Center for Quality of Life after Stroke
Therapeutic Use of Art
The use of art in conjunction with recreational therapy aims to meet functional therapy goals using activities. Facilitating these activities in the group setting also increases socialization and communication skills among patients. Various techniques of art are utilized to improve fine motor, cognitive, emotional regulation, socialization skills among participants. A combination of mediums such as paints, paper, sculpture, textiles, and more provide a varied selection of creative expression outlets to participants. Adaptations are provided to encourage participation across all ability levels. The goal of the program is to introduce art-based activities to increase quality of life and generate interests in new hobbies after neurologic injury.
We want to learn how this program impacts quality of life over time to continue to improve it. To learn more about the research VISIT
I feel like it’s all coming together, two months ago, I never would have believed I’d say that. It [flow/creativity] just keeps going and going, and I want to learn more about where it is coming from.
Artist-in-Residence
Sydney Porter Williams is a community-based teaching artist in Salt Lake City who utilizes art as a form of transformation in classrooms and communities. With a Master of Fine Arts in Community-Based Art Education and an Honors BFA in Art Teaching, Porter Williams has extensive experience facilitating community artmaking and collaboration. She teaches art education courses at the U and facilitated the co-creation of a community engaged installation with her students at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts.
Porter Williams’ pedagogical practice is interwoven with her multi-disciplinary studio practice, where she offers interactive opportunities for vulnerability and connection through unraveling and exploring her history. Her scholarly interests include art for social transformation, youth activist art, and artmaking as a dialogical and therapeutic practice.
As the Artist-in-Residence at the Nielsen Rehab Hospital, Porter Williams facilitates artmaking sessions with patients, opening a space for participants to explore materials, reflect on their lives, and creatively represent their experiences through art.
TRAILS: Technology Recreation Access Independence Lifestyle Sports
Participants can stay active through indoor spinning, hand cycling, kayaking, sailing, target shooting, downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, swimming, and wheelchair tennis. TRAILS is designed to prepare individuals of all ability levels to engage in active living through recreational experiences. These opportunities and resources help to bridge the gap between rehabilitation and returning to the community.
