PRESS RELEASE
Art Connection at Beverly Hospital
Montserrat College of Art's Art Connection Program and
Beverly Hospital Team up to Change Patient &Visitor Experience,
One Wall at a Time
October 20, 2011 (Beverly, MA) - Montserrat
College of Art's Art Connection program which provides art to area
non-profit organizations, has launched its first public program in
the cafeteria at Beverly Hospital.
Begun in Boston by artist Fay Chandler, the Art Connection
facilitates increased access to and more meaningful experiences
with original works of art, all of which is donated by area
artists. By placing works in community and public service
organizations on the North Shore, Montserrat College of Art's Art
Connection aims to enhance the number and quality of art
experiences with our immediate community.
The original Art Connection in Boston, conceived by Chandler in
1995, has donated more than 4900 works of art to more than 300
non-profit agencies. Building on and maintaining this momentum,
Montserrat College of Art has opened a branch program on the North
Shore.
"We are proud delighted to be able to showcase such amazing
works of art. The Montserrat College of Art's Art Connection is a
unique community collaboration and we are very grateful to the
staff at Montserrat and the artists for affording us such a unique
opportunity," said Gerald MacKillop of Beverly Hospital.
Thanks to the spearheading of Montserrat Trustee Henrietta
Gates, Montserrat College of Art Galleries' Assistant Curator of
Education Maggie Cavallo was connected with MacKillop, the public
relations manager of Northeast Health System regarding an
installation of original artworks in the Beverly Hospital
Cafeteria. Over the summer, works were chosen and installed,
an unveiling was held in October.
"It was so thoughtful, and yet very characteristic of the
Montserrat community, for Henrietta to make this connection for
us," Cavallo explained, "It was a great experience installing the
work and improving the aesthetic experience of being in the
hospital. It's amazing what can happen when you enrich blank walls
with original works of art!"
Eleven works out of 150 choices were picked for the
installation. They include four pieces by Art Connection's founder
Fay Chandler, a series of photographs by recent Montserrat alumna
Cecelia Pettigrew, a drawing by senior Georgia Bolender, and works
by guest artists.
The relationships that are founded through Montserrat College of
Art's Art Connection are symbiotic. Recipient agencies and clients
will benefit from the increased presence of art in their lives and
the Montserrat community is offered a safe and meaningful way to
donate work.