Artist, cancer survivor brings the art of healing to pop-up series

When Becky O’Toole turned her hospital room into a makeshift art studio during her leukemia treatment, she found that creativity could quiet even the loudest fears.  

Now, years later, the Daniel Island artist and cancer survivor is passing that healing on to others through Pop-Ups with a Purpose, a month-long art series uniting creativity, community, and compassion. 

Every Tuesday this October, O’Toole is taking over the 16 Handles in Point Hope, transforming the frozen yogurt shop into a mini art studio. Paintbrushes swirl, while toddlers dream up wild sundaes piled high with sprinkles. But these colorful pop-ups are about far more than art. They’re about raising awareness and funds for women battling breast cancer. 

“I have been hosting Pop-Ups With Purpose for nearly eight years,” O’Toole said. “As a breast cancer and leukemia survivor, my mission in starting my business, The Pink Frame, was one of giving back.” 

O’Toole founded The Pink Frame after surviving both leukemia and breast cancer, channeling her creative passion into philanthropy. A portion of every painting she sells supports cancer research and patient care at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston and the MUSC Hollings Cancer Center in Charleston, where she continues to receive care. 

This October’s pop-ups, hosted in partnership with 16 Handles, are raising money for Swing for the Lowcountry, a Daniel Island nonprofit dedicated to supporting local women undergoing breast cancer treatment.  

“Swing for the Lowcountry gives 95% of every dollar directly to female breast cancer patients through MUSC,” O’Toole said. “We provide gas cards, grocery cards, and help pay necessary bills, including childcare. When you’re diagnosed with breast cancer, there’s a wave of financial burden that comes with the worry and medical bills. We make it our mission to support these women so they can focus on healing.” 

For O’Toole, art isn’t just a passion; it’s medicine. “Art is what saved me during my cancer journeys,” she said. “When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I had two toddlers, and my mother was diagnosed with a more advanced stage weeks prior. Later, when I was diagnosed with leukemia, I needed a purpose. I set my hospital room up as my studio, played music, and gifted paintings to patients. Art can heal.” 

At her pop-ups, O’Toole invites children to experience that same sense of joy and creativity. “It’s rare that kids get to see working artists and hold their paintings,” she said. “I always bring what I call a ‘touch tank’ of small paintings that little hands can hold and feel.” 

Her hope is that families leave with more than a painting; they leave with connection. 

“If I can inspire one child to pick up a crayon or paintbrush and dream that they, too, can become an artist, my mission is complete.”