'This is Not a Dress Rehearsal' Captures Cancer Patient's Spirit and Wins Lilly Oncology on Canvas(SM) Art Competition
December 06 2006 - 6:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
Cancer Advocates Regis and Joy Philbin Emcee Awards Ceremony NEW
YORK, Dec. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- At an awards finale hosted
by Regis ("Live with Regis and Kelly") and Joy Philbin at New
York's Metropolitan Pavilion, "This is Not a Dress Rehearsal," by
Anne Wilson of Morganton, North Carolina, was named Best of the
United States in the 2006 Lilly Oncology on Canvas: Expressions of
a Cancer Journey International Art Competition and Exhibition,
presented by Eli Lilly and Company in partnership with the National
Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS). "This is Not a Dress
Rehearsal" features Wilson's late daughter Katherine just seven
months after Katherine, a non-smoker, was diagnosed with small cell
lung cancer at the age of 23. The photograph portrays a smiling
Katherine and her dad playfully removing their hats to display
their bald heads -- Katherine's from her cancer treatments and her
dad's a result of his sympathetic shaving. Wilson's photograph was
selected by an independent judging panel that reviewed 492
submissions from the US and Puerto Rico. The judges' selections
were based on artwork and narratives that best depict what gives
the cancer journey meaning. "Katherine's cancer diagnosis changed
our family in unexpected ways," said Wilson. "From the earliest
days, Katherine proved that she would not let this disease
negatively impact the rest of her life. She always felt that life
was for living and you only had one chance at it. The photograph
shows how much she believed that -- even in those early days after
learning about her diagnosis." Following her diagnosis, Katherine
not only earned her nursing degree from the University of North
Carolina - Chapel Hill School of Nursing but was also inducted into
Sigma Theta Tau, the international nursing honors society. In
addition, Katherine traveled extensively with friends and family
who considered her an inspiration. In February 2005, Katherine
succumbed to her illness, five years after diagnosis, at the age of
28. At the finale event hosted by the Philbins, Wilson accepted a
$10,000 donation to the cancer charity of her choice -- the
University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer
Center. Lilly President and COO John C. Lechleiter, Ph.D., and
Ellen Stovall, NCCS president and CEO, presented the award at a
ceremony that marked the debut of the U.S. art exhibition. The
event included remarks from competition judge and breast cancer
survivor Geralyn Lucas, author of Why I Wore Lipstick (To My
Mastectomy), and ABC "20/20" correspondent Lynn Sherr, author of
Outside the Box: A Memoir, part of which is devoted to her own
survival of colon cancer. "We started out wanting to do something
for the patient," said Lilly's Lechleiter about the origins of
Lilly Oncology on Canvas. "In the end, we created an emotional
forum for many people affected by cancer, and learned much in the
process. We are at once proud and humbled." This is the second
Lilly Oncology on Canvas competition. It was launched by Lilly in
2004 to help people affected by cancer express their emotions about
the disease, an important part of the healing process. The art has
since toured the world. The 2006 global competition received more
than 2,000 entries from 43 countries. The judging panel awarded
second place in the U.S. competition to JoAnn Coleman of Baltimore,
Maryland, for her photograph, "Tranquility." Coleman has been a
nurse at the Johns Hopkins Hospital's Department of Surgery since
1974 and now serves as coordinator of the Multidisciplinary
Pancreatic Cancer Clinic at The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer
Center at Johns Hopkins. "Tranquility" shows a serene fountain in
Hawaii containing water lilies with a reflection of a Japanese Tea
House. Coleman took the photograph while in Hawaii for a nursing
conference. "The photograph reminds me of how we treat patients
when they go into surgery for the removal of cancerous tumors,"
said Coleman. "We should accept and respect patients as they
journey through the cancer experience." Third place was awarded to
Isabel Quinones-Martin of San Juan, Puerto Rico, for her acrylic
painting, titled "Embrace Life." Quinones-Martin, who has lost many
loved ones to cancer, was inspired by her friend's positive outlook
following her cancer diagnosis. "The painting shows my friend who
decided to embrace life," said Quinones- Martin. "After learning
she had cancer she first thought her days were numbered, but the
painting shows how she looked out at the world and decided to keep
her spirit strong." Lilly Oncology on Canvas invited people from
all over the world to put their feelings about cancer on canvas and
in narrative. People diagnosed with any type of cancer, their
families and friends, cancer advocates, health care providers,
artists and art students were all eligible. Art was accepted in the
following media: acrylic, oil, pastel, photography, watercolor and
"other," which included one-dimensional mixed media. In all, Lilly
Oncology on Canvas awarded prizes to a total of 36 winners from
more than 2,000 global entries from 43 countries. In addition to
the three U.S. winners, there were three global winners and 30
category winners. Global winners were announced on November 3,
2006, at London's Royal College of Art. "Lilly Oncology on Canvas
brings us all closer to the heart of the cancer journey, enabling
us to walk the path of emotions that cancer survivors, their
families, friends and caregivers experience," said NCCS's Stovall.
