Community Art Project at NARH opens with reception
NORTH ADAMS - New works by local artists are on display at North Adams Regional Hospital as part of the hospital’s Community Art Project. The public is invited to an artists’ reception on Wednesday, October 22, from 5 to 7 p.m. at NARH in the Surgical Services Waiting Area on the first floor, just off the main lobby. Refreshments will be served.The Community Art Project at NARH was launched in the summer of 1999 and has been a consistent success every year since. The project brings works of art into the public corridors and waiting areas of the hospital to bring warmth and pleasure to the environment for patients and their families and friends, as well as for the staff. It is the hospital’s desire to complement the healing process with artwork.
Diane Sullivan, a resident of the Eclipse Mill Artist Lofts in North Adams who creates sculpture and tile work in clay, relates this story: "While in the Emergency Department with my partner trying to discover the source of her sudden and unexpected illness and pain, the waiting was nerve-wracking. Kelly Lee's photos gave me a wonderfully rich diversion to immerse myself in. They engaged me and distracted me from my anxieties."
Debi Pendell of North Adams, who serves as curator of the art project, said “Every time I hang this exhibit (this is my third), several people stop me and tell me how very much they appreciate having the art at NARH. They express dismay at having a favorite artwork taken down, and joy at having a new one hung that they especially like. The hospital employees tell me how much the artwork creates interest and pleasure in their daily work environment. I also hear visitors and patients talking together about the art - wondering how something was created or the meaning of some piece or other.”
"Curating these exhibits has bolstered my own long-time belief in the power and importance of art in everyone's lives,” Pendell added. “History has shown that art is an essential human need, not just an extra frill. Art entertains, but it also enlightens. It feeds one's spirit."
Participating artist Barbara Holian expressed a similar sentiment, saying "I believe the visual arts touch us in a personal and compelling way. It helps us transcend a sense of isolation and fear that is often evoked during a time of illness. This connection can provide a sense of comfort that helps heal the human spirit when we or those we love are suffering. I am pleased to be a part of the exhibit at NARH as I feel strongly that we are just beginning to tap into the power of the arts in healing. I thank NARH for providing this important opportunity.”
“This is my first time displaying my photography in the NARH Community Art Project, and I am extremely excited and honored to be a part of it,” said Judith Clergern Oleskiewiecz. “I hope my photography brings peace and enjoyment to those who see it, as it does for me to capture it.”
“We are delighted to see a growing interest in the Community Art Project at NARH, both by artists and the public,” said Richard Palmisano, President and CEO of Northern Berkshire Healthcare. “We work very hard to make NARH a healing place, and the addition of such varied artwork makes our job easier. We’re very appreciative of the effort that our local art community makes to be involved in caring for the community, and we’re happy to continue providing a venue to display their work.”
Artists in the exhibit, which will be on view until March 27, 2008, include Diana Boehnert, Ernest Brown, Edward Cating, Elizabeth Cunningham, Joy Floyd, Joanna Gabler, Richard Hoebel, Barbara Holian, Ellen Joffe-Halpern, David Lane, Kelly Lee, Cynthia Lewis, Barbara May, Judith Oleskiewicz, Anne Pasko, Walt Pasko, Debi Pendell, Kimberly Simon, Kelly Taylor, Hope Young, and Valerye Zerra.
