Twist Hearts
Artwork created by 7th and 8th grade students and teachers at Northbrook Junior High School.
About Twist Hearts
Twist Hearts is an exciting new series within our Twistshop program that offers creative arts-based groups for children, teens, and adults to share, connect, and heal through exploring their experience of “Love” with their community. As a community, Twist Out Cancer understands the power of healing through connection and art-making. We created this program to help individuals express themselves without using verbal language. Twist Hearts is designed to guide participants through art therapy based directives that allow them to explore their inner creativity and focus on the love that has resulted from the experiences they share within themselves and their community.
Over the past 10 years, husband and wife Joe and Grace Lombardo have experienced pain and grief in the wake of two cancer diagnoses. To counter negativity and fear, they chose love and to live life through acts and expressions of love for themselves and one another. A crisis can make you find love in unexpected places. As parents of three children—Cecilia, Luca and Enzo—the Lombardos have seen firsthand how the arts can serve as a mechanism for healing and storytelling. Our Twist Hearts program empowers participants to reflect on what love looks like and feels like and turn those feelings into a meaningful work of art.
Twist Hearts is an exciting new series within our Twistshop program that offers creative arts-based groups for children, teens, and adults to share, connect, and heal through exploring their experience of “Love” with their community. As a community, Twist Out Cancer understands the power of healing through connection and artmaking. We created this program to help individuals express themselves without using verbal language. Twist Hearts is designed to guide participants through art therapybased directives that allow them to explore their inner creativity and focus on the love that has resulted from the experiences they share within themselves and their community.
Provide a safe and creative space for participants to explore personal relationships and their experiences of love within relationships, self love, community love, and/or love as an emotional/state of being. Use creative arts therapy directives and prompts to explore deeper emotional connections and enhance non-verbal, expressive communication. Provide a safe space for reflection, learning, and connection for students, adults, and anyone that participates in the Twist Hearts program. Build camaraderie, connection, and community through nonclinical creative arts therapy. Create individual or group artworks that can be exhibited at a school, gallery, and re-produced into wearable items, prints and gifts on the Twist Out Cancer Store.
Jacqueline Carmody is a Twist Out Cancer Board Member, Brushes with Cancer Artist, Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and Registered Board Certified Art Therapist. Jaqueline will be running our signature Twistshop programs with a team of talented clinicians and is excited to bring this unique program to the community!
Mignon Dupepe Mignon is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and Registered Art Therapist. After graduating from Adler University with a Masters of Arts in Counseling with a specialization in Art Therapy, Mignon developed and implemented the first art therapy program at Cove School, a Chicago therapeutic day school. She has worked in both inpatient and outpatient settings and has extensive experience leading child and adolescent groups, adult groups, and creative exploration workshops. Mignon’s passion for using art and the creative process to connect has contributed to her involvement in many art collaborations and installations for community and not for profit groups. Currently, Mignon leads art therapy groups for adults and adolescents through NorthShore University HealthSystems and meets with individual clients. Mignon follows a collaborative, person- centered approach; her work is informed by evidence-based cognitive behavior therapy and dialectical behavior. Mignon provides art therapy and counseling specializing in anxiety; depression, coping skills, sensory processing issues, disabilities, ADHD, life transitions and stressors, and expressive art experiences and collaborations.
Mignon in collaboration with Jackie Carmody created the Twist Hearts curriculum and implemented the first pilot program this summer at Northbrook Junior High School. Over a period of 6 sessions, teachers and 7th and 8th grade students work together to create a work of art that is currently on display at the WNDR Museum.
For the last 2 years, Mignon has worked as a Twistshop facilitator to help individuals touched by cancer and beyond process their experiences.
Students, families, teachers, schools, and companies committed to improving communication around complex issues. What is it? The Pilot is a 90-120 minute non-clinical art therapy program and introduction into the series. The series will continue if contracted by an organization or donor. What is the cost? Please contact Jacqueline Carmody at jacqueline@ twistoutcancer.org for pricing and to arrange an introductory call. Planning, facilitation, art materials, and training to be included in cost. Interested in sponsoring the Twist Hearts program? Email Jenna Benn Shersher, Founder and CEO of Twist Out Cancer at jenna@twistoutcancer.org to learn more
Are you a creative arts clinician looking to become a Twistshop Facilitator?We are currently seeking clinicians that work in the creative arts to serve as facilitators for our Twistshop programs.
If you are interested in learning more we hope you will consider applying!
