The Cherokee Indian Hospital Foundation is proud to have supported the recent Artful Healing: Exploring Wellness Through Community and Creativity workshop series, a powerful and culturally rooted experience designed to help participants explore healing through the arts.
The workshop was led by renowned photographer and filmmaker Maya Goded and acclaimed sculptor Laura Walkingstick, and was made possible through a collaboration between the Mint Museum of Charlotte, Cherokee Indian Hospital, The Light Factory, McColl Center, Circle de Luz, and the Museum of the Cherokee People.
Several CIHA staff members and community participants took part in the multi-day series, which focused on corn husk doll making and photography as tools for healing, storytelling, and cultural expression. Through these traditional and contemporary art forms, attendees explored creative ways to process trauma and deepen their understanding of personal and collective wellness.
“We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to support a workshop that honors both creativity and culture,” said Maggie Jackson, Vice-Chair of the Cherokee Indian Hospital Foundation. “The hands-on guidance from Maya Goded and Laura Walkingstick helped participants connect more deeply to cultural identity and explore new methods of expression that can complement clinical healing journeys.”
The practices learned in the workshop are intended to be woven into the services already offered at Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority and among its partners, reinforcing a community-based approach to mental, emotional, and spiritual health.
The Foundation extends thanks to the artists, partner organizations, and, most importantly, the participants who showed up with open hearts and minds to explore the power of art in healing.
To learn more about how the Cherokee Indian Hospital Foundation supports wellness initiatives and culturally rooted healing programs, visit www.cihafoundation.org.