Saks Fifth Avenue
Survivors Art Foundation conducted an Art Exhibition for three weeks in September at Saks Fifth Avenue on Long Island in collaboration with the Huntington Breast Cancer Organization and Breast Cancer Research.
From left: [...], Jane Kuruschkat, and Elaine Lipitz.
A view of the Saks Fifth Avenue exhibition, showing some of Elaine Lipitz's sculptures.
About The Artists
Elaine Lipitz
Elaine Lipitz is a 76-year-old breast cancer survivor.
Elaine Lipitz beside one of her sculptures.
Jane Karuschkat
Jane Karushckat was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992 and began chemotherapy in 1993. Some time during that year, a spark appeared for Jane ... in September of 1993 Jane took her first lesson in oils, and by May of 1994, she had her first exhibit. Since then, Jane has produced hundreds of oil paintings, pastels, watercolors, pen and ink drawings, and has recently begun to work with acrylics. For Jane, painting has been a motivating factor in self-expression and inner tranquility while healing.
In addition, Jane has been involved in a human rights fight related to her breast cancer. She was fired from her job as legal secretary in January, 1993, with the reason the chemotherapy treatments she had just started for breast cancer would prevent h"er from doing her job." Jane had missed less than a week of work following a mastectomy, and one day after a reaction drug therapy. Jane contacted a Westbury, NY lawyer who has become a specialist in issues of discrimination against breast-cancer patients, who filed a complaint with the Division of Human Rights. The next step for Jane is a public hearing on the facts of the case, before a Division of Human Rights administrative law judge with the authority to award damages. New York Human Rights Law prohibits job discrimination based on disability.
There are over 180,000 breast cancer patients diagnosed each year in the United States. Experts say there is a pervasive hidden problem of job discrimination against breast cancer patients. Jane Karuschkat's case may help to bring awareness to this kind of discrimination.
Some of Jane Karuschkat's works
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