At Cameron Art Museum, art and wellness have always gone hand in hand.
Improve and Enhance Your Health at CAM
Americans for the Arts tells us that the arts benefit patients, their caregivers, and the systems that provide the care—saving money, reducing pain medication needs and the length of hospital stays, strengthening immune levels, decreasing depression, increasing memory and cognitive function, and improving communication and behavioral skills.
Image credit: John Beerman (American, b. 1958). White Clouds, Mooselookmeguntic, 1994. Oil on canvas. Collection of Cameron Art Museum. Purchased with funds provided by Thomas Kenan III in Memory of Owen Hill Kenan and the Jessie N. Howell Memorial Fund for the Purchase of North Carolina Art
SUPPORTING VETERANS, ACTIVE MILITARY, and MILITARY FAMILIES THROUGH ART AND COMMUNITY
CAM offers veteran-focused programs that combine visual art, creative writing, and movement to promote resilience, creative expression, and well-being. As a regional art museum and steward of the site of a Civil War battle, CAM honors the intersection of art and history by preserving and sharing veterans’ stories.
Veterans and active-duty military are invited to participate in classes and events that encourage creativity, reflection, and community. Research shows that engaging in the arts can help reduce stress and anxiety while providing meaningful ways to process experiences and transition from military to civilian life.
For information on upcoming programs, visit our Events page or contact September Krueger at [email protected].
We Lift Each Other: Film Screening and Workshop with Black Box Dance Theatre
Saturday, August 29
12:30–4:30 PM | Free; registration requested
Veterans, active-duty military personnel, military families, and members of the general public are invited to experience an afternoon of movement, storytelling, performance, and conversation with Black Box Dance Theatre.
From 12:30 to 2 PM, participants of all ages and abilities can take part in a movement workshop centered on reflection and shared storytelling. For more than a decade, Black Box Dance Theatre has worked with veterans to honor their experiences through dance, illuminating individual stories while building connection and resilience.
At 3 PM, CAM welcomes the entire community for a live performance and free public screening of We Lift Each Other, a documentary exploring Black Box Dance Theatre’s transformative work with veterans across North Carolina. A conversation with the dancers and workshop participants will follow the screening.
Schedule
12:30–2 PM: Movement workshop
3–4:30 PM: Live performance, film screening, and talkback
Veterans’ Studio: Hands, History, and Home
Thursdays, September 3–24
9 AM–12 PM | Pancoe Education Center
Free; registration required
For veterans and active-duty military personnel
This four-week introductory clay class invites participants to create objects that hold places, moments, and memories. Led by veterans, the course uses art as a tool for creative expression, connection, and well-being. Participants will explore a variety of clay techniques in a supportive studio environment. No previous experience is necessary, and all tools and materials are provided. First available spaces will be offered to Project SOAR participants.
Registration link coming soon.
Veterans’ Studio: Family Workshop, Boundless Impressions
Saturday, September 26
10 AM–2 PM | Pancoe Education Center
Free; registration required
For veterans, active-duty military personnel, and their families
Inspired by Stephen Hayes’s Boundless and the history of CAM’s grounds, families will create plaster casts using hand impressions, natural textures, and meaningful objects. Participants will also learn about the Battle of Forks Road and the United States Colored Troops who fought for freedom on this land. Through artmaking, museum exploration, and shared storytelling, families will reflect on service, remembrance, belonging, and the lasting impressions we leave on one another. No previous experience is necessary. All tools, materials, and refreshments are provided.
Veterans’ Studio: Introduction to Pottery
Wednesdays, September 30–November 4
6–9 PM | Pancoe Education Center
Free; registration required
For veterans and active-duty military personnel
Discover the creative and restorative possibilities of working with clay during this six-week studio course led by veterans. Participants of all skill levels will explore the fundamentals of hand-building and receive an introduction to the pottery wheel. Messy, unpredictable, and wonderfully forgiving, clay offers the freedom to experiment and create something uniquely your own. No previous experience is necessary, and all tools and materials are provided. Space is limited.
Click here to register for the Veterans’ Introduction to Pottery
Veterans’ programs at CAM are funded in part by Creative Forces®: NEA Military Healing Arts Network, an initiative of the National Endowment in partnership with the U.S. Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs. Creative Forces Community Engagement Grant program is managed by Mid-America Arts Alliance.
Gentle Yoga
Every Tuesday morning at 9 AM, instructors Steve Unger and Darren Shartle lead a one-hour all-level gentle yoga class in the galleries designed for relaxation, rejuvenation, and self-reflection.
Participants can choose to use a chair or a mat.
A donation of $8 is encouraged. A portion of every donation supports CAM’s Museum School Scholarship program for adults and youth.
Mindfulness Meditation
Once monthly, CAM hosts a meditation session in the galleries led by a certified instructor.
Simply put, mindfulness is bringing our attention into the present moment, and allowing whatever arises to be met without bias or criticism.
We know that with regular practice, mindfulness meditation creates a spacious awareness around our thoughts and feelings.
Current scientific research highlights the additional benefits of balance, strength, focus, and resilience. While mindfulness finds its roots in Buddhism, mindfulness meditation is secular – making it accessible to all.
For dates, visit CameronArtMuseum.org/Events
Art Enhances Health Memberships & Classes
In partnership with Novant Health Zimmer Cancer Institute, CAM offers a one-year membership to anyone being treated for cancer. More information and membership cards are available at both the Novant Health Zimmer Cancer Institute and at CAM’s Visitor Services desk.
With the support of The Ministering Circle and the Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center Foundation, CAM offers FREE six-week classes to cancer patients and survivors. Based on research showing that art can positively impact brain function and well-being, these sessions aim to provide relaxation, emotional expression, and relief from pain and anxiety. Teaching artist Donna Moore and expressive arts therapist Lorraine Perry lead classes in art making and expressive writing.
These classes include gallery visits and mindful meditation on Mondays from 1 – 3 PM at CAM’s Pancoe Education Center. The museum is closed to the public on Mondays, and AEH attendees enjoy exclusive access to the exhibitions on view.
Sessions take place in the Fall and Spring. For information on upcoming sessions and to be notified when registration opens, please contact September Krueger at [email protected]
Connections
Connections invites people in the early stages of Alzheimer’s and dementia and their caregivers to experience CAM in a supported environment designed to minimize stress and to provide a connection with the art thanks to support from Champion McDowell Davis Charitable Foundation.
On Mondays, when CAM is closed to the public, guests enjoy a guided tour of the exhibitions led by CAM Connections Volunteers. Following the tour, participants are encouraged to create artwork inspired by what they’ve seen. Certified Therapeutic Musicians (CMPs) provide live music, while various art-making activities are offered.
To learn more or make a reservation for our upcoming Connections Tour, please visit our Connections page or contact our Education Assistant at 910-726-9490 or [email protected].
Classes and Workshops
Explore your creativity and well-being by taking a class or workshop at CAM’s Museum School. On a social level, these classes foster community and social interaction and provide a creative outlet to help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression.
CAM is proud to offer these programs as well as provide a safe and contemplative place for all the culturally curious across our community.
Explore all of our class and workshop offerings.
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