leather, and Ceramics. Some youth have been in treatment for the last ten years, and Purvi Shah, Founder & Executive Director of Kids & Art, explained that this creative break was a much needed relief. “You have no idea how happy the kids and families were . . . It’s at such moments what we do makes it feel right.”

Ben Smith, an instructor in Leather Working, was touched by one particular student who was painstakingly detailed about her keychain project. “As sometimes happens with dye, it ran a little bit,” he explained. “She asked if there was anything she could do to erase the dye, and I told her unfortunately, there really wasn’t. She turned to her mother, absolutely distraught, and asked, ‘Do you think they will still like them?’ This little girl – battling cancer at such a heartbreakingly young age – and her biggest concern in the world was whether or not her family would like the gifts she made them. It was so unbelievably sweet, and it brings a tear to my eye even now.”

This is the second year in a row that The Crucible has been able to offer workshops to youth and families from Kids & Art at a reduced rate, witnessing firsthand how creative expression can decrease anxiety and elicit joy even during such difficult times.

While Daniel Stauber, Workshops Manager at The Crucible, “felt bad that these children have to deal with such serious health issues, they left The Crucible skipping and so excited from the fun of the day!”

See our photos from the day below. Thank you to Purvi and the Kids & Art team for visiting!

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