“Art approaches as a saving sorceress, expert at healing. She alone knows how to turn these nauseous thoughts about the horror or absurdity of existence into notions with which one can live.” - Friedrich Nietzsche

Each year, Healing Through the Arts holds the Hope and Healing Art Show. This year marked the 12th iteration of the art show.

“We provide information to encourage and support healing for individuals, caregivers and their families,” according to the Healing Through the Arts website. “For health care, we provide free art to inspire hope and calm. For self care, we provide resources for creative expression that can help inspire a hopeful attitude, important for healing.”

The art show “provides high school and college students the opportunity to create inspirational art for those who are healing. After we host a gallery show, health care professionals can select works of art they would like to display in their hospital or healing facility at no charge to them,” according to the website.

Among the high school students who participated in the show are Northampton Area High School students Amelia Weitknecht, a junior, and Claudia Steward, a senior, who won first and fourth place, respectively.

According to Holly Weitknecht, NAHS art teacher, students in her advanced art and draw, paint and design classes submitted artworks, with the hope they would be chosen to be displayed at local hospitals, hospices and doctor offices.

Amelia reported she has been doing art since she was very little and has been mentored her whole life by her mother, Holly. She noted that she has participated in the Hope and Healing contest before, including winning fourth place in the last competition.

Her first-place winning piece this year, “Colors of a Hummingbird’s Wings,” features a hummingbird, which is symbolic of hope and healing. She used watercolors and colored pencils for the main portion of the painting and added details with a pen and gold leaf on top.

She said she was inspired by a hummingbird she saw flying around outside the window while doing schoolwork from home last year, due to the pandemic.

“It always made me feel hopeful while I was struggling with the loneliness of being at home,” Amelia said. “I hoped that my painting would instill some of the same hopeful feelings in people facing such difficult times.”

She added how happy she is to be able to participate in this contest and share a bit of joy and color.

“I think this show is really important for getting art into hospitals as art can inspire people through difficult times,” Amelia said.

She is hoping to get into college for illustration and fashion design in a few years. She reports being interested in designing clothing that can be environmentally friendly.

“Throughout my school career, I have always favorited art classes, no matter what grade I was in,” Claudia said.

She started taking art classes in kindergarten and had art as an elective every year since then. She also does different crafts during her spare time.

This was her first time participating in the Hope and Healing contest. Her piece, “Lending a Wing,” was named the fourth-place winner. Her artwork was inspired by the fact that she was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma when she was 14.

“I remember what it is like to stare at empty and ugly hospital walls for days on end,” she added.

To create the two pieces she submitted, she envisioned what she would have wanted to see when she was in the hospital, such as color schemes and subject matter. Each piece took her about two weeks to make and features watercolor, colored pencil and ballpoint pen.

“To win this award means the world to me,” Claudia said. “Not only does it heal the sadness of my sick and lonely inner child, but it gives me hope that another person would be able to benefit from my artwork just by a quick glance.

“Decorum of hospital rooms truly can make or break mentality if staying in one spot for days on end,” she added. “This is truly the most heartwarming award I could have ever won; it truly does satisfy my soul.”

In addition to awarding winners in first through fifth places, there are Community Awards offered. This year, there were 15 Community Awards winners, making for a total of 20 winners. NAHS added to its list of winners with Autumn Derhammer and Eliza Doll, who received Community Awards.

“I’m so proud of them,” Holly Weitknecht said of her winning students.

She also noted NAHS has had some winners every year the school has participated.

There were 118 pieces of artwork submitted for the show this year. The art is judged by individuals with expertise and experience in health care and art.

Other winners include Hailey Stefanov, Emmaus High School, second place for “Nature Is Healing”; Kia Vang, Kutztown University, third place for “Field of Contentment”; and Sam Dillman, Kutztown University, fifth place for “Hope Blooms.”

The art will be displayed at The Baum School of Art, Allentown, Feb. 28 through March 19 before going to area health and wellness facilities.

“Each year, high school and college students are asked to participate in this annual art exhibition and competition by creating artwork that promotes hope and healing by communicating messages of peace, calm, comfort and inspiration,” according to the Baum School Facebook page. “Not only does this exhibition provide students opportunities to explore creativity and create art to help others, but it also benefits the viewers in hospitals and healing facilities where viewers seek inspiration to heal.”