Growing Hope Through Art

An Art Installation Program to Amplify Sarcoma Awareness and Support Cancer Research

Glass blowing artist Jake Pfeifer (left) works on a glass creation. Jake, a sarcoma cancer survivor, is creating an exhibit entitled Seasons of Life for the Paula Takacs Foundation's Growing Hope Through Art program.

 

Jake Pfeifer of Hot Glass Alley in Charlotte, NC, is an accomplished glass blowing artist. He is also a survivor of sarcoma cancer. Diagnosed at age 5, Jake will tell the story of his cancer journey by bringing to life a three dimensional blown-glass tree entitled “Seasons of Life.” His work will be the first exhibit in the Paula Takacs Foundation’s Growing Hope Through Art program.  

Growing Hope Through Art seeks to combine art, awareness, and purposeful fundraising to support sarcoma and novel cancer research. Community members are invited to “bring the tree to life” through their gifts, with each donation to be represented by a hand-blown glass flower or bark tile. “Our unique fundraising model is designed to allow the public to choose not only their donation level, but also coordinate that choice to the individual art elements,” says Susan Udelson, executive director of the Paula Takacs Foundation. “The exhibit becomes incredibly powerful when you think about all of the individual donors coming together to help create a beautiful masterpiece.”

Spanning over 18-feet long and 8-feet high, Jake’s work is a contemporary interpretation of a tree bending in the wind but not breaking as it grows through all four seasons. Each season represents Jake’s personal reflection on his cancer journey, going from full health (summer), to diagnosis (fall), to treatment (winter), and renewal (spring). “The exhibit will be on permanent display in the most highly traveled corridor of the Levine Cancer Institute,” says Susan. “There are so many metaphors to be had between Jake’s artistic expression and the journey of cancer patients and their families. Our hope is that the exhibit serves as a place of reflection and inspiration for all.”  

Founded in 2010, the Paula Takacs Foundation’s mission is focused solely on funding novel clinical trials and other sarcoma research projects at Levine Cancer Institute and Levine Children’s Hospital. In 2004, Paula Takacs, a Charlotte native and the organization's namesake, was diagnosed with sarcoma just nine days after giving birth. At the time, there were few local treatments, forcing Paula to travel to Sloan Kettering in New York to receive cutting edge care. “It was Paula’s dream and mission to bring research and novel treatment opportunities to the Charlotte region,” says Susan. “Today, the Paula Takacs Foundation is the largest nonprofit research donor to the Levine Cancer Institute. In fact, we funded the very first investigator-initiated sarcoma clinical trial at Levine. That clinical trial, which received international attention, is impacting treatment options for sarcoma cancer patients globally.”  

Beyond funding research, the foundation also helps elevate sarcoma awareness, a disease with hundreds of different expressions. “Sarcoma is a head-to-toe disease and can impact any system within the body,” says Susan. “While breast or lung cancers present with more identifiable warning signs, sarcoma is usually more mysterious and can occur anywhere in the body. Symptoms for sarcoma include unexplained pain, swelling, or lump in the arms, legs, or torso.”

Seasons of Life will depict the four seasons in the life of a tree. This mural is a small-scale representation of the final installation that will be more than 18 feet wide and nearly 8 feet tall.

TowneBank is honored to help bring the Growing Hope Through Art program to life. “As the presenting sponsor of Seasons of Life, TowneBank plays a pivotal role in getting the initial installation off the ground and providing funding for the artist, the materials, and the physical costs of installation,” says Susan. "Through their generosity, this project can now accomplish so much. It not only amplifies sarcoma awareness and research but brings local artists out of the shadows and gives them a canvas to tell their stories through art.”    

To learn more about the Growing Hope Through Art program and explore their donation process, visit GrowingHopeThroughArt.org.