Solo Arts Heal featuring Jose Picayo on February 26th, 2025
AnCan and The Marsh (well-renowned, long-established theater company with a large following in the Bay Area and venues in San Francisco and Oakland) collaborate every 4th Wednesday of the month for Solo Arts Heal.
Join us for an intimate conversation with José, who will share his story of living with prostate cancer, offer insights gleaned from his time working in hospitals, and demonstrate his passion for weaving by teaching AnCan’s Hannah Garrison live.
José Picayo is a Cuban-born, New York City-based artist working in both photography and textiles. He graduated with a BFA from Parsons School of Design in 1983. José began his work in NYC as a photographer in the 1980’s. His work has been featured in magazines and advertising campaigns worldwide. He has had many solo photography exhibits and has contributed to several group shows in NYC. In 2016, he had a retrospective exhibiting 25 years of his Polaroid work at the Erie Art Museum, which was also featured in NYC. José has taught both photography and weaving in New York. In the past several years, he has focused more on textiles and has had this work included in several group
shows. José is currently working on an upcoming photography exhibition titled “A Walk in the Woods”. José teaches weaving at the Textile Arts Center in Brooklyn, the National Council of Jewish Women in Manhattan, and at NYP Methodist Hospital’s Art for Healing program.
Solo Arts Heal featuring Gregory Burns on March 25, 2026
AnCan and The Marsh (well-renowned, long-established theater company with a large following in the Bay Area and venues in San Francisco and Oakland) collaborate every 4th Wednesday of the month for Solo Arts Heal.
Gregory Burns is a Paralympic gold medalist, Olympic artist, and global speaker on resilience and creativity whose life demonstrates how limitations can become a catalyst for human potential.
After contracting polio as a child and growing up across multiple countries, Burns went on to win gold medals and set world records in swimming before completing Ironman competitions. Alongside his athletic career, he developed a parallel life as an artist whose work has been commissioned by the International Olympic Committee.
Through keynote presentations, paintings, and storytelling, Burns explores the intersection of sport, creativity, and the human spirit—showing how adversity can ignite innovation, perseverance, and possibility.
His work reflects the deeper ideals of the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games: courage, determination, and the belief that the pursuit of excellence can uplift not only individuals, but communities and organizations.
AnCan Foundation, the innovator of virtual support groups, is coming to our 10th Anniversary in less than 10 months. We’ve grown – about one-third of US nonprofits fail in that time, and we have flourished. Starting with 3, or was it 4, meetings, AnCan now boasts 33 virtual monthly events for 16 different conditions. If that’s not evidence enough, annually we serve around 7,000 live; approx. 33,000 through our recordings, and we have close to a half-million who make contact with the AnCan logo somehow or other annually. That’s a lot. Watch out for our new Impact Report that’s in the works.
It’s certainly more than one person can handle. In fact, it’s more than myself, a volunteer, plus 4 contract people and an outside bookkeeper can handle. I’m not the only volunteer. I am so honored and privileged to say it’s more than around 100 volunteers can handle, and we could not manage without your efforts – much gratitude.
For some time, the executive function has been too much for me to manage alone, even with the help of our volunteer Executive Board made up right now of Bill Franklin, David Muslin and Stuart Jordan – btw, we’re looking to add to that too. We’ve been looking to hire executive help and the perfect solution has presented itself.
Some of you may be aware of the term, Fractional Executives – The Charity CFO just ran a podcast. AnCan has been fortunate enough to find one who knows us intimately. Courtesy of the USAF and subsequently, extensive consulting experience at The Mitre Corporation, our Board President, Bill Franklin, is voluntarily reducing his hours at Mitre to take on a contract position of 16-20 hours a week with lil’ ol’ AnCan.
As our Board President since August 2021, Bill knows all the ins and out, he’s seen us grow, and most significantly he’s willing to work with me! Bill’s also looking to phase out of Mitre and find new challenges as he approaches retirement. AnCan provided a great solution and we welcome him as our new Chief Operating Officer.
