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Art for hospital pieces go on show
Art for hospital pieces go on show
The number of entries to the 2010 Transfusion painting competition, which will see Health Waikato hospital walls adorned with student artwork, has overwhelmed Waikato District Health Board’s Media and Communications director Mary Anne Gill.
As major sponsor of the competition, Ms Gill says she is looking forward to attending the opening night of the Transfusion exhibition at Waikato Museum on July 2, but is even more excited about seeing the works hang in Waikato Hospital and Health Waikato’s rural hospitals in the coming months.
The Transfusion painting competition offers year 12 and 13 art students from throughout the Waikato the opportunity to donate their paintings to Waikato hospitals for patients, visitors and staff to enjoy.
In 2004 Hamilton Boys’ High School and Waikato DHB non-clinical services manager Brenda Peters set up the initiative to create art-for-hospital with Boys’ High art students donating pieces to Waikato Hospital.
In her role, Mrs Peters was the Waikato DHB Art for Health group and is responsible for many of the artworks currently displayed in Waikato Hospital.
After 38 years’ service, Mrs Peters resigned from Waikato Hospital yesterday and was gifted her favourite piece of artwork from within the organisation as a leaving present.
Mrs Peters said the student artwork had been a highlight of her very varied role with Waikato DHB and that her favourite piece of student artwork is a ray Charles painting, done by David Pickett from Hamilton Boys’ High School in 2006.
David went on to study at Elam School of Fine Arts, graduating in 2009.
In the past six years Boys’ High students have donated hundreds of paintings to Waikato Hospital. Last year however, the school and Waikato DHB teamed up with the Waikato Museum and Wintec to extend the opportunity to include all secondary schools within the Waikato DHB region, creating the Transfusion competition.
As a result, there has been a great increase in participation from schools including, Huntly, Tokoroa, Te Awamutu, Raglan and other Hamilton schools.
“By donating artwork to the hospital, young artists can be assured of public appreciation of their work,” said project manager and Hamilton Boys’ High School head of art James Sutherland.
“For everybody involved, it is a great way to give something positive, tangible and lasting to the community, and we can feel a great sense of pride when walking through the corridors of the hospital and seeing the works.”
The works are displayed at Waikato Museum, and following the exhibition they will be donated to Waikato DHB.
All entries have been recorded and will be judged by prominent figures in the arts in the Waikato. The exhibition opens at Waikato Museum on July 2 and continues until 6 August.
ENDS
Waikato District Health Board
Healthy People. Excellent Care
Waikato District Health Board (DHB) employs over 6500 people and plans, funds and provides hospital and health services to more than 391,770 people in a region covering eight per cent of New Zealand.
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