Childhood Cancer Community: Valentine’s Day 2026
This year’s event was no short of magical. I was more than blessed to be invited back to CCC for February’s Community Night.
If you know anything about me, rules are no fun, especially when it comes to Art. Because this year’s outing was hosted just a day after Valentine’s Day, I had provided the class with an abstract-style heart painting, but encouraged the individuals to freely create or collaborate with their neighbors to make something together.
This is when the sparks flew—each child, each interaction, everything in the room came to life. Some requested conversation, while others simply needed MORE PAINT. A few even used the internet to inspire or sharpen their ideas.
My entire life, I’ve sought out the places where creative freedom feels like the air we breathe and the people who love others with their entirety, and the Childhood Cancer Community in Rochester, MN is exactly this:
“A huge thank you to Ally Barr for spending the evening with us this month at our February Community Night. Ally is a very talented artist with a BIG heart! This is the second time she has joined us, in working with our teens and young adults. She brings great ideas to the table and certainly arouses the talents in each participant.
Ally is a breath of fresh air and her art is beautiful. Click here to see some of her remarkable work. (https://theartbarr.com/) And if you are looking for someone who also offers private or family art therapy sessions, give Ally a call. She comes highly recommended!
We have also posted a few photos of everyone in action under the guidance of Ally. Thank you, Ally, for spending the evening with us! We LOVE having you.”
-Childhood Cancer Community, Facebook Page
A collection of photos can be seen below, with a special thank you to Brendan Bush.
Mayo Clinic Child Life: Valentine’s Day 2026 Event
How fun, how sweet, and how crafty? These are the questions I continue to ask myself as I reflect on this year’s Child Life Activity at Mayo Clinic Children’s.
For “Art with Ally” at Mayo, I’m asked to prepare a step-by-step painting guide that kids and their families can follow along with while they enjoy yummy snacks, fun conversation, and making colorful messes in the atrium. The Child Life Volunteers are the ones who deserve praise—they are responsible for event set-up, take down, cleaning and providing extra hands during activity time. I could not do what I love without you!
This years event had treats donated to the Mayo Clinic Child Life Dept. by the Peters Memorial Fund.
“We had a LOVE-ly time painting with our friend and local artist, Ally!
We’re so thankful to the Peters Memorial Fund for supporting many events like this. Your generosity truly means a lot to the kids and families we serve.”
-Mayo Clinic Children’s, Facebook Page
Joshua’s Camp Annual Summer Picnic 2024- Family Neurographic Mural
If my heart was as big as this mural, it would be equivocally filled with joy, love and laughter.
I was blessed enough to return to Joshua's Camp in Altoona, WI on Thursday for their Annual Summer Camp Picnic! Thinking of how we could channel big, bold, and extravagant, I was inclined to create the biggest collaborative Neurographic Art Mural. These families made my dreams come to full fruition and THEN SOME.
To make things smoother, I arrived beforehand to lay some line work down—this was my meditative and reflective time. It was so powerful to recognize my goals becoming reality and to be so physically, emotionally and spiritually present.
Because I would not be the one filling in each blank space between the each of the intertwining lines—these 97 kids were the connections, the colorists, and everything in between.
In August, this year’s family craft will be auctioned off at their Live Auction, all of which’s proceeds will be returned to the Joshua’s Camp so that they can continue providing such phenomenal care, compassion and support to all of the families affected by life-threatening illnesses and or battling childhood cancer.
When I tell you that my prayers have been answered, I am humbled.
Most certainly, because I could not have created something so meaningful and magical on my own.
Mayo Clinic Child Life Program: Working with Warriors
In early spring of 2024, a representative from the Child Life Program at Mayo Clinic reached out to me to see if I was interested in doing some fun art activities with the kids who spend almost all of their time stuck between clinic walls, operating rooms, and or treatment programs. After a couple of conversations, I was blessed with the opportunity to provide both step-by-step painting activities and more goal-specific activities that I had developed during my Undergraduate Studies at Metropolitan State University.
