“Join Hands” in “Breaking the Walls of Bias: Art from Survivors,” Hofstra Museum (2002)

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Transcribed from Matt Sesow’s copy of the release (one page scanned).

HOFSTRA — News Release
Hofstra University • Hempstead • New York 11549 • News Bureau (516) 463-6818

Contact: Ginny Greenberg
For Immediate Release

BREAKING THE WALLS OF BIAS: ART FROM SURVIVORS
Presented by the Hofstra Museum, April 16 to August 2

The Hofstra Museum and the Survivors Art Foundation (SAF) present the exhibition Breaking the Walls of Bias: Art from Survivors from April 16 to August 2, 2002 at the Emily Lowe Gallery at Hofstra University. (Opening reception is April 19.) The exhibition features works from over 25 visual, literary and performance artists ranging from paintings, photography, music, film, poetry, sculpture, group projects and works on paper.

SAF's mission is to encourage healing through the arts. It has participants from 20 countries and 48 states, crossing all cultures, genders, ages and religions. They are survivors, working through their personal journeys which span physical and domestic violence, rape, war-related trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder, AIDS, cancer, multiple sclerosis, mental illness, and other disabilities.

In his essay for the catalog, guest curator Marcus Schubert wrote, "For the artists profiled in this exhibition and the membership of the Survivors Art Foundation, creativity offers a refuge, a therapeutic tool, and becomes a potent vehicle of expressive communication and healing." Sculptor Oxana Narozniak wrote, "As a child I was in a fire - so I spent most of my life in hospitals. Healing became central to my survival. As a sculptor I am able to dwell into the visible. This is how I recreate myself - I believe that this capability is what artists and healers have in common."

One of the pieces in the exhibition, "Garden Song," was painted by Wendy Csoka who is a survivor of a rare brain tumor. Ms. Csoka wrote, "Garden Song is a painting that reflects the connection between healing and nature. The beauty of nature can lift the soul."

For information, call the Hofstra Museum at (516) 463-5672 or 463-7446 during non-business hours.

[Illustration: “Garden Song” by Wendy Csoka, survivor of a brain tumor.]

Full text

Photographed by Matt Sesow from his press packets, October 18, 2026; text transcribed from the photos by Claude.

HOFSTRA
News Release
HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY • HEMPSTEAD • NEW YORK 11549 • NEWS BUREAU (516) 463-6818

Contact: Ginny Greenberg
For Immediate Release

BREAKING THE WALLS OF BIAS: ART FROM SURVIVORS

Presented by the Hofstra Museum, April 16 to August 2

The Hofstra Museum and the Survivors Art Foundation (SAF) present the exhibition Breaking the Walls of Bias: Art from Survivors from April 16 to August 2, 2002 at the Emily Lowe Gallery at Hofstra University. (Opening reception is April 19.) The exhibition features works from over 25 visual, literary and performance artists ranging from paintings, photography, music, film, poetry, sculpture, group projects and works on paper.

SAF's mission is to encourage healing through the arts. It has participants from 20 countries and 48 states, crossing all cultures, genders, ages and religions. They are survivors, working through their personal journeys which span physical and domestic violence, rape, war-related trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder, AIDS, cancer, multiple sclerosis, mental illness, and other disabilities.

In his essay for the catalog, guest curator Marcus Schubert wrote, "For the artists profiled in this exhibition and the membership of the Survivors Art Foundation, creativity offers a refuge, a therapeutic tool, and becomes a potent vehicle of expressive communication and healing." Sculptor Oxana Narozniak wrote, "As a child I was in a fire - so I spent most of my life in hospitals. Healing became central to my survival. As a sculptor I am able to dwell into the visible. This is how I recreate myself - I believe that this capability is what artists and healers have in common."

One of the pieces in the exhibition, "Garden Song," was painted by Wendy Csoka who is a survivor of a rare brain tumor. Ms. Csoka wrote, "Garden Song is a painting that reflects the connection between healing and nature. The beauty of nature can lift the soul."

For information, call the Hofstra Museum at (516) 463-5672 or 463-7446 during non-business hours.

[Photo caption] "Garden Song" by Wendy Csoka, survivor of a rare brain tumor.