Nearly 200 cancer patients, caregivers, supporters gather July 18 at UH Cancer Center to explore ‘Healing Through Art’
Sessions in drawing, poetry and music, lei making, crafting offered as research-backed modalities to support healing and well-being
July 18, 2026
Nearly 200 cancer patients/survivors/thrivers, caregivers, family members, health care providers and supporters gathered in person and online on Saturday, July 18, for “Healing Through Art,” a free public workshop at the University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center. The center’s Sullivan Conference Center was filled to capacity with people of all ages and stages, from kupuna to keiki, who were eager to learn how creative expression can support healing, resilience and well-being throughout the cancer journey.
“We want the UH Cancer Center and our Susan C. Hirano Cancer CARE Community to offer a place of community. I think healing was accomplished today.”
– Jami Fukui
Research showing the benefits of art therapy was presented, then attendees had hands-on opportunities to try writing haiku, meditating with shakuhachi (Japanese flute) music, drawing with pencil, crafting collage-style luggage tags, and weaving ti-leaf lei.
The large turnout underscored the desire for support and connection that many people affected by cancer feel, said Dr. Jami Fukui, faculty lead for the Susan C. Hirano Cancer CARE Community program of the UH Cancer Center, which presented the event. “We had friendships and connections blossoming among the people who attended, and skilled and caring artists teaching about their art as tools for the cancer journey — and it was inspiring to see,” Fukui said. “We want the UH Cancer Center and our Susan C. Hirano Cancer CARE Community to offer a place of community. I think healing was accomplished today.”
“Healing Through Art” was the latest in a series of free quarterly programs presented by the Susan C. Hirano Cancer CARE Community, a patient-empowerment program at the UH Cancer Center launched in April 2025 by the late patient advocate and UH Cancer Center Hope Ambassador Susan Hirano.
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Presentations at the July 18 event:
- “Introduction of Art Therapy,” Dr. Jami Fukui, MD, Co-Faculty Director, Community Outreach and Engagement, UH Cancer Center; Breast Medical Oncologist, Kapiʻolani Medical Center for Women & Children;
- “Mindfulness and Meditation Research,” Katsumi Takemoto, MSW, MPA; Shakuhachi Meditation Practitioner, and Researcher.
Breakout sessions:
- “Collage Luggage Tag with Washi Paper,” Jocelyn Cheng, Artist, Healing Through Art Program, The Queen’s Medical Center;
- “Ti Leaf Lei Making,” Jessie Kai, Lei aloha;
- “The Art of Seeing: Drawing with Pencil,” Leni Acosta Knight, Artist, Art Therapy Program, Kapiʻolani Medical Center for Women & Children via Kapiʻolani Health Foundation.
“...Susan believed that no one facing cancer should feel alone or without hope. We hope that today’s ‘Healing Through Art’ program helped people understand that there can be many pathways to healing and connection.”
– Peter Hirano
Research has shown that art therapy and other creative modalities can help reduce anxiety, depression, and distress among people affected by cancer. For instance, in 2023, the Society for Integrative Oncology and the American Society of Clinical Oncology issued evidence-based guidelines supporting the use of interventions such as music therapy to help reduce anxiety and improve emotional well-being among people living with cancer. The American Society of Clinical Oncology's integrative oncology guideline was developed after reviewing evidence from more than 100 studies examining interventions that help address anxiety, depression, and emotional distress among people with cancer.
‘Free from any stress or pain’
Among the many different experiences offered at the event, Takemoto encouraged people to close their eyes and find calm as she slowly wandered through the audience playing soothing melodies on her shakuhachi, then led them to write poems about how they feel. In another example, Knight, in her pencil drawing session, emphasized that there was no right or wrong in participants’ creations — they were encouraged to ask themselves what their soul needed, and find freedom in drawing it.
Knight, who is also a breast-cancer survivor, said people in her pencil drawing session “were astonished by the work that they had done. They had the freedom to express their feelings and to see what a line or a mark can produce. It's not threatening. Nobody's judging them. And to be able to have your mind be free of any stress or pain … just a reprieve from the chaos and overthinking things, I think is very helpful.”
“...Programs like our ‘Healing Through Art’ event help create spaces where people can find comfort, express themselves, and build resilience alongside others who understand their experiences.”
– Naoto T. Ueno
“This lets you just be yourself and lets you just be creative. I love it,” said participant Ann Sueno as she worked in the breakout session on crafting luggage tags. “I didn't think I could do this. This is something that I’ve never done before. But just breaking the paper apart, feeling that, and just being creative, I think that's really rewarding.”
“Cancer care extends far beyond the clinic," said Dr. Naoto T. Ueno, Director of the UH Cancer Center, who is also a researcher and clinician, and a two-time cancer survivor himself. “As Hawaiʻi's only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center, the UH Cancer Center recognizes the importance of addressing the emotional, social and cultural dimensions of health. Programs like our ‘Healing Through Art’ event help create spaces where people can find comfort, express themselves, and build resilience alongside others who understand their experiences.”
“Art has a unique ability to connect people to hope, meaning and community,” said Peter Hirano, husband of the late Susan C. Hirano, founder of the Susan C. Hirano Cancer CARE Community. “Our ‘Healing Through Art’ event reflected the UH Cancer Center’s effort to support the whole person. Susan believed that no one facing cancer should feel alone or without hope. We hope that today’s ‘Healing Through Art’ program helped people understand that there can be many pathways to healing and connection.”
The next free public workshop in the Susan C. Hirano Cancer CARE Community quarterly series is:
“Let’s Move! The Importance of Physical Activity in the Cancer Journey”
Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, 8-11 a.m.
At the UH Cancer Center
Registration details to come at UHCancerCenter.org/cancercare
About The Susan C. Hirano Cancer CARE Community
The Susan C. Hirano Cancer CARE Community (the acronym stands for Community, Awareness, Research and Emotional Well-Being) was developed to strengthen and support cancer patients, survivors, caregivers and families across Hawaiʻi. Named in honor of Susan C. Hirano — a beloved Hope Ambassador and patient advocate at the UH Cancer Center who passed away in April 2025 — the initiative offers quarterly workshops and support opportunities for individuals, caregivers and families affected by cancer, at no cost to attendees. To learn more, go to UHCancerCenter.org/cancercare.
