TSU Health & Social Justice Conference

On Saturday, November 16, 2002, from 9am-5pm, Art Angels, a Healing Arts Program of The Museum Of Cultural Arts Houston (MOCAH), presented the healing arts exhibit, Tickles’ Traveling Toothbrush Show, during the Texas Southern University Health and Social Justice Conference - Kid Zone.  The conference was a collaboration set forth by community partners such as Texas Southern University-Terry Library; The John P. McGovern Museum Of Health & Medical Science; Houston Council Member, Ada Edwards and also represents the support of over 20 community organizations.  Located on the TSU Campus at the Health and Physical Education Gymnasium, the conference was free to the public and will allow participants to explore the vital health care issues that affect minorities and underserved groups. Participants received free community health information, resources, free classes for preventive education and free screenings at this all day health fair.  Tickles Traveling Toothbrush Show is a healing arts exhibit that  featured a full day of hands on arts-in-dentistry activities; Live performances of ‘Tickles’ Dental Visit’; Fun dental health give-a-ways provided by the Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures Program; and free dental health screenings, courtesy of Almeda Dental Group.  To encourage community participation, free toothbrushes, dental health coloring books and event invitations were also issued to over 2,400 students in exchange for their old and worn out toothbrushes as the healing arts exhibit tours to Blackshear, Mac Gregor, Lockhart and Turner Elementary Schools, to present performances of ‘Tickles’ Dental Visit’ between November 1-15^th, 2002.

Tickle's Traveling Toothbrush Show is a traveling exhibit featuring expressive Art-In-Dentistry projects delivered on-site to elementary schools, community centers and health fairs to promote children's dental health education for grades K through 8.   This community art-in-dentistry project is based on a cast of characters created from 'dental office personalities'.
Tickles D. Toothbrush is the star of the show and he is joined by Dr. Diggles the Dentist, Happy Hygienist, Flossy Floss and Sticky- Icky -Plaque and The Sugar Bug Gang.  These characters creatively present dental health lessons combining different art mediums such as performing arts using song, dance, interactive role-play; and hands-on art projects using items and materials commonly associated with the dental office.
During our 2001-2002 tours, this event attracted an audience of more than 4,500 participants at HISD schools, health fairs and community organizations such as The Museum Of Health And Medical Science during February 2002, National Children’s Dental Health Month. Adams says, ‘Our goal during this years’ tour is to reach at least 10,000 young smiles as Tickles’ The Toothbrush and his crew travel across Houston to creatively teach and expose families to dental health prevention resources’.

This expressive arts project has been made possible through the generous contributions of Almeda Dental Group; Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures Program and Chase Bank Of Texas (Riverside Branch).  Other Community Health Partners and volunteer organizations that also helped to make this presentation possible are Houston Independent School District; Communities In The Schools - Project MOVE; UT Houston- Hispanic Dental Student Council; UT Student Dental Association; Astrodome Dental Career Center; and the Houston Community College Dental Assisting Program and Express Children’s Theatre. For additional information please contact us at art_angels@hotmail.com or visit www.mocah.org/artangels.htm or contact Rhonda Adams at 713.864.2780. 

Museum Of Cultural Arts Houston, © 1999-2003 MOCAH is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization

P.O. Box 202059  Houston, Texas USA  77020-2059  Tel: 713.864.2780  Fax: 713.864.1629   MOCAH Studios:  2500  Summer St.  3rd Floor Studio 7 C , Houston, TX  77007

  Email: info@mocah.org