"Today all entrants are winners for inspiring and encouraging
others through these beautiful works of art." Free Public
Exhibition Entries from the U.S. and Puerto Rico, along with
selections from the global competition -- about 600 artworks in all
-- will remain at The Metropolitan Pavilion for free public viewing
through December 8, 2006: Lilly Oncology on Canvas Free Public
Exhibition The Metropolitan Pavilion - The Level 123 West 18th St.
New York, NY 10011 December 6-8, 2006 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. The World
Tour Lilly Oncology on Canvas is a biennial competition. In 2007,
the art entries from the 2006 Lilly Oncology on Canvas competition
will begin to tour the world, as the cancer journeys portrayed in
art and narrative inspire millions of people. The Charities Chosen
by the Winners Lilly Oncology on Canvas will make the following
contributions on behalf of the U.S. competition winners: * $10,000
to the University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer
Center, Chapel Hill, North Carolina * $5,000 to the Sol Goldman
Pancreatic Cancer Research Center, Johns Hopkins Medicine,
Baltimore, Maryland * $2,500 to San Jorge Children's Foundation,
San Juan, Puerto Rico To learn more about Lilly Oncology on Canvas,
log on to http://www.lillyoncology.com/ and click on the Lilly
Oncology on Canvas logo. National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship
(NCCS) NCCS is the oldest survivor-led cancer advocacy organization
in the country and a highly respected authentic voice at the
federal level, advocating for quality cancer care for all Americans
and empowering cancer survivors. For more information about NCCS
and its advocacy for quality cancer care, please visit
http://www.canceradvocacy.org/ or call 1.877.NCCS.YES. Lilly
Oncology, a Division of Eli Lilly and Company For more than four
decades, Lilly Oncology has been collaborating with cancer
researchers to deliver innovative treatment choices and valuable
programs to patients and physicians worldwide. Inspired by the
courageous patients living with cancer, Lilly Oncology is providing
treatments that are considered global standards of care and
developing a broad portfolio of novel targeted therapies to
accelerate the pace and progress of cancer care. To learn more
about Lilly's commitment to cancer, please visit
http://www.lillyoncology.com/ . About Eli Lilly and Company Lilly,
a leading innovation-driven corporation, is developing a growing
portfolio of first-in-class and best-in-class pharmaceutical
products by applying the latest research from its own worldwide
laboratories and from collaborations with eminent scientific
organizations. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind., Lilly provides
answers -- through medicines and information -- for some of the
world's most urgent medical needs. Additional information about
Lilly is available at http://www.lilly.com/ . O-LLY (Photo:
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http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050921/NCCSLOGO DATASOURCE:
Eli Lilly and Company; National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship
CONTACT: Christine Van Marter of Lilly, +1-317-651-1473, ; Neil
Hochman of CPR Worldwide, +1-212-453-2067,
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