The first activity we agreed upon was an ocean wave with a sunset in the background. To ensure simple step-by-step directions and easy following along, I made sure to trial the painting at home the night before.
The second activity was slightly more challenging and included goal-oriented tasks towards mindfulness, body awareness, introspection, and reflection. This activity is called Neurographic Art and serves as a prolific part of my undergraduate research and recognition that art can be a successful therapeutic tool.
The last activity I presented to the children was similar to the first and yielded positive reactions and results. Our group called this painting the “Desert Heat Cactus Painting.” Once again, I prepared a drafted version of this painting before the class and was able to send it home with an individual who wished to help me complete it.
Joshua’s Camp Spring Retreat 2024: Neurographic Art Activity
Thank you, Wendy Carey and all of the families that joined my Art Therapy endeavor today at the Joshua’s Camp in Eau Claire, WI.
I was so blessed to be invited to meet all of you and spend some quality time being creative!
This was my very first time being a part of what Joshua’s Camp is all about.
If you haven’t yet, check out this phenomenal non-profit organization that offers 4-day JAM-PACKED retreats for families who have had members diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses or cancer.
Visit Joshuascamp.org for more information.
—And don’t forget to look at all those smiles.
Wholistic Workshop Mural
A recent commission piece for a new business owner, Ana Curry. She came to me with an image that had been circulating in her mind during meditation. We conversed about potential ideas and I drafted a version of her vision. Three short weeks later, I was invited into her store to make her dream a reality! Here are some finished photos of the mural.
To see this piece in person, head over to The Wholistic Workshop in Kasson, MN. Check out https://thewholisticworkshop.com/ to see more about what Ana has to offer!
Childhood Cancer Community Valentine’s Day Event
Spending some quality and colorful time with Rochester’s own Childhood Cancer Community and sharing some Art Therapy practices with their Valentine’s Day Event attendees!
Original Post from CCC Facebook Page:
“Childhood Cancer Community was excited to offer something very special at our February Community Night!
We invited Art Therapist Ally Barr, to lead our children/teens in an art class offering Neurographic Art, as well as Hands Past and Future!
Neurograhic Art is mindfullness-based art therapy that can help to relieve stress, find peace, and relieve anxiety. It is something, once learned, that can be used over and over in stressful situations.
This type of art is fun and relaxing to do, and a way to work with the subconscious mind to alter stress and fear through drawing free-form lines and using an algorithm to transform your stress into a beautiful work of art.
Ally also offered a "Hands Past and Future" art activity. The children/teens had an opportunity, through art, to express what things in life they would like to leave in their past and what things in their life they would like to see in their future.
Childhood Cancer Community takes the well-being of its members, both adults and children, very seriously and is always looking for ways to help all of us manage our stress, fears, loneliness, and anxieties through bringing this beautiful experience to our families!
What an honor it was to have Ally Barr with us at our Valentine's Community Night. She brought magic to our evening as she worked with our children and teens through Art Therapy.”
Annual ASTRUP Family Picnic in the Park
Thanks to Beth Timm and colleagues at ASTRUP for inviting me to create magical moments with them and their families during their annual family picnic.
A warm August afternoon in Owatonna and a perfect opportunity to get together with the ASTRUP company and their families to enjoy some paint, play, and barbecue!
A special thanks to Beth Timm and her family for inviting me to lead the painting party and allowing me to lead a painting party at the prettiest park in the city.
Seasonal Crafts with Meadow Lakes Senior Living
After connecting with the Activities Director at Meadow Lakes, it was decided that some Art Therapy was much needed after multiple years of restricted activity due to the pandemic! I was invited to craft with a handful of wonderful women for a couple of 2 hour sessions. Each week we created a variety of seasonal pieces to decorate their living facility and share with their loved ones.
Check out some of the creativity these gals were working with!
