Tracy Ellyn brings soul into the art she creates. Her works are intensely spiritual and are based upon her firm conviction that art has the power to heal. The body’s afflictions are eased by connecting art works to the spiritual side of the human being. Ellyn’s works are displayed in medical centers all around the world to support this healing.

Just some of the medical centers where Ellyn’s work is part of the permanent collections.

For example, at the Cleveland Clinic in Weston, the arts are integrated into almost every area of the hospital. There are ballerinas, musicians and other artists sharing their work with the people receiving care creating an atmosphere of healing that is spiritual as well as physical.

At the Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem, there is a similar approach to art as conducive to healing.

Locally, in the Lennar Foundation at the University of Miami, the entire healing center is filled with works of art. There are paintings, sculpture and soothing sounds to help one recover quickly.

“[Art] gives patients, visitors, doctors, nurses a soul experience, lowers their blood pressure, lessens pain, and during this time of COVID, that is so important.”
Tracy Ellyn

Ellyn’s work life has spanned three decades. She has a wonderful family life that has not been without loss, but she has balanced her profession with her familial life. She has children and a brother whom she used to call “teddy bear.”

She taught at magnet schools which was a rewarding experience for her and her students. Her heart was open and ready to give to the youth that approached the schools with dreams and talent.

“I was classically trained as a fine arts and design major, and then worked as such in New York City and Paris for two decades. When I moved to Miami during the era when designers like Versace and Calvin Klein were moving down here, I taught in the magnet schools, teaching the next generation of young artists and designers and building their portfolios. It brought great joy to watch them go on to New York, London, Paris after graduation.”
Tracy Ellyn

She studied formally at Syracuse where she would lug her portfolio through snow covered walks to get to her classes. She finished her Masters Degree in Art Education at FIU. She is a master of fine arts and design.

As it says on her website, she uses techniques from the different times to create beautiful abstract works. She uses glass, paint, pictures and other objects to create soulful images that captivate the heart and the imagination.

“The world needs more soul. And the world gets that via the arts.”

Tracy Ellyn

• Recent exhibitions are:
• Herstory Exhibition, 90 Women Artists from around the World, Manhattan Arts International, New York
• Hidden Truths Project, The Art of Epilepsy, Kant Institute, Costa Mesa
• The Spirit of Resilience, The Healing Power of Art, Manhattan Arts International, New York.
• The Life and Legacy of Steven Sotloff, The Jewish Museum of Florida, Miami Beach

But it is for her heart that Ellyn really shines. She established the Zen Tov Project to provide and promote art to people who need its spiritual help. The Foundation sends cathartic art kits to youth in substance abuse rehabilitation centers, art classes and therapeutic arts consultations for adults and children with special needs, and healing arts kits to children in Israel and France suffering with PTSD. The mission of the foundation is “providing arts-related healing initiatives to help individuals, groups and communities.”

“The Zen Tov Project has always been important to me, for helping people heal through various situations. The arts have demonstrated empirically to heal on physical, emotional, mental and spiritual levels.”

Tracy Ellyn

Tracy Ellyn creates art for the soul with her bright soul. Her heart shines in many colors and never seals itself up but reaches for the realm of the spirit.

All images from Tracy Ellyn.