Photograph by Eric Smalkin
The idea for FLARE began while she was in the hospital. After waking up in the ICU after a seven-hour surgery, Priscilla Smith realized she could no longer stay silent about what put her there. It was endometriosis. And it was not a simple surgery with a simple beginning, middle, or end. She had major post-op complications that included a collapsed lung caused by internal bleeding. She underwent several blood transfusions before regaining consciousness. When she became more alert, Priscilla shared with her nurse that it was endometriosis that led her to have the surgery. She then had to explain to the nurse what endometriosis was. Through that conversation it became clear that she needed to do something to help raise awareness of this disease that she had suffered from since she was 11 years old.
During her time recuperating in the hospital bed, she reflected on her lifelong journey with endometriosis. She thought about how her life might have been different if at 13 she had been provided with resources and support, instead of just the diagnosis and surgery. If someone, anyone had just helped her understand what was going on inside her body, she wondered if that would have changed her experience. Information and knowledge would have been helpful. Connection with others battling the same condition could have been life changing. She decided then and there that she would create the community of women she wished she’d had as a teen and young adult navigating the disease and medical system.
The conversation with her nurse in February 2026 ignited her imagination to create a space where others with endometriosis could use art to not only process and heal, but also to spark curiosity and discourse about the condition in the media and general public.
FLARE: Flourish in Life through Art and Resources for Endometriosis
I remember in 2021, when I was grieving the tragic loss of a friend. I was in a session with an intuitive and meditation teacher, and I asked her how I could possibly help his family. Her response? Be more of Kate. Lean in and develop your unique talents to help the world.
That is exactly what Priscilla did. Priscilla is an artist, an educator, and a connector of people. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting and Art Education as well as a Master’s in Teaching English Language, both from Syracuse University. Her paintings have shown up in group and solo exhibitions across Long Island and she has also left her mark on several public murals in NY. Beyond the canvas, she is a sculptor and metal worker. She founded another initiative, FLAME, to connect and elevate women in metal working and welding with the goal of creating more inclusive trade education.
When Priscilla’s endometriosis flares up, she sometimes finds herself lost within it, later invoking feelings of grief related to the loss of identity. Creating has always been her solution. Whether simply writing out ideas in her sketchbook or fiddling with the oxyacetylene torch in her metal shop, the process of the making, in whatever form it takes, is how she processes the pain, grief, and finds her way back to self.
The Exhibit: Illuminating Endometriosis
Just seven months after the surgery that could have cost Priscilla her life, the inaugural FLARE art exhibition was held in a New York City loft in September 2026. While in recovery and building back her physical strength, she was also building a global community of women connected through art, advocacy, and endometriosis.
The three day exhibition brought together more than 30 artists to showcase their work, along with endo patients, doctors, researchers, and supporters. In addition to art, the weekend included a dinner, live music, and multiple panels. There was a joint keynote by a surgeon and a clinical nutritionist who both specialize in endometriosis: Dr. Chandra Spring-Robinson, DO, FACOG and Savannah Regensburger, MS, MBA, CNS. There was even a self-care lounge, a room designed for rest alongside the galleries.
With everything the weekend had to offer, the art itself remained the crux of the exhibition, illuminating what it feels like to live with endometriosis. Priscilla believes that art is a form of communication. A medical chart can document a patient’s description of pain, details of surgery, and the precise volume of blood lost. A painting can showcase the fear, the anger, the isolation that the artist was feeling. At the September exhibit, the art that emerged from each individual’s unique endo journey gave viewers the opportunity to not only observe the art, but to be validated by it. A woman who previously had her symptoms dismissed by the medical system can look at a piece of art, immediately understand it, and feel understood. Because she experienced it too. Priscilla writes, “There is a kind of recognition in that which is incredibly powerful.”
Together with Nina Phelps, Priscilla created "The Missing Piece" for the collection, which speaks to the delayed diagnosis and lost time that comes from years of searching for answers. It also highlights the central idea of FLARE itself. Suffering from endometriosis is even more pronounced when the support system is void of adequate knowledge or resources for how to help. While art is the cornerstone of FLARE, the organization also aims to provide a supportive community that can provide education, resources, and advocacy.
“As a welder, fire is a tool. It can cut, join, reshape and transform material. You have to respect it, but you don't have to be afraid of it… Some experiences can destroy you if you let them define the end of the story, but they can also become part of the material you build with.” - Priscilla Smith
Stoking the Fire
The New York exhibition was never meant to be the finish line. It was just the starting point. Priscilla would like FLARE to evolve into a lasting platform. The artworks will be archived on their website. Conversations will continue on the Inside FLARE podcast, writings and research will be published in the FLARE Journal, and workshops and educational programming are currently being developed. A documentary is also in post-production. The Way Through, co-directed by Priscilla and actress Amanda Fuller unveils the behind-the-scenes of building the exhibition and the community.
She also casually wrote a book, Flourish Through the Fire, which she hopes reaches the girl navigating the illness looking for a lifeline. The NYC exhibition was just the beginning for FLARE. Together, its artists, supporters, and pupils will use art as infrastructure to continue to raise awareness and ignite lasting change. You may even see a FLARE art exhibit pop up in your own city.
Showing Your Support
If you’d like to support FLARE, there are many avenues to get involved. You can follow their Instagram or subscribe to the Substack newsletter. You can listen or view a podcast episode, and share it with someone with endo. Priscilla says, “every person who learns something and passes it on helps move endometriosis out of the shadows.”
Endometriosis is a complex condition that can impact a person’s entire life. It is not simply "bad periods" or a disease that affects fertility. It affects everything. Priscilla hopes that FLARE can be a light for someone newly diagnosed or for the person who has lived with it for 30 years. If you have endo, she wants you to feel less alone. To know that your pain is REAL, your experience MATTERS, and your voice DESERVES to be heard. You are not your diagnosis. You have a bright future, one that can be filled with beauty, creativity, and community. You are meant to flourish.
Now in her mid-thirties with a husband and kiddos, Priscilla has learned to be her own advocate in the medical system. And now she wants to advocate for others. Not because she is at the end of her journey. She is still in the throes of it. Just one month before the exhibit, she found herself unexpectedly back in the hospital for another two weeks post-surgery. But it did not stop her. Like every other endo flare or setback, she had art to bring her back. This time, she returned to the art of over 30 artists from 13 different countries. The exhibit that she hosted approximately 30 days after yet another surgery served as yet another reminder that she is not the diagnosis. In her full essence, Priscilla is an artist, advocate, teacher, painter, welder, entrepreneur, wife, and mother. I could go on. But you’ll have to follow the rest of her story for yourself.
Read more stories and view the archives of the September exhibit: FLARE.
You can also learn more about each artist and support their work here: FLARE ARTISTS.
About the Writer:
Kate is the founder of Well City Guide. She is also an integrative psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner with a special interest in women's health and PMDD. She believes humans have far more in common than what divides them. Kate built Well City Guide to connect readers through a shared reverence for health, community, and the planet, guiding them to the people, places, and experiences that contribute not only to their own wellness, but also the health of their city. Off the page, you’ll find her in a hot yoga class, deep in an audiobook, or in her garage, dancing in between strength training sets.