Roche Tissue Diagnostics, Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance to Host Exhibition
Roche Tissue Diagnostics and the Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance will host a one-of-a-kind art exhibition focused on understanding the value of regular disease screenings and their associated diagnostic tests.
The exhibition highlights the journeys of 21 Roche colleagues across the United States who have experienced a disease diagnosis that impacted their lives. The show hopes to change the way we take notice of and manage our health. You’ll see a myriad of choices that led to very distinct outcomes.
Walking into the gallery space, you’ll come face-to-face with each of these patients’ stories. But that’s not all —each of these patients has been paired with both a literary and a visual artist, who, over the last several months, have created pieces that tell each person’s story creatively and uniquely.
For example, Tina, who during a 360-wellness check, discovered her white blood cell count was low. Her doctor did not seem concerned, and she felt just fine. But working in healthcare had taught her that if something was not quite right, it is best to follow up. She advocated for additional testing and seven months later was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. Thankfully, she is currently in remission. Tina decided to participate in this show to spread the important message of, “Do not skip your screenings, they really do save lives.”
Here is an except for the literary piece by Ash Hooke, that was created for Tina:
Odonate
Living her life, all on one plane,
fully immersed in the everyday, the Odonate swims
along; her nymph world, full and secure.
Floating into her normal, full-circle-wellness
routine testing, she and everyone expecting nothing
but the quotidian results that come from taking care of one’s self.
Instead, an anomaly appears, nearly invisible;
just a minute drop in her mainstream-white-blood-cell-count
no one but her seemed concerned about.
The visual interpretation of Tina’s story, Rebirth, was created by Tucson-based artist, Rachel Ivanyi.
These stories and their accompanying creative representations span several disease states including, but not limited to, breast, colon, prostate and thyroid cancer, acute myeloid leukemia, human papillomavirus, long covid, latent autoimmune diabetes, pernicious anemia and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome.
“Uncommon Knowledge” will make its grand debut with an opening night reception on Sept. 21 at the Ventana Gallery at Roche Tissue Diagnostics.
The public is invited to this free admission event from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. to experience the exhibition with the artists and the patients who they were paired with.
There will even be a live performance of several of the literary pieces at 6 p.m. The event will also feature light hors d’ouevres, refreshments, and live music.
