The editor asked simple questions to Earl Pinchuk, co-founder of the Art for Healing foundation ... and he answered :)
RDV : What is the mission of the Art for Healing Foundation, in a nut shell ?
EP : The Art for Healing Foundation is a non-profit organization whose mission is to bring the healing power of art to hospitals and wellness facilities, transforming otherwise sterile public and patient areas into inspiring environments that encourage a sense of serenity and hope for patients, their families, and healthcare providers.
David Lubell at the Argyle Institute of Human Relations
RDV : Do you see in your practice a curatorial aspect, can you talk about that ?
EP : The curatorial aspect is vital to our installations. As we create "galleries" for artists, this means an installation of 10 to 20 works, installed together, along a hospital corridor. The right works have to be chosen that "speak to each other". If not. the installation will not work. The installation of the artwork itself has to be just right or once again, it will not work. The height and distance of each piece has to work visually. So we may receive beautiful artwork, but if not curated properly, it will not do the artwork justice. This has traditonally been a big problem in hospitals.
Rita Letendre at Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont (top)
Rita Cohen at the Montreal General Hospital (bottom)
RDV : Can you talk about the real impact that living with art has, especially in the context of healing, what are the effects of art in the lives of the patients and the staff ?
EP : We have received so much postive feedback from all across Canada regarding the impact that the artwork has had, not only on the patients, but the staff and visitors as well. Art will lower blood pressure, decrease anxiety and even result in less medication prescribed to patients. In one geriatric centre, a resident with dementia, spoke for the first time in two years, after seeing one of our photographic installations of vintage photos of Montreal. Seeing these photos triggered the resident's long term memory. Everyone was thrilled. People feel more valued when there is art around, so workers in our partnered institutions have a better work environment, which leads them to feel better about themselves and thus become more productive while they're working.
Alexandra Haeseker at Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont
RDV : Tell us about your recent project in British Columbia.
EP : We were recently in Vancouver, BC to inaugurate our latest installation, "On Stage, Please", Book by Veronica Tennant, Illustrations by Rita Briansky. In 1977, at the height of her fame as the Prima Ballerina of the National Ballet of Canada, Veronica Tennant wrote a children's book, entitled, "On Stage, Please", a book about a young girl's dream to one day become a Prima Ballerina. Veronica asked Montreal artist, Rita Briansky to do the illustrations for the book and the result was a best selling and beloved book.
Fast forward 30 years and we had now become friendly with Rita Briansky, who had become a generous donor to the Art for Healing Foundation. One day in 2007, when visiting her, she showed us 14 etchings that she made in 1977, based on the 14 illustrations from the book. She wanted to donate them to us. We thought this was a great idea. We contacted Veronica Tennant and she too thought it was a great idea. The idea was proposed to the Montreal Children's Hospital and the project was accepted. The installation consisted of the 14 etchings, now framed, a framed cover of the book, framed biographical plaques of Veronica and Rita and red signage permanently affixed to the wall. The project was a big hit.
Rita Briansky and Veronica Tennant's "On Stage, Please" at the Montreal Children's Hospital
Rita mentionned that she still had three full sets of the etchings. Since we thought the installation could work in any children's hospital, we proposed the installation to the Janeway Children's Hospital in St. John's, Newfoundland and it was installed there in October, 2009.
In June, 2010, we installed a version at Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto and last week the final version was installed at BC Children's Hospital in Vancouver. All four of these installations have been curated differently, based on the space available and are all unique.
The installation last week made the Art for Healing Foundation coast to coast, as is this installation. I love the fact that a beloved book from 1977, has been transformed into an art installation in children's hospitals across Canada, 34 years after it was published.
This type of installation can be done with any published book and increases the visibility for the artist, as well, the artist (the donor) contributes to the well being of the community.
Claude Tousignant at Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont
RDV : Do you have a preference for contemporary art works or one or more styles in visual arts ?
EP : I prefer contemporary art, because by installing contemporary art in a public setting, it is getting the public to see the joys and wonders of the art world, something that they wouldn't normally be exposed to, as few people go to art galleries or museums. So in a way, we are "democratizing" art and bringing art to the masses. Perhaps this will influence people to go to an art gallery or museum as it will broaden their knowledge and interest in art. Contemporary art does not work in every environment. For expample, it would not work in geriatric centes, as people with dementia might misinterpret it, so we may go with more traditional artwork in those settings. The artwork has to be chosen based on the who will be viewing it.
Michael Farnan at the Royal Victoria Hospital
RDV : What are you projects in the future ?
EP : We have many current projects, including working with all the major hospitals in Montreal. This includes the 3 CHUM hospitals, where we have projects planned with Gabor Szilasi and Jacques Hurtubise, amongst many others. We also have many projects with the MUHC and with both the CHUM and MUHC building new hospitals, they both want contemporary art in their hospitals and have turned to us to help them create, not only buildings of architectural importance, but buildings that are filled with artwork, particularly with the innovative gallery idea that we have created, so that both these new hospitals in Montreal can be recognized worldwide, for not only their architecture, something that you see only from the outside, but to create a more healing environment inside, created by the Art for Healing Foundation, so that the hospital experiece, can be less painful and filled with anxiety.
We also are working with many geriatric centres, psychiatric facilities, drug treatment centres and many more, healthcare related institutions.
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