Several years ago, Denise Hurley of Glass Addicts Stained Glass Creations published a book entitled "Flowers of Hope," dedicated to increasing breast cancer awareness. She was hoping that stained glass crafters across America would get together and make the designs in the book to support local breast cancer awareness efforts. The designs could be made individually or put together into larger "quilt" panels ~ with the results either given to survivors or auctioned off or whatever. As she put it in our phone conversations, she couldn't run the relays and didn't have a lot of money to donate, but she could make a panel. And if all the glass people in America made a panel, we could affect a LOT of people.

2009 Flowers of Hope

October 2009 UPDATE ~ The 2009 Flowers of Hope exhibit opened October 1 and will run through October 16. The public is invited to visit the Library and see the panels created by the various artists.  Click HERE for more details.  We hope to see you there.

9/30/2009 UPDATE ~ The 2009 Flowers of Hope exhibit, comprised of 37 panels, will open in the galleries at the Library on October 1 and will run through October 16. This year's collection of panels includes a mix of designs from the Hurley's book "Flowers of Hope" as well as quite a few original designs by the participating artists. Once again, we have participants "from the coast to the capital" in Mississippi, plus one artist from California and one from Alabama. Copper foil, leaded, and fused panels are included as well. It has been interesting to see the progression of panels over the years: the first year or so, everyone used the book designs, and now there is about a fifty-fifty mix of orignal designs and patterns. And all so lovely for such a good cause!

UPDATE ~ We have received 4 of the 40 panels we will need for this year's project. If everyone who has signed up so far completes their panels, we will still be several panels short of having enough panels for the recipients. If you plan to participate in this project, we REALLY need to hear from you . . . the deadline for receipt of the completed panels (signed & ready to hang) is September 20 . . . the exhibit will be hung a the Library on Oct 1 (the date of the BCAT walk) and our reception for the artists and survivors will be held on October 15 . . .

To help with any last minute problems with Flowers of Hope panels, and to give everyone an opportunity to select new designs or to answer any questions about the project, we will be hosting a Flowers of Hope Work Day on Saturday, August 29 from 9A - 3P. Come visit withl other artists working on their panels, or just have a cup of coffee and perhaps a treat or two!

For the past 5 years, Seraphim Studios has coordinated the creation by stained glass crafts persons of 8" X 8" panels featuring flower patterns for distribution to area residents celebrating their first year of breast cancer survivorship in October. Patients are identified by Hattiesburg's Breast Cancer Awareness Team (BCAT), panels are made by anyone we can coerce into making them, and BCAT distributes the panels to patients at the end of October. BCAT has estimated that we will need 40 panels this year, which is up from previous years. We have patterns available, and we have received donations of glass for use by participants in this project.If you can make a panel for this worthwhile project, please let me know as soon as possible! We will need to have the finished panels in the studio by September 22, so that they may be exhibited at the Library beginning on October 1.

Also, BCAT will be hosting the second annual Breast Cancer Awareness Walk through downtown Hattiesburg on October 1. Flowers of Hope artists will receive a free registration for this walk! The reception honoring all Flowers of Hope artists as well as breast cancer survivors will be held at the Library on October 15.

2008 Flowers of Hope

We are once again participating in the Flowers of Hope project to distribute stained glass panels to breast cancer patients in our area.  As in the past, we have had many panels made by loving and talented artisians ~ both locally and from as far away as California.  This year the exhibit will go on display in the galleries at The Library of Hattiesburg (329 Hardy Street) commencing October 1 and will remain on display through October 15.  The Flowers of Hope reception will be at the Library from 5 PM - 7 PM.  Members of the public, participating artists and area breast cancer survivors are invited/encouraged to attend to view the completed panels before distribution to area patients.  Click HERE for an event poster [PDF format].  We cannot begin to thank all the artists that have supported this program for the past five years.  This would not have been possible without each and every one of you.

2007 Flowers of Hope Update

Well, we've got good news and semi-interesting news:

Good news first:

We still plan to open the exhibit of completed panels on October 1, and panels will remain on view at the Library through October 12.

Plans for the artists' and survivors' reception, to be held at the Library of Hattiesburg (329 Hardy Street) on Thursday, October 11 from 4-6 PM are going well: Genentech BioOncology is once again sponsoring the food for the reception, BCAT & Seraphim are putting together a few happies for our participating artists, ATATU & Southland Florists are donating floral arrangements, and the Library is donating the gallery space, as well as the postage for the invitations (to go out in the next week), coffee, and pink lemonade!

Now for the interesting news:

Just before the BCAT meeting on Thursday, Hattiesburg Clinic reported that there were 9 patients from their office who would be celebrating their 1st anniversary of survivorship this October. Added to the patient load from Forrest General, that took us to a total of 36 panels needed ~ which would be exactly the number of panels we will have if everyone who has said they were going to make a panel actually makes one!

And then, about 3 hours after the BCAT meeting, we received word that another clinic wants to participate in our project, and they have 3 patients who will be celebrating their first anniversary this October.

We have one panel left over from last year, so we are still in pretty good shape, since a couple of people are planning on making extra panels.

BUT, I need to know now if you are not going to be able to make your panel, so that I can arrange to make a replacement in the next couple of weeks!!!

So, if you have not already turned in your panels (or otherwise let me know that they are completed), please respond to this email and let me know if we can count on your panel for this year's project!

Thanks so much for participating in this event . . . I spoke with one of the nurses who distributed last year's panels, and she couldn't stop talking about how excited the patients were to receive the panels. I know this is last minute, but I still think we can do it . . . and won't it make for a great display???

Looking forward to hearing from you soon

2007 Flowers of Hope

As you know, we have coordinated the Flowers of Hope project since 2003 to provide stained glass panels for breast cancer patients in our area.  To date, this project has distributed 60 panels to patients in 2004, 2005 and 2006.

In past years, we have needed about 20 panels to supply patients celebrating survivorship in October.  This year, we have been told that the numbers will be significantly higher:  In fact, Forrest General Hospital alone has identified 26 potential recipients and we are waiting on the number of patients from Wesley Medical Center and various individual clinics.  Our best guess is that we may need as many as 45 panels to be available for distribution in October.

If you can help for this year's project by making an 8" square panel from the Flowers of Hope pattern book (I have copies of all the designs available at the studio for your use – or if you would like to design your own panel, that will be fine as long as the panel is 8" square and a flower of some kind), please contact me.  All panels should be delivered ready to hang, accompanied by your name and the reason you are making the panel ("just because" or "in memory/honor of someone").

Completed panels will be displaced at the Library of Hattriesburg, Petal and Forrest County from October 1-12, 2007 and we will hold an artists' reception for the Exhibit on Thursday, october 11, 2007 from 4 pm to 6 pm.

My thanks to all who make this project a success.

And special thanks to my wonderful niece, Robin.  Please click here to see her contribution to our effort  this year.  I love you Robin!  Thank you so much!

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