FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 6, 2007

Baltimore, MD - (September 6, 2007) - The American Pain Foundation ("APF")and project partner The HealthCentral Network, Inc. (www.HealthCentral.com) announced today a call for entries for the 2007 APF Pain and Creativity Exhibit. This online exhibit will showcase all contributing artists and their work, including visual arts, inspirational videos, poetry, and quilt squares. Select submissions will be chosen for special promotion by APF. The Pain and Creativity community will be ongoing, but to be considered for special honor in the Exhibit, and at the APF's 10th Anniversary Celebration in October, submissions must be received by September 20th. Entries can be submitted at www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/apf/.

"HealthCentral.com is pleased to be working with the American Pain Foundation to host the Pain and Creativity Exhibit-a virtual space where anyone can share their painting, drawings, sculpture, and video with other individuals dealing with pain," said Bill Allman, General Manager of HealthCentral. "Art can play a major role in expressing and working through chronic pain, and we believe that the Pain and Creativity Exhibit offers a flexible, supportive environment in which to do this."

"Recognizing that we are all creative and have the power to turn adversity into opportunity, we would like to expand our Pain and Creativity network to connect artists and their expressions of pain through an online exhibit of creative work," said Will Rowe, Executive Director of APF. "Our hope is that the submissions to the Pain and Creativity Exhibit come in a variety of forms, including film, sculpture, words, painting and quilt blocks, from people who have pain or from people who are affected by pain."

Entrants can contribute poetry, prose, a digital photo of their artwork, or an inspirational video that tells the story of how pain can affect one's life. Along with their submission, entrants also need to include a paragraph that describes how their piece of art represents their pain experience.

A related project sponsored by APF in conjunction with the Lagniappe Project of Baltimore is calling for the submission of quilt blocks for the inclusion in a quilt which will reflect the experience of pain. Quilts are a literal and figurative symbol of comfort and the joining of patchwork is a symbol of unity and community. Through the block design, construction, and joining to create a finished quilt, we hope that the artist finds comfort and unity. The finished quilts will be exhibited at the APF's 10th Anniversary Celebration in October and will be used for fundraising purposes through the Celebration Auction and/or through other fundraising efforts. For more information on quilt square requirements, go to www.painfoundation.org/page.asp?file=ManageYourPain/PainandCreativity.htm.

The deadline for all submissions is Thursday, September 20.

About The HealthCentral Network The HealthCentral Network, Inc. (www.healthcentral.com) is a new and unique online offering, comprised of over 30 general health and highly specific condition and wellness web properties, each committed to offering a voice in everyday and personal language people can understand and connect with at critical points in their lives. Each site provides timely, interactive, in-depth and trusted medical information (from Harvard Health Publications among others), and connections to leading experts and thousands of people who share their related experiences and inspiration.

About the American Pain Foundation Founded in 1997, the American Pain Foundation is an independent nonprofit 501(c)3 organization serving people with pain through information, advocacy, and support. Our mission is to improve the quality of life of people with pain by raising public awareness, providing practical information, promoting research, and advocating to remove barriers and increase access to effective pain management. For more information, visit www.painfoundation.org.