Media Contact: 
Jonathan Frahm
Events & Marketing Coordinator
520-256-9162
jonathan@saaca.org​


​August 29, 2023 - Roche 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 — we’ve paired each of these patients 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.
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For example, at the event you will learn about 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 is 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.”
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Here is an except for the literary piece by Ash Hooke, that was created for Tina. You can listen to Ash recite the piece in its entirety here: 

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.
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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 (HPV), long covid, latent autoimmune diabetes (LADA), pernicious anemia and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS).
“Uncommon Knowledge” will make its grand debut with an opening night reception on Thursday, September 21, 2023 at the Ventana Gallery at Roche Tissue Diagnostics. The public is invited to this free admission event from 5PM-7PM 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 6PM. The event will also feature light hors d’ouevres, refreshments, and live music.

Media reporters, journalists, photographers, and other representatives are invited to a special press hour preceding the event from 4PM-5PM on September 21 to preview the art and speak one-on-one with the patients, artists, and representatives from Roche Tissue Diagnostics and SAACA.

Participating visual artists include: 
Bella Dolores, Angela Puffer, Bettina, Virginia Thompson, Beth Surdut, Renee Michele, Carla Lobmier, Laur Rose, Laura Thurbon, Rebecca Ganz, Dennis Wunsch, Elaine Walsh, Rachel Ivanyi, Cynthia Remick

Participating literary artists include:
Deanna Campos, Erika Segura, Ashanti Files, Carrington Shearer, Beth Surdut, Hudson Keffer, Ash Hooke, Eve Stern, David Navarro
 
Exhibition information:
Show Dates: September 14, 2023 to January 2024
Opening Night Reception: Thursday, September 21, 2023 at 5PM-7PM
Where: Ventana Gallery at Roche Tissue Diagnostics, 1910 E Innovation Park Dr, Oro Valley AZ 85755
Cost: FREE ADMISSION

NOTE TO MEDIA: Photos available upon request.

 

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