VISUAL arts students at Chisholm Frankston are taking their work to the walls of Monash Health this month to cheer and stimulate patients, visitors and staff.
Their show, featuring paintings, sculptures, drawing and printmaking by art and illustration students, will open in the Monash Health Art Space, 3.30pm, Thursday 17 September.
The opportunity came about after a meeting between art student Eleni Theodoridi, who also works as a medical interpreter at Monash, and senior manager and curator at Monash Health, Kim Minett.
Their mutual vision and enthusiasm for the role that art plays in the public health setting created the collaboration between the Chisholm students and Monash Health.
“I believe that hospitals and other public buildings are a great art platform,” Ms Theodoridi said. “It connects and benefits people who wouldn’t necessarily go to a gallery and visual artists that wouldn’t have a chance to communicate their messages to a wider spectrum of public, people from all paths in life.”
Her experience of working in hospitals led to a fascination with medical images, producing prints and mixed media works on the theme of “non-medical Interpretations of medical images”. She is undertaking the advanced diploma of creative product development at Chisholm, with a wide range of experience in community involvement, health and the arts.
“This is a cause really close to my heart and I have already suggested to Monash Health the possibility of murals with the help of local artist and other Chisholm students.
Ms Theodoridi has approached other students, including Karen Neal and Jill Marshall, who have donated work to dress the walls of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Unit.
Local artists have begun to offer time and talent, too, including sand sculptor Natasha Kamenskaia, mixed media artist Efrossini Chaniotis and photographer Fran Henke.
The Monash Children’s Hospital will open in 2017, with what Eleni hopes, will be more opportunities for the arts in the Monash Health community.
The Monash Health Art Space is at level 2, Monash Medical Centre, 246 Clayton Rd, Clayton.
First published in the Mornington News – 8 September 2015
