body image body essence Exhibition Opens at Universit...( MIAMI Jan. 14 /- The National Ova...),Health

MIAMI, Jan. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Ovarian Cancer Coalition (NOCC) announced that body image | body essence, an art exhibition of 16 sculptures depicting various stages of ovarian cancer, will be on display at the University of Miami, College of Arts and Sciences Gallery, from Jan. 23 to Mar. 21, 2009.

Created by Massachusetts artist John Magnan, the exhibit will debut on January 23 from 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. The showing is free and open to the public. Located at 1210 Stanford Dr. in Coral Gables, gallery hours are Tuesday - Saturday from 12 p.m. - 4 p.m. and Thursday from 12 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Magnan created the original sculptures in 1999 when his late wife, Mary, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. While the art was initially a way for the couple to cope, the collection became a powerful visual tool for awareness, education and catharsis. The body image | body essence art exhibition, sponsored by NOCC, tours the country to generate awareness of ovarian cancer, one of deadliest forms of women's gynecologic cancers. Each year, more than 20,000 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer and more than 15,000 will die from the disease.

This cathartic, educational and informative exhibit is a powerful commentary on shared human experiences of health, sickness, death and personal triumph.

Magnan created the first sculpture soon after his wife Mary lost her hair to chemotherapy treatment. Beginning with a wooden egg, he began clipping straight pins and tapping the ends into the egg, eventually covering the entire surface. The repetitiveness of tapping 46,000 pins into the egg, which he later named "Sharps!," was a calming mantra for him. Over the next year, as ovarian cancer became a larger focus of their lives, Magnan worked on new pieces, eventually creating 15 sculptures that provided an easier way to talk about the disease.

After NOCC learned about Magna
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