Patients and visitors strolling along the hallways of Petaluma Valley Hospital will find a new exhibition of artwork by professional painters and photographers, all local. The show - part of the “Art Around Town” program sponsored by the Petaluma Arts Center - was mounted on April 12, and will last until Aug. 9.
The public is welcome to visit the hospital to view the show from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., daily.
Curated by local artist Eola Bates, the show features 85 works by about thirty artists. The show is hung mostly in public spaces on the first floor, although some pieces are located upstairs in less public spaces.
“Our team of ten volunteers was able to remove the old show and put up the new one in only four hours,” Bates said, adding that only those who have ever helped mount such a show can appreciate this achievement.
The hospital has served as a major gallery for the center, and local artistic talent, for eleven years, hosting three shows a year, each lasting four months.
“The hospital has been a stalwart supporter of our “Art Around Town” program from the beginning,” said Val Richman, executive director of the center. “Every now and then, we get a call from someone who found comfort in one of the pieces of art at the hospital.”
For someone pacing a lonely hospital hallway, Richman suggested - perhaps someone worried about a loved one undergoing treatment - a beautiful painting can be soothing, and can bring a measure of peace.
“Our mission is to be a community hospital,” explained Stephanie Bodi, the hospital’s manager of patient relations and volunteer services. “The relationship with the center and local artists helps us meet that goal.”
“Art has the capacity to help us heal,” said Bodi. “Filling our hallways with art adds another level to the healing process. For concerned family members, beauty can be very calming, a healthy distraction from worry.”
“It’s not uncommon to hear a patient on a gurney, heading for the operating room, say, ‘Wait, I want to see that one!’” said Bodi, adding that on days of stress or fatigue, hospital employees also find comfort in the art.
The center selects works for the show on a first-come, first-served basis. Participating artists are asked to submit no more than five works. The pieces must be ready to hang and must meet size criteria. As for subject matter, artists are asked to avoid nudity and violence.
Many participating artists show at the hospital year after year, Richman said.
“We also receive submissions from young artists eager to show their work,” she said, adding that the hospital is a “safe place” for new artists, because there is no fancy opening night reception, nor any competition for awards.
The artwork is for sale through the Petaluma Arts Center, but purchases will not be available to take home until the show closes on Aug. 9. Each piece has a label naming the artist and the title of the piece, but prices are not listed. To learn the price of a specific artwork, visitors are instructed to write down the name of the artist and the work, then call Tanya Paredes, the center’s operations and volunteer manager, (707) 762-5600, Monday through Friday, 11 a.m.–5 p.m.
When an artwork is sold, 20 percent of the purchase price goes to the center. Richman pointed out that this is an excellent arrangement for the artist, as galleries typically split the sale price down the middle with the artist.
“Over the years,” said Bodi, “many art works have been sold as a result of these shows.”
(Email Clark at argus@arguscourier.com)
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