Artists in Residence
For more information about our AIR program, please contact:
Email: arts@childrens.harvard.edu
Tel: 617-355-7506
Meet the Artists in Residence
Take a look inside the joyful, healing collaboration between patients and our artists—carrying on Boston Children’s Hospital’s commitment to innovative, patient and family centered care.
About our Team
Aaron Devine—Creative Writing
“I invite patients to take a playful approach to writing as a way to express and to explore. Language is as fun and bendable as our imaginations. My goal is to help patients surprise themselves by finding words for something they’d never said before, or didn’t realize they had the language to say.”
Try this! Jumble the letters in your name to create a character who is your opposite. Write a short story about this character on his/her best—or worst—day (remember: it would be the opposite of yours). In the middle of the story, add a character that changes the day in a surprising way. Write to the end to see what happens.
Ana Linares—Collage, Drawing, and Jewelry Making
Ana is an artist, musician, and salsa dancer from the multicultural metropolis of Miami, FL. She earned a BA in Visual Art Studies and Art History at the University of Florida in 2011 and an MS in Arts Administration from Boston University in 2014. Since joining the Artist-in-Residence team, Ana continues to work as a practicing artist, creating graphite portraits, digital drawings, original jewelry, letterpress prints, and digital collages made with photos and documents from her family history. Her work has been featured in solo and group exhibitions at the University of Florida, Lasell College, Boston University, Carrollton School, as well as independent galleries in Florida and Massachusetts.
“I strive to empower every patient during our art interactions so they can continue to call themselves artists long after their stay at the Hospital. Through the process of conceiving and manifesting a creative idea, we deem ourselves creators in our own lives, lending an element of control that is often lost during a hospital stay."
Try this! Flip through a magazine and pick out one word. Reflect on the word and think about all the different meanings and contexts of this word and all the ways it could be interpreted. Go back to the magazine and cut out some images that relate to the word in any of the ways you just brainstormed. Layer the images in the center of the sheet and then place the initial word in the center of the composition—or anywhere in the composition that you choose!
Laki Vazakas—Video Making
Laki is a video maker and an Artist in Residence at Boston Children’s Hospital and Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital. He has been instrumental in developing the digital storytelling process with patients and families at both locations. He has also created collaborative video projects with women in recovery, refugees and returning veterans. His videos have been screened at the Whitney Museum of American Art, the San Francisco Cinematheque and the Venice Biennale's Retrospetiva.
Phyllis Beinart—Visual Arts
Phyllis is a Visual Artist-in-Residence (AIR) and joined Boston Children’s Hospital in 2011. She is a painter, fiber/ teaching artist, and has worked in public and private education teaching all levels of art. She has a BFA from Syracuse University, an MA from Montclair State College and trained at The Creative Center for Artists-in-Residence in NYC. She worked as an AIR for the Department of Education/University of Vermont BEST Institute, was a presenter for Art and Observation skills for Nurses’ Week at University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, and a teaching artist for “Artz” – Artists for Alzheimer’s.
“As an Artist in Residence, I meet each patient with the idea of giving him or her a private art lesson. I have seen agitated kids become completely relaxed while painting with watercolors. I know from experience that the arts are an integral part of the process of visualization and creation, regardless of their ultimate goal or medium. The young patients I work with feel self-satisfaction. Art makes the hospital stay more tolerable.”
Try this! Close your eyes and draw a large scribble for one minute. Think about the kinds of lines you can draw (such as thick, thin, dark, light, straight, and curly). Open your eyes and turn your drawing around until you see an image. With crayons or colored pencils, finish your image with color so that it stands out.
Silvia Lopez-Chavez, Mixed Media Painting
Silvia is a painter, printmaker and a graphic designer. She moved to Boston in 1997 from the Dominican Republic and completed her studies at the Massachusetts College of Art & Design. Since then, she has exhibited extensively in solo and group exhibits including the Fitchburg Art Museum, Boston Children’s Museum, and the New Hampshire Institute of Art. Silvia believes in using the power of the creative process as an agent for positive change. She enjoys making art with others, creating art pieces that are accessible to everyone in public spaces, and continues her studio art practice at the Boston Center for the Arts in the South End.
"I believe the creative process can contribute immensely to the emotional and mental health of patients and their families. Engaging the brain in art making allows us to play, explore and learn in positive ways beyond the known benefits of observation and listening alone. It is marvelous when a child's mind can escape the room for a while and get lost in a fun art project."
Try this! NOTE: It should be the worst drawing you’ve ever made! Partner up with a friend or family member. Pick up some paper and a black marker. Sit right in front of each other and take turns to draw each other’s faces without looking at the paper or picking up the maker off the page (No peeking!). The drawing should be one continuous line from beginning to end. Outcomes are surprising and hilarious!
Tim has an Associate Degree in Illustration and Graphic Design from the Ivy School of Professional Art in Pittsburgh. His illustrations and cartoon work have been published in The Boston Phoenix, NH Telegraph, El Planeta, Bay State Banner, NOW Comics and numerous other publications, as well as by a variety of greeting card and comic book companies. He is a published children's book illustrator where his skill with traditional hand-rendered art has been highlighted. Tim is also very active in the comic book art community; often exhibiting and creating his artwork at comic book conventions throughout New England for a growing following of fans of his illustrations. His artwork and gallery showings have raised money to benefit various charities and organizations including Boston Children's Hospital's Milagros Para Ninos; as well as various outside charities such as the Global Deeds Foundation and other youth empowerment groups. Tim also teaches freelance cartooning and art classes.
“My goal is to engage and entertain patients at their bedside via drawing vibrant art and telling stories to boost their mood and spirits. Together, we make their imaginative suggestions come to life on paper. For children interested in taking a more active role, I also teach them art techniques and strive to foster their active participation and growth in the art”
Try this! Everything is based on a general shape, for example: cars and cats. To draw a car, start with a rectangle. Add some circles as wheels to the bottom. Then add square windows inside the rectangle. Now you have the makings of a car. To draw a cat’s face, begin with a circle. Add two eye circles inside and black dots inside of them. Use a letter “U” for the mouth and two triangles for ears. See the cat? The world is shapes! Experiment by combining basic shapes to form other objects, animals, or even people. Let your imagination rule the drawing.
