Artist's Paintings Inspired by Daughter's Courageous Cancer Battle Featured in Columbus Arts Festival
Painting has always been a passion for Jena Reif. But in 2022, it proved to be a lifesaver.
That’s when her then-4-year-old daughter, Olivia — affectionately nicknamed “Beans” — was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a cancer of the blood and bone marrow.
“She did about three years of chemotherapy, which included treatment through her port, along with steroids,” Reif said.
“It was really challenging for her. You’re trying to understand what they’re feeling and explaining why they have to take this medicine. It was very scary.”
The most common type of childhood cancer, ALL has a high survival rate for children, according to the National Cancer Institute .
But statistics made the experience no less harrowing for the Dublin mom, who also has a younger daughter, Charlotte. So, she found catharsis in painting.
“Up until Olivia’s diagnosis, I had done more realistic-type paintings — florals, for example — but I had a deep love for abstract art,” Reif said.
“I started putting colors on paper and I began to realize those colors and shapes have emotion associated with them. I started channeling those emotions onto canvas.”
Reif is one of 19 Emerging Festival Artists being featured during the Columbus Arts Festival, taking place June 6-8 along the Scioto Mile.
The Emerging Festival Artist Program showcases artists with limited or no experience exhibiting at national festivals. This year’s creators were chosen from more than 1,000 applicants.
Reif had made the rounds at the Upper Arlington and Westerville arts festivals in 2024, but balked at the Columbus Arts Festival, thinking, “That’s too big.”
This year, however, she felt ready to bare her creative soul.
“I kind of got a taste last year and I loved sharing my stories,” said Reif, who has taken classes and workshops at the Columbus College of Art & Design.
“My goal is just to make people feel seen and heard, to make them understand they’re not alone — in the joyful and the not so joyful moments.”
Ultimately, Reif aspires to be a full-time artist and perhaps down the road, own a gallery. But she can’t imagine giving up the festival circuit entirely.
“I love doing festivals and talking about my artwork,” she said. “Being in that kind of environment with the public has been really rewarding for me.”
As for Olivia, she’s now 7 — “and a half,” Reif stressed, laughing. The first grader proudly rang the bell at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in December 2024, indicating she’d successfully completed treatment.
In a case of “like mother, like daughter,” Olivia’s cancer journey brought out the youngster’s creative side, which helped her deal with her own emotions.
“She does a lot of arts and crafts. That’s been a big coping thing for her; she uses it to self-calm. She also does a lot of coloring and making bracelets,” Reif said.
“She’s been kind of mature through the entirety of her treatment. She’s been very brave when it comes to all the scary things and having to grow up quickly. Overall, she’s done really well.”
And so has her mom.
Entertainment and Things to Do reporter Belinda M. Paschal can be reached at bpaschal@dispatch.com .
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Arts Festival artist's paintings inspired by daughter's cancer fight
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