Tracy Ellyn

The Zen Tov Project for Healing Through the Arts was founded in 1996 by Tracy Ellyn. Our mission has been to provide art initiatives and experiences to help individuals, groups and communities with a variety of developmental, neurological, emotional, financial, situational,familial and cultural disadvantages. In addition, we endeavor to promote the message of the importance of the arts in educational and therapeutic settings, so that people of all ages can benefit.

 

The therapeutic gains from the arts include the use of the creative process to help heal people of all ages to improve their well-being and overcome their circumstances. We believe that the creative process is healing, transformative and life-enhancing, whether due to an inner state or an outer catastrophic event.

 

To that end, The Zen Tov Project provides a variety of services to those who are in need of cathartic expression, as well as to those who might be given talent-related opportunities that could provide them the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to fulfill their gift and/or move out of their circumstances.

 

Some of the services we have provided include:

 

• art supplies/school supplies to Haitian orphanages after earthquake

 

• art classes and therapeutic arts consultations for special needs youth and adults

 

• therapeutic art projects for foster children aging out of the foster care system, to build self-esteem, heal trauma, promote emotional intelligence
   

• cathartic art projects for teens in substance abuse rehabilitation programs

 

• Healing Arts Kits sent to Paris and Israel for Artists 4 Israel and Healing Paris, to help children suffering from ptsd due to ongoing terrorism in both regions

 

• therapeutic arts for sexual assault victims, survivors and their families, and art products for organizations that support them

 

• therapeutic art treatment program manual for providers in Ukraine, for soldiers and children suffering with PTSD from the war conflict there

 

• murals for in-need institutions that wish to promote their important work or enhance their environment

 

• fine art pieces for installation in hospitals, medical centers, chemo rooms, surgery waiting rooms, rehabs, clergy/counseling venues, and similar healing arenas, wherein the presence of art promotes patient healing

 

• scholarships and support services for college-bound art and design students

 

• art journaling for anti-bullying support groups

 

• expressive art projects for bereavement support groups

 

• donations of gallery art pieces as fundraising for non-profit organizations

 

• art supplies to children in developing countries and war/conflict zones, including Guatemala, Nicaragua, Israel, Ukraine and Africa

 

• fine arts exposure to a variety of non-profit cultural, religious and educational organizations for the express purpose of teaching and disseminating interdisciplinary class methodologies, in order to promote maximum learning outcomes

 

• curating and coordinating of art exhibitions from which a portion of the proceeds benefit a variety of for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, businesses, and educational institutions in the community

 

• benefit art exhibitions for children with cancer and adults with breast cancer

 

• donations of rare and less rare healing art and design-related materials to deserving medical venues, foundations and individuals

 

• donations and fundraising art events for Emmaus medical missions to developing countries in Central America

 

• art scholarships for Miami's Magnet art students of talent who cannot afford their class trips

 

• scholarships to students of financial need for audition training, art supplies and/or college application fees

 

• mr/mh/autism/pdd support for adults and children who would benefit from large/fine motor skill development, therapeutic arts expression, and mastery art experiences

 

• tickets to special performing art events to physically/mentally disabled children and teens who made-a-wish to experience stellar cultural events, such as those at Arsht Center

 

• partnership with other foundations that utilize the arts to better the lives of individuals and communities

 

• two inspirational blogs that include latest research, photos, ideas and information on arts and healing

 

• donations to a variety of cultural arts programs that need to be kept alive for the greater good of the public, so that the arts can continue to inspire, heal, be shared and made public for all people. This includes classical music stations, museum exhibitions, theater, dance, and the like

 

We are grateful to be able to continue to provide arts-related services and experiences that can help transform lives both locally and around the world.

 

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