Olathe Medical Center doctors and patients to tap into the power of painting at first Paintfest America

Art can be be healing, according to the Foundation for Hospital Art.

That’s why the national nonprofit is embarking on a 50-city, 50-day tour of cancer centers around the U.S for the first Paintfest America. In Kansas, Paintfest America will stop at the Olathe Medical Center on Monday .

The tour is a way to “bring healing, hope and love to people in a difficult time,” said Anna Kathryn Simmons of the Foundation for Hospital Art. She said art can also be theraputic, which is one reason the Foundation for Hospital Art decided to do a tour.

Doctors, patients, cancer survivors, their families and hospital staff at Olathe Medical Center will come together to help paint six canvases. Paintfest America provides the supplies, so there’s no cost to the hospital.

The event will start at 10 a.m. and run for two hours.

“We think having this event is going to be a nice way for cancer patients, their families and staff to bond in an activity that’s relaxing and enjoyable,” said Lindsey Elliott, a spokeswoman for Olathe Medical Center.

When the paint dries, the canvases will be a part of three murals that will hang throughout the hospital, Elliott said. The murals will have different designs — from a hummingbird to a butterfly to an America theme. No artistic talent is necessary to work on the murals.

The Paintfest tour started July 5 in Washington, D.C. and will end Aug. 23 in New York.

For Missouri, the foundation selected the Mosaic Life Care at St. Joseph Medical Center. The event in St. Joseph,will be Monday as well.

Simmons said the tour has been going great so far.

In addition to the mural, the participants will paint the Kansas state bird—the western meadowlark, and flower—the wild sunflower—on a canvas that will be sent to New York. The 50 panels will be assembled during the tour’s finale in August to make a larger mural.

This story was originally published July 21, 2016 at 11:15 AM with the headline "Olathe Medical Center doctors and patients to tap into the power of painting at first Paintfest America."