One patient, one camera, one photography lesson: That’s all it took.

In 2001, eleven-year-old Katie was diagnosed with bone cancer. While helping care for her during the long and difficult months of treatment in the hospital, her older sister, Anna, noticed that there weren’t many positive activities available for kids like Katie, activities to help them stay engaged in life. Anna saw firsthand the struggles and triumphs of these brave young patients, and recognized that many of the children’s emotional, social, and cognitive needs weren’t being met. So…she brought in a camera.

At first, Anna taught photography just to Katie. But then she started teaching Katie’s neighbors in the hospital, then five other kids on the unit got involved, then 10, then 20. Patients and their parents responded positively to the art lessons and asked for more. Photography and visual arts quickly proved to be powerful ways to help patients successfully cope with their medical treatments and hospital stays. Overwhelming requests from patients, parents, and caregivers, as well as donations and start-up grants, soon allowed Arts For Life to reach more children. Donations from many generous people and contributions from businesses, such as the Loretta Ho Sherblom Insurance Agency, enabled Anna to officially form Arts For Life at Brenner Children’s Hospital and to keep the program going.

Over the next five years, Arts For Life expanded from Winston-Salem to Asheville, Durham and Charlotte. Arts For Life grew, offering not just photography but all types of visual art lessons—painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking, and more—plus music and creative writing lessons, all at no cost to families.

Today, patients and parents count on Arts For Life to be there for them, every day, offering opportunities to do what kids do best: learn, create, and grow.

Organizational Values

Arts For Life’s core values are the foundation of all of our organizational and programmatic decisions—big and small. They keep our mission at the forefront while ensuring we remain responsive to the ever-changing needs of the pediatric patients in our programs and of our hospital partners.

Creativity: We invite individual expression and experimentation into hospital spaces, transforming clinical environments into sanctuaries of imagination. We intentionally create opportunities for curiosity, and learning, while giving people agency in a place where they often have none.

Connection: We show up authentically, ready to foster belonging and relationships that support growth, discovery, and understanding. We meet individuals where they are, seeking to learn from and celebrate their unique abilities and lived experiences. Together, we co‑create meaningful experiences for all.

Above all, we value being creative and connecting with our community—the young patients and families we serve, the hospital staff we serve alongside, and the volunteers and donors who make our work possible.

Equity Statement

Arts For Life’s board, staff, volunteers, and interns are committed to creating spaces that are safe, nurturing, and empowering for all people, regardless of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, age, gender, diagnosis, genetic information, socioeconomic status, immigration status, veteran status, disability status, religious beliefs, political beliefs, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, family structure, or any other quality, invisible or visible, that makes a person, and their perspective, unique.

We aim to hold ourselves accountable to the diverse populations we serve through actionable and impactful efforts around our organizational policies, culture, programs, and partnerships. We believe we have much to learn, and we are committed to listening and acting.