WASHINGTON — When Karen Pence discovered that an artwork therapist in hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico couldn’t afford the clay her shoppers wanted, she sprang into motion.
A skilled watercolor artist and advocate of the little-known psychological well being occupation, Vice President Mike Pence’s spouse went to the Virginia artwork provide retailer she frequented after they lived within the state throughout his tenure in Congress, purchased 120 kilos of self-drying clay and packed it aboard Air Pressure Two for his or her flight right down to survey the harm.
“She cleaned him out,” the vice chairman stated of the shop’s proprietor.
Mrs. Pence made artwork remedy her trigger ever since she first discovered about it greater than a decade in the past. She has visited quite a few artwork remedy applications, each within the U.S. and overseas, and on Wednesday in Florida, 9 months into the administration, she deliberate to formally announce the objectives for her artwork remedy initiative.
She desires to assist folks perceive the distinction between artwork remedy and humanities and crafts, and to understand that artwork remedy is a viable possibility for treating trauma, harm and different life experiences. She additionally desires to encourage younger folks to decide on artwork remedy as a profession.
“I don’t suppose that lots of people perceive the distinction between therapeutic artwork and artwork remedy,” Mrs. Pence, a skilled watercolor artist, advised The Related Press in an unique interview earlier than the announcement at Florida State College in Tallahassee. The varsity has an artwork remedy program she described as “large.”
Blabbing to a girlfriend might be therapeutic, she defined, however it’s not the identical as artwork remedy, which has three parts: a consumer, a skilled therapist and artwork.
READ MORE: VP Pence’s spouse goals to boost consciousness about artwork remedy
As passionate as she is about elevating artwork remedy’s profile, different points assist make Karen Pence tick, too.
One among them helps navy households, particularly spouses. Her solely son, Michael, is within the Marines.
There’s additionally her curiosity in honeybees. Mrs. Pence put in a beehive on the grounds of the U.S. Naval Observatory, the place the vice chairman’s official residence is positioned, to assist name consideration to a decline in managed bee colonies that officers say may negatively have an effect on U.S. agricultural manufacturing. She had a beehive on the Indiana governor’s residence for a similar cause.
Now 60 and married to the vice chairman since 1985, Mrs. Pence has lengthy been seen as one among her husband’s most trusted political advisers. They’re usually collectively on journeys, on the White Home, or on the observatory, nearly all the time holding arms.
Since returning to Washington in January (the household lived within the space when her husband served in Congress), she has accompanied the vice chairman on goodwill excursions of Europe, Asia and Latin America, in addition to journeys to survey latest hurricane harm in Texas, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. She tries to go to artwork remedy applications wherever she goes. Journalists who journey with Pence usually preserve a watch out for his spouse; she usually brings them cookies when he ventures again to the press cabin for small discuss.
READ MORE: Devastated Puerto Rico wants unprecedented help, says governor
She’s even performed a little bit campaigning, urging Virginians to vote subsequent month for Ed Gillespie in what’s seen as a good gubernatorial race.
“It actually makes a distinction, I can let you know. No one thought that we had been going to win,” she stated, an obvious reference to the Trump-Pence ticket.
The vice chairman usually refers to his spouse because the household’s “prayer captain.” She has led congregations in prayer throughout their hurricane-damage journeys.
“We’re folks of religion so we simply attempt to strategy all the pieces with prayer,” Mrs. Pence stated from her sunny, second-floor workplace within the Eisenhower Government Workplace Constructing within the White Home complicated, the place she and her employees take pleasure in coveted views of the Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial. Artwork remedy drawings given as presents adorn the outer workplace.
She proudly displayed a number of of her work, together with of the Capitol dome, the vice chairman’s residence, a Ball canning jar-turned-flower vase, a cardinal chicken and a pink peony. She turns lots of her watercolors into prints and boxed notecards that she presents to artwork therapists she meets.
Aside from myriad pets, together with two cats, a canine and a rabbit named Marlon Bundo, the Pences are empty nesters. Their son and two grownup daughters are off on their very own.
“I believe for us it is a good time in our life for this function as a result of our children are out of faculty. They’re dwelling their very own lives,” Mrs. Pence stated.
She’s additionally launching a weblog together with Wednesday’s announcement to chronicle her visits to artwork remedy applications.