Bill will continue as Board President as well as assuming oversight over many of the operating and administrative duties, from finance and control to insurance, compliance and many special projects – viz. the Impact Report !?! To be honest, Bill’s been doing a lot of this informally but can now spend legitimate time a couple of days a week to help us put our ship, or maybe we should say ‘our bird’, in better order.
Personally, I am thrilled and excited. There’s no one I can think I would rather work with. I welcome him sharing this job with me, and keeping me on the straight and narrow as he has done since joining the Board many years ago. One other person to thank – another aviator, Bill’s wife Misa. If she hadn’t gotten on his case for spending many volunteer hours with AnCan, Bill wouldn’t have come up with this great solution.
Welcome aboard, Sarge… or should I say, Mr. Prez! AnCan welcomes Air Relief
AnCan and The Marsh (well renown, long-established theater company with a large following in the Bay Area and venues in San Francisco and Oakland) collaborateevery 4th Wednesday of the month for Solo Arts Heal.
We were so happy to welcome AnCan’s own, Dan Dressen!
Dan is a moderator for our Active Surveillance Prostate Cancer support group, and also a talented musician from Southern Idaho, with a passion for Americana music. With roots in Minnesota and a stint in both Southern and Northern California, Dan has honed his skills on the guitar since the age 14.
In 1975, while at the University of Minnesota, he filled in as student coordinator at the Whole Coffeehouse. The Whole, as it was know, brought in music that attracted audiences locally, regionally and nationally and he still follows the music and musicians from that time period.
Now today and for over a decade, he has been entertaining at open mic nights, sharing his unique blend of country-inspired tunes with audiences in various venues on West Coast. Married to his wife Lila for 35 years, Dan is joined by their two feline friends Willow and Webster. Drawing inspiration from songwriters such as Guy Clark, Tom Russell, John Prine, and Robin & Linda Williams, Dan brings his own distinct voice to the Americana genre.
You’ll hear warm songs, fantastic stories, and great conversation. Dan has learned the importance of being “active” when taking charge of one’s health journey, and will also share the importance of being your own best advocate. (an AnCan favorite!)
Editor’s Note: We know you’ve missed receiving email notifications about our blog posts. Now that we are up and running on the new system via mailchimp (the same system you receive our group reminders on), here are the posts may have missed. They are categorized for your connivence. Enjoy!
Hi-Risk/Recurrent/Advanced PCa Video Chat Recordings
AnCan and The Marsh (well renown, long-established theater company with a large following in the Bay Area and venues in San Francisco and Oakland) collaborateevery 4th Wednesday of the month for Solo Arts Heal.
Friends, it was my absolute privilege to choose, produce, and host May’s guest – Karen Broder. A wordsmith, singer, musician, performance artist, raconteur, provocateur. “I’ve been called all kind of names and most of them are true. But that doesn’t tell the whole story.”Karen’s inimitable humor creatively crafts an arsenal of anecdotes to battle the forces of frustration — both real or Imagined.
You will absolutely love this show, the only disappointing part is it doesn’t go on longer! Karen will regale and reveal some of the stories she spins to throw shade at serious, if not, trivial irritations. Enjoy a dose of home grown ‘Humor Infusion’ to whet your psyche with laughter, art, and song.
Karen is one of our very first art friends, and a beloved member of our community. It has been a pleasure getting to know Karen, and you’ll get to know her even better after this show.
AnCan Foundation, the innovator of virtual support groups, is coming to our 10th Anniversary in less than 10 months. We’ve grown – about one-third of US nonprofits fail in that time, and we have flourished. Starting with 3, or was it 4, meetings, AnCan now boasts 33 virtual monthly events for 16 different conditions. If that’s not evidence enough, annually we serve around 7,000 live; approx. 33,000 through our recordings, and we have close to a half-million who make contact with the AnCan logo somehow or other annually. That’s a lot. Watch out for our new Impact Report that’s in the works.
