December 15, 1999
Therapeutic artwork
Healing Art showcases work of those dealing with cancer
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
Cancer has taken artist Kathy Rowe from weaving to watercolors.
The Suttons Bay fiber artist was diagnosed with a rare form of thyroid cancer last February and since then has been unable to work. Her part-time teaching jobs and summers of traveling to art shows to display her woven wares are things of the past, part of her life BC: before cancer.
"Kirk and I cancelled most shows this summer," said Kathy, referring to her husband and artistic partner of 22 years. "Nowadays, I am doing watercolor or some dye work of fabrics for Kirk to weave in the hour or two each day I can work. I don't have the strength to work the loom."
Now out of treatment and working to regain her vitality and sense of self, Rowe participated in her first show in more than a year last Friday. She brought samples of both types of her art, the old and new Kathy Rowe, to Munson Medical Center to participate in Healing Art: A Holiday Show.
The show included two other artists recovering from cancer plus another artist friend who has a family member with cancer. The show provided the four women a chance to make some income from their work and regain a sense of themselves as both artists and breadwinners. Both these things were quickly lost during their struggle with cancer and its treatments.
"I missed a lot of the shows because I was in chemo and had no energy," said Krystal Ann Miller of Traverse, a fabric artist recovering from ovarian cancer who has not worked in 11 months.
"Cancer is a huge disruption in income, suddenly you are not making any money and you still have to pay rent, car insurance and so on. Some people take an early retirement or go on disability, but then there is a recovery time after treatment where you still can't work."
The artists are all members of Munson Medical Center's Cancer Support Group, a support group open to anyone with cancer or who has a family member with cancer. Rowe and Miller approached Terry Gremel, one of the co-facilitators of the group with their idea of a show and Gremel was immediately intrigued. They also pledged to donate 10 percent of their proceeds to the Women's Cancer Fund, which helps women with non-medical related expenses while they undergo treatment.
"It was important to them and I thought it was a wonderful way to celebrate who they are and what they've done," said Gremel, an Oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist at Munson Medical Center. "It was a win-win situation for everybody."
For the artists who have been struggling with their health and livelihoods, the show was a step in the direction of getting back their life, a way to reaffirm themselves as artists and people.
"In some ways it is very healing to be an artist," said Miller, who has always worked 'normal' jobs through the years so she has health and disability insurance coverage. "I've always wished for time to do my art and now I have it, plus it has been good for me to start producing again."
The Cancer Support Group meets the first and third Mondays of each month from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in the Oncology Unit Lounge at Munson Medical Center. For more information on the group or the Women's Cancer Fund, contact Terry Gremel at 935-6578.