MDA Logo

Artful Healing Galleries

MAKE A TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATION

Galleries

Click on each picture for details.

1[1]

Jan Terry

Creating art has been an important part of Jan Terry’s life for as long as she can remember.

Fast drying and portable, watercolor fit into her busy schedule as mom to four young sons.

As her children grew up, she became a make-up artist and painting faces took priority over painting watercolors.  Doing calligraphy during those years allowed her to keep her hand in art, but she eventually found her way back to watercolor.

Jan has served as the curator for the Pemberton NAC Gallery and was a founding member of Home Fine Art Gallery in Mt. Holly.

2[1]

Donna Sensor Thomas

One word comes to mind when Donna Sensor Thomas thinks of art: vitality. She believes this is the essence of human beings, which is why she strives to infuse her art with as much vitality as possible.

Donna created her first art pieces as a young child, and by the age of 10, she was a frequent visitor to art museums, favoring modern art paintings.

After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in philosophy, Donna pursued a computer-based career. She did not think about creating art again until a trip to Italy reignited her interest. Donna went back to school and earned an M.S. in interior design from Drexel University.

When it came time for Donna to seek employment in interior design, she found herself soul searching. She realized what it was she enjoyed most while in school, painting, and decided to pursue it full time working out of her studio in Mt. Laurel.

“Not only do I strive to infuse my artwork with vitality through explosive color and movement, but I also try, through art, to instill myself with vitality – at least on a good day.”

3[1]

Shelley Thorstensen

A graduate of Cherry Hill High School West, Shelley Thorstensen teaches drawing and printmaking at the Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia.

Her prints are a reflection of the beauty of the natural world, which is a significant inspiration in her work.

Shelley worked in the Visual Arts Department at Princeton University and taught printmaking at Rutgers in Camden and New Brunswick. She also designed the Printmaking Department facility at The College of New Jersey.

Earlier in her life, Shelley taught an after school art class at the Markeim Art Center in Haddonfield.

“Having spent much of my life living and working in South Jersey, I am honored to have my work displayed at Cooper. Cooper has always been an important part of the community and is a leader in health care throughout the region.”

 

4[1]

James Toogood

James Toogood views painting as a unique and universal form of language that transcends the limitations of other languages to communicate with virtually everyone.

In this particular watercolor, James uses the annual cranberry harvest to depict a colorful scene specific to the Pinelands of South Jersey. The painting is meant to provide patients and families a soothing diversion from their current circumstance.

A longtime New Jersey resident, James is a master at creating light, depth and texture within his work.

James regularly writes and lectures about watercolor painting and currently teaches at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia.

“I use painting to communicate my thoughts about the people, places and things that make up the world we live in.”

5[1]

Urban Promise

These pieces of art were created several years ago by two young students attending UrbanPromise in Camden.

UrbanPromise educates and empowers more than 600 Camden children and young adults each year, who demonstrate a hunger to participate in activities that challenge academic, spiritual and social growth.

The abstract image was created by a third grader for an assignment on warm and cool colors. This piece uses cool colors and appears to depict a moon, clouds, snow and houses.

The image of the dove was created by a seventh grader assigned to design a symbol of peace.

“Art is a powerful tool for self-expression, especially for children. At UrbanPromise, we value art education and believe it is critical to educating the whole student.” (Urban Promise Executive Director Jodina Hicks)op, Janet instantly fell in love with the colors and excitement of glass. As she developed her eye and her craft, the power of art to heal the body and spirit revealed itself. Her  jewelry – which has been showcased in glass magazines – is often inspired by nature and designed around a focal bead to express a memory or create a meaningful statement.  It is no surprise that she has served on the Board of Trustees of WheatonArts in Millville.

The focal bead in this particular necklace reminded Janet of a peacock feather and the wild peacocks that once roamed her yard. The colors – pink, teal and lavender – resonate with her own breast cancer journey.

“I want to see other women benefit from the care at Cooper the way I did. This new Center is a place where women can find people who understand the journey they are experiencing– physically, mentally and spiritually.” 

6[1]

Christine F. Wagner

Christine Wagner has been passionate about art since early childhood. She remembers spending her days drawing figures and faces and soon moved to her preferred medium of acrylic paint.

She paints intuitively. As she applies the brush to the paper and canvas, she varies both thick and transparent layers, erasing and reconstructing, so the positive and negative spaces emerge and perhaps the under-painting will become visible.

“My artworks are speculative formations that create themselves through my personal perception and interpretation. The journey or process is never the same."

7[1]

Patricia Walkar

Patricia Walkar has lived in New Jersey most of her life. She is primarily a self-taught artist who began her career with portrait making.

Today, her work is largely paintings on silk that range from flowing abstracts to striking florals. Patricia’s paintings are rich blends of color and design that reflect a journey of the spirit.

Patricia lets her paintings “tell her” their titles when they’re finished. The titles talk of a spiritual journey that honors the beauty and hope of the feminine.

“Art is transformative. It takes you into a different space, a space where there is hope.”

8[1]
Leon Wescoat, III

Leon Wescoat, III was born and raised in a tugboat family spending much time throughout his youth towing up and down the East Coast. His dad and grandfather taught him to appreciate maritime settings and that love has carried over into his adult life.

With a quarter century of artwork to his credit and no formal training, he creates images from memory and blends oils to capture every intricate detail of each subject. As a member of the American Society of Marine Artists he is able to spread his love, knowledge and respect of the Sea and all of its treasures through exhibits and juried shows.

Leon’s love of the water and outdoors allows him to portray marine life and lush landscapes.

 

“My art combines a love of nature with a strong spiritual sensibility. Through my work, I aim to create a blissful connection to the human soul.” permanent collection at the University of Pennsylvania.

“What motivates me most is a desire to distill my subject, as much as possible, to its essence and bring out its quintessential beauty, energy, emotion and flow.”

9[2]

Alice Steer Wilson

Alice Steer Wilson’s passion for art began when she was a child growing up on an Ohio farm and was fed by childhood summers on Long Island Sound.

She mastered a variety of media and genres, including oil and watercolor still life, portraits, charcoal portraits, and plein air landscapes for which she is renowned.

Formally trained at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Alice taught drawing and painting throughout the region.

Alice lived in Moorestown, Merchantville and Cape May from 1950 until her death from breast cancer in 2001. Her art was the fuel that kept her going during her battles with the disease.

Three of the paintings in the Cooper collection were created during Alice’s remission from 1996 to 1999.

“My mother and I were grateful for the expertise and support we received at Cooper. It is thrilling to imagine her work resting on the walls of the new cancer building, providing inspiration, hope and gentle release for families walking this path.” (Janice Wilson Stridick, daughter of Alice)

10[1]
Yuxuan Zhen

The intricacies of the flowers that are highlighted in Yuxuan Zhen’s oil paintings are meant to symbolize the inner workings of life today.

The green cymbidium orchids in this piece represent elegance and graciousness. The green in the painting reflects health, resilience, good fortune and youth. Further, green orchids among a diverse mixture of shapes and hues convey a message of optimism and renewal.

Yuxuan started her career as an artist focusing on traditional Chinese painting. She has an MA in art education from Spalding University in Louisville, Kentucky and has lived in Cherry Hill since 2008.

“To an artist, each painting exhibits a distinct symbolism from the inner soul. For me, each painting portrays an inner meaning embedded in society.”