It was an honor to be asked to create a portrait of Dr. Sandy Koltonow on the occasion of his selection to be honored with a Wayne State University Arts Achievement Award. Sandy will receive the WSU College of Fine Performing and Communication Arts Dean’s Art Advocacy Award in a ceremony to be held on October 19, 2023.
The following synopsis is from his bio: Sandy grew up in northwest Detroit, attended Cass Tech HS and earned his degree in Physical Sciences from MSU, his MD from WSU and his PsyS from The Center for Humanistic Studies. For 34 years Dr. Koltonow was an academic emergency physician at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak and subsequently, an Associate Professor at The OU/WB School of Medicine. He has served as an instructor at all four major medical schools in Michigan, as well as a supervising consultant at Henry Ford Hospital and the Detroit Medical Center.
In 2008 he created the position of Corporate Director of the Physician Health and Wellness Programs at Beaumont Hospitals, providing both educational and clinical services to the 3400 attending and house staff physicians at Beaumont, while maintaining part-time practices in Emergency Medicine and psychotherapy. He has also served in multiple roles as a liaison for mental health initiatives in Wayne and Oakland County.
Sandy’s recent interests have focused on exploring both the physical and psychological healing effects of arts and culture, particularly music. His psychoanalytic work has confirmed his beliefs that it is the qualities of relationships — to people, institutions and processes — that are paramount to personal growth and a sense of fulfillment and equanimity. This importantly includes the relationship to our creative processes, both those conscious and unconscious. Recent advocacy work has been to strategize with local institutions to encourage cross-disciplinary collaborations, i.e., encourage deepening relationships.
Sandy adds his expertise to several non-profit boards and actively serves and supports many music, education, art and cultural initiatives in the Detroit area, including the Jazz programs at WSU and MSU, the Detroit Jazz Festival, the DSO, WDET, DPTV, The Carr Center, The Wright Museum, The Concert of Colors, The Detroit Justice Center, The Wayne County Health Authority, The Michigan School of Psychology and The Michigan Psychoanalytic Institute.
More information is found here: https://cfpca.wayne.edu/alumni/arts-archievement-awards
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