Creating Smiles

Dr. Pyo, left, and Gary E. Eddey, MD, Matheny vice president and chief medical officer, at the awards dinner.

Daniel J. Pyo, MD, FACS, FACCWS, was honored by the 2015 New Jersey Smile Connection, the New Jersey chapter of Operation Smile, at its awards dinner, held October 16 at the Madison Hotel in Madison, NJ. Through his practice, Plastic Surgery Center of New Jersey, PC, in Morristown, NJ, Dr. Pyo has dedicated his life and career to helping people through cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. He has performed 10 medical missions for Operation Smile, an international medical charity whose global network of thousands of credentialed medical volunteers from more than 80 countries has provided more than 220,000 free surgical procedures for children and young adults born with cleft lip, cleft palate, and other facial deformities.

He has also donated his services to help patients and students at  Matheny by performing skin grafts, oral surgeries and nasal revisions. According to Matheny nurse Catherine Losavio, Dr. Pyo is “a wonderful, caring man. He has a genuine interest in our patients and goes out of his way to give them excellent care that will achieve the best possible outcome.”

James Lane has been an Arts Access artist since the program’s inception in 1993. He is, says Haeree Park, Arts Access project and event coordinator, “a master of utilizing shapes in a mature manner. This defines his unique style. I always find myself drawn to his work.”

Lane will have three pieces on display as part of the visual arts exhibit curated by Park for Full Circle 2015 Perspectives, the annual celebration of Arts Access to be held from 3-6 p.m. in the Robert Schonhorn Arts Center in Peapack, NJ,  on Saturday, November 7. There is an untitled acrylic on canvas and another entitled “Roller”. The third piece is a metal print called “Abstract”.

There is “only one word to describe James,” adds Arts Access director Eileen Murray. “That’s ‘deep’. He’s got these layers, and James is the only one who knows how deep they go. He knows exactly what he’s going for. To say he is a talented artist is an understatement.”

The visual arts exhibit at Full Circle will begin at 3 p.m. A stage presentation at 4 p.m., produced by Arts Access dance facilitator Heather Williams, will include 12 segments encompassing creative writing, dance, and drama created by Arts Access artists.

“Abstract” by James Lane

Nicholas Paleologos, executive director of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, will be honorary chair of the event. Food and beverage sponsors are: Café Azzurro, Peapack; Gladstone Tavern, Gladstone; 3 West and Urban Table, Basking Ridge; cocoLuxe Fine Pastries, Peapack; and Village Office Supply, Somerset. Tickets to Full Circle are $40 and can be ordered online at events.matheny.org/FullCircle2015 or by calling 908 234-0011, ext. 260. All proceeds will benefit the Arts Access Program.

Pat Dobson with Ribbon and Matheny School student Nicholas Barros.

“Is medicine going to the dogs?” That was the question posed recently in a blog by the staff at the Mayo Clinic. The answer: “Yes, but in a good way. Pet therapy is gaining fans in health care and beyond.”

Pet therapy is a big hit at The Matheny School. The students look forward to the regular visits of half a dozen pet therapy dogs including Ribbon, a golden retriever from Watchung, NJ. Ribbon’s owner, Pat Dobson, whose granddaughter, Kathryn Van Orden is a Matheny student, clearly enjoys the interaction between Ribbon and the students. On her most recent visit, the students used Ribbon as a model for their photography class.

Pet therapy is beneficial to both the physical and mental health of the Matheny students. It lifts their spirits, provides comfort, and encourages socialization. Owners of certified pet therapy dogs who would like to visit Matheny, should call (908) 234-0011, ext. 282, or email volunteers@matheny.org.

“This guy knows his stuff!” That was the reaction of Janet Gartleman of Long Valley, NJ, when she began cutting flowers for adult day patient T.J. Christian to put inside a pumpkin. Christian revealed that his gardening knowledge comes from years of listening to “The Garden Hotline”, a radio show that was hosted by the late Ralph Snodsmith on WOR 710AM for more than 30 years. It turns out that Gartleman listened to Snodsmith, too, so she and Christian immediately bonded.

The occasion was a visit by members of the Garden Club of Long Valley to help Matheny adults make Halloween decorations using flowers. The GCLV, established in 1970, exists to promote general interest in gardening and to encourage civic beautification. Odds are Christian may decide to become a member.

Janet Gartleman and T.J. Christian trade gardening tips during a visit to Matheny by the Garden Club of Long Valley.

Volunteers are needed at Matheny on weekdays, evenings, and weekends. Individuals can serve as recreation assistants, classroom aides, tutors, and friendly visitors. Volunteer groups, such as those from the Garden Club of Long Valley, are encouraged to host events or bring special projects.

