Cancer patients and survivors are expressing themselves through the healing powers of art. Their works will be displayed and up for auction today from 1 p.m. until 8 p.m. in Room 518 of the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute, Ohio State’s Comprehensive Cancer Center.

This is the fifth annual gallery hop that the James Nursing Magnet Council will host.

Proceeds from the silent auction of the art will be split evenly between the James nursing scholarship and a community outreach program, said Joyce Schlatter, OSU Medical Center staff nurse and gallery co-chair.

“Most people who donate are in some way affiliated with OSUMC, but (others are) not all,” she said.

Those with the closest ties to the hospital are the artists who are a part of the Healing through Art classes available through the JamesCare for Life (JCFL) survivorship programming.

“Participants in this inpatient as well as outpatient program will have their artwork on display, but not up for auction because the pieces display their journey through survivorship and are very meaningful to them,” said Anne Harding, JCFL specialist and art therapist.

This is the second year that the JCFL Healing through Art program has contributed to the gallery hop, Harding said.

Community members not directly affiliated with OSUMC like to get involved with the gallery hop as well.

Melonie Jurcevic, a digital production assistant for The Columbus Dispatch, created two original pieces.

Jurcevic has multiple family members who have dealt with cancer, but her aunt sticks out to her the most.

“One of my first memories of her is in a bandana,” Jurcevic said. “It sounds crazy, but she used to wear these gorgeous, colorful bandannas, and as a child, that’s what I remembered most. One of my paintings is of a woman. Like my aunt, her journey is illustrated through her bandana.”

Her second piece illustrates the general fight against cancer. In this painting, a thick, black background envelops a pink ribbon. Light peeks through behind the ribbon.

“When everything else is surrounded by darkness, the light is a sign of hope,” Jurcevic said.

All of the artists’ pieces can be seen at the James Gallery Hop, located at 300 W. 10th Avenue.