Mr Ben Bradshaw, Minister of State for Health, commemorates the 50th Anniversary of Paintings in Hospitals.
London: Paintings in Hospitals, the UK’s leading charity promoting art in medical settings, marked its 50th Anniversary on 27 January by unveiling ambitious plans to increase the number of artworks on display in Britain’s hospitals and hospices.
The charity, founded by Sheridan Russell at London’s Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in 1959, hopes to increase the size of its collection from 4,700 artworks to 5,000 enabling a greater number of healthcare facilities utilising the charity’s picture loan services.
The target was announced jointly by Frank Harding, chairman of the trustees at Paintings in Hospitals, and Stuart Davie, Director, at the 50th anniversary celebration of the charity held at the London hospital where it was founded. A commemorative plaque was unveiled by Mr Ben Bradshaw, Minister of State for Health.
The Alexandra Reinhardt Memorial Award 2009 at
Neurorehabilitation Unit, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurology, University College London, NHS Foundation Trust.
The fifth Alexandra Reinhardt Memorial Prize will be based at the Neurorehabilitation Unit (NRU), National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London (the hospital in which the charity was founded). The award is open to artists, working within any media, and aims to provide opportunities for patients, staff and visitors to observe and participate in the creative process. As an outcome of the award, and in additional to the interactive arts activity, the winning artist will be required to produce one artwork for the NRU which will improve or add to the existing Hospital environment, and one artwork to help broaden the charity’s picture loan collection. In addition, to the artist will be given an opportunity to exhibit their own personal work at the charity’s gallery space at the Menier Chocolate Factory in March 2010.
Paintings in Hospitals is hosting its fourth annual summer exhibition, ‘In Search of Beauty and Wellbeing’, at the Menier Gallery between 23 July – 14 August 2008.
A specially curated exhibition of works from Paintings in Hospitals’ collection presents the evidence, arguments and processes for having art in healthcare facilities. During the exhibition, various artist talks will explore how art and having access to art can speed up a patient’s recovery, reduce drug consumption, act as a distraction, enable communication and act as a vehicle for therapy.
Speakers include John D Edwards, an artist who has created a body of work in response to a life threatening form of cancer and Adam Hahn, regarding his recent work exploring what is seen by people with Macular Degeneration - an eye condition affecting the centre of the vision.
NHS 60th year celebrations, Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, London.
Paintings in Hospitals is delighted to announce that it has been invited to provide a series of artworks, from its picture loan collection, for display at the NHS 60 celebrations at the Queen Elizabeth II conference centre in Westminster, London. The pictures will complement a photographic exhibition, being created by the department of Health, and will tie in with the theme of the event “A proud past and a healthy future”, as the artworks exhibited today highlight the charity’s proud history, the diversity of its collection and focus for the future.
The charity has carefully curated the exhibition to work sympathetically with the modern interior architecture of the building. Large bright artworks, detailed drawings and textile pieces work beautifully together to provide a broad cross section of the charity’s collection which is suitable for healthcare audiences and the diverse communities to which they serve.
Paintings in Hospitals is thrilled to be involved in this important event and proud of its 49 year history. Paintings in Hospitals remains committed to supporting healthcare sector and the various communities to which it serves.
Paintings in Hospitals is delighted to report the success of its charity auction, held at Bonhams International Sale Room, London on Tuesday 11th March. 18 artists kindly supported this event, making it possible to raise much needed funds and enabling the charity to continue its work to improve the environment for the benefit of patients, their visitors and staff in healthcare environments.
Support and guidance received from Bonhams during the preparations and hosting of the event were integral to its success.Paintings in Hospitals was thrilled to take this opportunity to work with such an esteemed organisation and felt the enthusiasm of staff, supporters and guests could not have been surpassed.
The Alexandra Reinhardt Memorial Award 2008 at
University Hospital Birmingham (UHB) in the Cancer Centre, Young People’s Unit.
The charity is delighted to announce that the fourth Alexandra Reinhardt Memorial Award will take place at University Hospital Birmingham (UHB) in the Cancer Centre, Young People’s Unit. The Young People’s Unit was opened in June 2000 and has 8 beds, each with their own TV, DVD, Play Station 2 or X-Box console. There is a dayroom with 2 computers, internet access, sky and DVD player, a kitchen and dining area. Currently, three of the spaces are being re-designed to offer the young people a more friendly and appropriate space in which they can receive their treatment. In light of this, the Teenage Cancer Trust (TCT) has plans to completely refurbish the rest of the unit. This work is currently being designed and the TCT hope to have completed the refurbishment by spring 2008. The Alexandra Reinhardt Memorial Award coincides with the newly developed facility.
The artist will involve young patients, staff and visitors in creative activities suitable for the department and its users. As an outcome of the project the artist will be required to produce a site specific artwork for the Cancer Centre Young People’s Unit and another for the Paintings in Hospitals loan collection.
Paintings in Hospitals’ Spring Exhibition
Selected works from Paintings in Hospitals’ vast collection will be displayed on the lower ground floor of the Menier Gallery from 6 – 27 March.
The Paintings in Hospitals collection reaches an audience who might not usually visit museums or galleries. For nearly 50 years Paintings in Hospitals has provided access to some of the greatest names in art history; you would find work by many of the artists represented in its collection at Tate Modern and the Victoria & Albert Museum.
Story and Tradition in Contemporary Printmaking at Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Paintings in Hospitals and the Victoria & Albert Museum are delighted to announce their joint collaboration to provide a free exhibition on the theme of Story and Tradition in Contemporary Printmaking, at Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust this September.
The exhibition promises to make a positive contribution to the hospital environment and will allow an exciting and diverse range of recently acquired prints from the Victoria & Albert Museum to be experienced by all users of the site. Printmaking is a vibrant and democratic form of contemporary art and the works selected for this exhibition all engage with and rework traditional stories, customs and art practices from a wide range of different cultures and countries.
The charity usually lends works from its own collection but over the past 5 years has worked collaboratively with the V&A to bring works from the Museum into hospitals across London. The Victoria & Albert Museum is committed to ensuring that as many people as possible can enjoy and be inspired by the museum’s collections. Exhibiting outside of the conventional Museum environment, such as a hospital, offers important and exciting opportunities for those who otherwise would not venture into such spaces.