Visual art, creative writing, dance, and drama will all be featured at Full Circle 2015 Perspectives, the annual celebration of Matheny’s Arts Access Program, to be held from 3-6 p.m. on Saturday, November 7, in the Robert Schonhorn Arts Center on the Matheny campus in Peapack, NJ. Arts Access is a unique fine arts program enabling individuals with disabilities to fully express themselves in the creative arts.

A visual arts exhibit, curated by Haeree Park, Arts Access project and event coordinator, will be on display in the gallery, beginning at 3 p.m. It will include more than 50 pieces from nearly 40 artists. Park, who is also a freelance graphic designer, photographer and jewelry designer, emphasizes that, “Each artist has his or her own style, but there will be small groupings of similar styles.”

A stage presentation at 4 p.m., produced by Arts Access dance facilitator Heather Williams, will include 12 segments, encompassing creative writing, dance, and drama created by Arts Access artists. Actors from Premiere Stages, the professional equity theatre in residence at Kean University, will be part of the production, along with several professional dancers. Williams, who also teaches dance and performs with Dance Innovations, Inc. in Chatham, NJ, says being a facilitator at Arts Access, “has made me a better teacher outside of here. I have a new appreciation of the artistic process.”

Nicholas Paleologos, executive director of the New Jersey State Council of the Arts, will be honorary chair of Full Circle. Paleologos has served as NJSCA’s executive director since January 2012. Prior to that, he was executive director of the Massachusetts Film Office and founder and producing director of Boston’s Stuart Street Playhouse.

“Abstract”, a metal print by James Lane

Food and beverage sponsors are: Café Azzurro, Peapack; Gladstone Tavern, Gladstone; 3 West and Urban Table, Basking Ridge; cocoLuxe Fine Pastries, Peapack; and Village Office Supply, Somerset. Tickets to Full Circle are $40 and can be ordered online at events.matheny.org/Fullcircle2015 or by calling (908) 234-0011, ext. 260. All proceeds will benefit the Arts Access Program.

Cindy Shanks has lived at Matheny for 25 years. Though she can’t speak or walk, she is able to express her feelings through her art. In the beginning, that was by painting, made possible by Shanks’ long-time participation in Matheny’s Arts Access Program, which enables people with disabilities to create fine art, assisted by professional artist-facilitators.

In addition to painting, Shanks now produces digital art, participates in the creative writing program, and is a dancer and choreographer. Dance, she says, communicating via a message board, “helps me express my feelings through movements of other people.”

At Full Circle 2015 Perspectives, the annual celebration of the Arts Access Program, to be held Saturday, November 7, in Matheny’s Robert Schonhorn Arts Center, the stage presentation will conclude with a dance number called “Waltz of the Flowers” from The Nutcracker. It was choreographed by Shanks and includes eight dancers, including herself. Some will be in wheelchairs, and some will be ambulatory. “It took Cindy more than a year to do this,” says dance facilitator Corey Bliss. “It was a fascinating process. We don’t have eight dancers on staff, so Cindy choreographed where everyone will be. It was incredible to watch her put it together.” “Cindy Shanks”, explains dance facilitator Heather Williams, “tried to completely re-choreograph The Nutcracker. She ventured into uncharted Arts Access territory. No one in the history of the choreography program has ever completed a piece with that many moving parts. Cindy has such a clear vision and acute understanding of the very complex Tchaikovsky score. Her piece is closing the show and is sure to be a beautiful finale.”

The stage presentation, produced by Williams, will include 12 segments, encompassing drama and creative writing in addition to dance. Actors from Premiere Stages, the professional equity theatre in residence at Kean University, will be part of the production, along with several professional dancers. Shanks will also have an untitled acrylic on canvas painting in Full Circle’s visual arts exhibit.

Full Circle will be held from 3-6 p.m. The visual arts exhibition, curated by Arts Access project and event coordinator Haeree Park, will begin in the Arts Center gallery at 3 p.m. That will be followed by the stage presentation, produced by dance facilitator Heather Williams.

Food and beverage sponsors are: Café Azzurro in Peapack; Gladstone Tavern in Gladstone; 3 West and Urban Table, Basking Ridge; cocoLuxe Fine Pastries, Peapack; and Village Office Supply, Somerset. Tickets to Full Circle are $40 and can be ordered by phone at (908) 234-0011, ext. 260; by email at pcats@matheny.org; or by registering online at events.matheny.org/Fullcircle2015. All event proceeds will benefit the Arts Access program at Matheny.