Twist Out Cancer, an international non-profit charitable organization that provides psychosocial support to individuals touched by cancer through creative arts programming, announced today that it will celebrate its 10 year anniversary this fall at WNDR Museum in Chicago. Initiatives include two Twist Out Cancer inspired exhibits in October and November and a Brushes With Cancer Art Exhibition and Celebration on the evening of Saturday, November 19. The two exhibits feature the work of world-renowned artist Giorgia Lupi and her team at Pentagram Design, who created “Brushes With Cancer,” as well as Architect Inti Velez Botero and designer Daniel Mancini from Wanda Barcelona, who are presenting “Woven Wonders.” This year’s Brushes With Cancer program features 31 Inspirations and 31 Artists from 17 states and three countries.
Twist Out Cancer was founded by Jenna Benn Shersher in June 2012 upon completing treatment for Gray Zone Lymphoma. She saw firsthand how young adults with cancer have a unique set of needs that are not being addressed or talked about. She found that an effective way to fulfill this need is through creative arts, which can be used as a mechanism for coping and healing. 10 years later, Jenna is the CEO of Twist Out Cancer, which has touched the lives of more than 200,000 people around the world.
“As I was going through cancer treatment, I dreamed of creating a community that was centered upon empowering others to come forward with their story. A decade later, I am in awe at the empathic and nurturing global community that is centered around sharing, connecting, and healing. Since 2012 we have held Brushes With Cancer programs and art exhibitions around the world, have robust art therapy programs, and now have two exhibitions premiering at WNDR Museum this fall,” said Jenna Benn Shersher, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Twist Out Cancer. “We are grateful to our partners at WNDR Museum, and our extraordinary artists at Pentagram and Wanda Barcelona who have all come together to present the power of connection.”
Twist Out Cancer Inspired Exhibits at the WNDR Museum
Two exhibits at WNDR Museum inspired by Twist Out Cancer’s Brushes With Cancer program will open to the public on Friday, October 7, and be on view through Wednesday, November 30. Located at 1130 W. Monroe Street in the West Loop, WNDR Museum is Chicago’s original art and technology experience filled with interactive artworks by cutting edge artists, collectives, technologists, designers, and makers.
The “Brushes with Cancer” exhibit from Giorgia Lupi and Pentagram is a work of 278 interwoven brushstrokes, representing the moments or collaborations between Twist Out Cancer’s Inspirations and Artists, as they came together to change each other’s lives. Their names and personal quotes line the brushstrokes to highlight the emotional impact of the Brushes With Cancer program on its participants. Pentagram is a multi-disciplinary, independently owned design studio.
“Woven Wonders” was created by Architect Inti Velez Botero, designer Daniel Mancini, and artist Iris Joval from Wanda Barcelona to foster an environment of love and warmth, showing the beauty and ephemeralness of life. Woven Wonders is a three-dimensional interpretation of the Brushes With Cancer program that uses paper laced together to show our personal connections to cancer. Paper strands are intertwined, referring to a brush stroke and all of our connections to cancer. The piece was made with a wicker-weaving technique through craftsmanship by 12 highly skilled artisans in Barcelona.
The Brushes With Cancer Gala
The 2022 Midwest Brushes With Cancer Art Exhibition and Celebration will take place on Saturday, November 19 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $250 per person, with a set of two tickets available for $450. Each ticket includes access to the online auction and interactive gallery alongside food, drinks, entertainment, and private access to WNDR Museum’s full breadth of interactive exhibits. Tickets are available here.
The honorees for the 2022 Midwestern Brushes With Cancer program are Dr. Katherine Heiden, an endocrine surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic, and Wade Miquelon, President and Chief Executive Officer of JOANN, the nation’s category leader in sewing and one of the fastest-growing competitors in the arts and crafts industry. The Master of Ceremonies will be SaulPaul, who is a Grammy Award nominated artist, and the evening will also feature music from DJ John Simmons. The co-chairs for the event are Gudrun Wu Snyder and Joelle Billow.
The Brushes with Cancer program is a unique celebration that pairs accomplished Artists with Inspirations, who have been touched by cancer as previvors, survivors, or caregivers. As the Inspirations share their twist on cancer – stories, feelings, and experiences – the artists create a unique work of art that represents their personal journey with cancer. The unique artworks that are part of the 2022 Midwestern Brushes With Cancer program will be included on the Twist Out Cancer website in mid-October. The artwork and stories that came from the collaborations between Inspirations and artists at recent Brushes With Cancer programs are here.
Exhibits from Wanda Barcelona and Pentagram Design will open on Friday, October 7; A Brushes With Cancer Art Exhibition and Celebration will be held on Saturday, November 19.
If you would like to bring Brushes with Cancer to your region or city, or if you have any questions on corporate partnerships and licensed programs, please send an email to brushes@twistoutcancer.org.
About Twist Out Cancer
Established in 2011 as a non-profit organization, Twist Out Cancer offers the platform, tools and community – both online and offline – for anyone touched by cancer to feel connected to a community, and for many to take action. Twist Out Cancer was founded on the principle that when you share, the world opens up. Since its inception, the organization has touched over 200,000 people around the world through its programs and events. A labor of love, Twist Out Cancer is a volunteer-led organization boasting a network of over 200 active volunteers serving as ambassadors in Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, Ann Arbor, Austin, Tel Aviv, Toronto, and Montreal. More information is available at www.twistoutcancer.org.
About WNDR Museum
WNDR Museum is Chicago’s original immersive art and technology experience located in the city’s West Loop neighborhood at 1130 W. Monroe St with additional locations scheduled to open in San Diego, Boston, Seattle and more to be announced. Filled with interactive artworks by cutting edge artists, collectives, technologists, designers and makers, WNDR disrupts and redefines the traditional museum experience. As guests travel through WNDR Museum, they are taken on a multi-dimensional journey in which they serve as an extension of each creator by interacting with various installations. In July 2022, WNDR Museum was voted one of the top five immersive art experiences in the country by USA Today’s Reader Poll. For more information, visit WNDRmuseum.com.