The Art For Arachnoiditis Project The Final Year
This is a Charitable Project of SheilaLynnK Art Studio fiscally sponsored by the New York Foundation for the Arts, A 501(C)(3) non-profit organization, from 2014-2018.
UPDATE 4.20.2020 ~ If you would like to make a tax deductible contribution to current charitable art projects at SheilaLynnK Art Studio, you can find out more about that HERE.
Among the services provided, the Project Includes this Website for Survivors which served 93 countries in 2015 (WordPress Report).
OUR MISSION
The Project Mission has been to empower Spinal Arachnoiditis Survivors via participation in the Arts as we promote connectivity, healing, and coping tools for Living With Arachnoiditis while increasing the scope of Arachnoiditis Awareness and Prevention. Started as a One-to-One Survivor Portrait Project(2014) and Growing into a Global Community for Creative Wellness; The Art For Arachnoiditis Project is an art, adaptability and empowerment project about living with spinal arachnoiditis. A charitable Creative Wellness Art project of SheilaLynnK Art Studio; it is intended to send an empowering message for change to: arachnoiditis survivors & their support networks, persons living with chronic pain, administrative bodies governing medical policies resulting in adverse outcomes, professionals teaching/administering healing through art, employers who must accommodate arachnoiditis in the work place, and other artists with "disabilities."
ARACHNOIDITIS AWARENESS
Injured in 2007, very few practitioners were aware of Arachnoiditis, its origins, presentation, or outcomes were largely unknown to front line medical providers and administrative entities providing disability accommodations, assessments, and compensations. Due to the valuable participation of fellow survivors, local project support and encouragement from volunteers, and with Dedicated Assistance from Senator Catherine Young; the Governor of New York State has proclaimed July to be Arachnoiditis Awareness Month.
"Memorializing Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim July 2016 as Arachnoiditis Awareness Month in the State of New York and presented to Sheila L. Kalkbrenner at the Art For Arachnoditis Project." J3551
ABOUT ARACHNOIDITIS
At the risk of over-simplifying... Arachnoiditis is a spinal cord injury caused by the neurotoxins in spinal injections and invasive spinal procedures. READ MORE
FISCAL UPDATES
Mar.2014- -Feb. 2018
Contributions from SheilaLynnK Art Studio:
Art In-Kind (unpaid) Admin & Studio Hours: 1,530
StudioCash Contributions: $1,878
Artist Stipend Paid to date: $213 of $10,040 set at Year 1
The Consolidated Income/Expense Report
March 2015- Feb 2018
Re: Art For Arachnoiditis Project Bank Account, Art By SurvivorsSHOP, PayPalAccount, and Fiscal Sponsorship Account at the New York Foundation For the Arts(NYFA)
can be found HERE
[Last Update slk2.4.18]
MOVING FORWARD ~ Don't Give Up
We received some wonderful art by survivors as we squeaked through Year 3. Although we didn't reach the Year 3 fiscal goals, we are moving into Year 4 with some hopeful adjustments for this FINAL year of the project.
I started the Art for Arachnoiditis Project for fellow spinal arachnoiditis survivors in 2014. Originally a one-to-one survivor portrait project; it grew into an international resource for fellow survivors on the site I created for us at artforarachnoiditis.org. Now fiscally sponsored by the New York Foundation for the Arts; 270 survivors from around the world are currently registered at the Art For Arachnoiditis Project. The connections created here work to defy the isolation of spinal adhesive arachnoiditis.
Though this has resulted in the completion of numerous self-prescribed physical milestones in my own recovery, is a source of connection, and has become a rewarding achievement in its own right; it doesn't exactly pay the bills. … AND I have MORE art to make to share.
An arts advocate for life; my studio business and creative works are built around the concept of accessible and affordable art. As I work through this last Call for Entries, I have to express my sincere gratitude for the encouragement, support, and participation I have received from so many people as this project evolved over these last four years.
All existing resources for survivors will continue to live in their place on the web. However, I will be closing the live participation aspects of
the Art For Arachnoiditis Project in August 2018.
I hope you will join us or follow along online for updates about
Our Last Arachnoiditis Survivors' Art Exhibit
during Arachnoiditis Awareness Month July 2018.
Location TBA (funding permitting).
Creative Wellness Works. Healing is Happening.
This FINAL Year Included a Modified Method to present a FREE Independent Study Creative Wellness Program to Survivors Registered at the Project.
Survivors, No payment or special instructions are required to be eligible to receive the Creative Wellness Program. In response to the COVID 19 pandemic, the program was made free to the public in March 2020.You can find all five modules here.
The Art For Arachnoiditis Project CUMULATIVE FISCAL SUMMARY (October 2017)