Ceramic Arts at Hurricane Health

Submitted by Asa Gardine, Sunstone Therapy Resource, Utah
Hurricane Health & Rehab’s therapy department is always looking for great ideas for new group treatments that are both engaging AND relevant to our patients. Thankfully, we have a passionate team member, Shannon O’Connor, who used her resources and asked her friend, Brandon Berrett, who owns The Creative Cure, a ceramic studio in St. George that provides art therapeutic services to the community, if he would be able to help with a ceramics group. Brandon also teaches ceramics at a local high school, so together Shannon, Brandon, and four of his high school students brought ceramic arts to Hurricane Health and Rehab for a massively successful group treatment.

A total of 14 patients participated, and each had their own pottery wheel and were able to receive instruction. Every patient was smiling ear to ear along with their therapists and instructors. This was a monumental effort to pull off, and the positive memories of that day are still felt by the residents who are proud of their creations of art and their expressions of themselves.

Brandon is currently providing the color for the pottery and the kiln firing and will be returning their custom pieces to them soon!