Mount Gambier High School students are set to brighten the walls of the Mount Gambier Public Hospital with colourful creations.
Over the past two years Mount Gambier High School Year 9 and 10 Visual Art and Photography students have been working with the now closed Mount Gambier Private Hospital to produce framed pieces that could be displayed in the hospital hallways and patient rooms.
Former Private Hospital CEO Sandi Elliott initiated the project, seeing a need in the hospital to help brighten and lift the spaces that patients regularly occupied and considered the talent and hard work that Mount Gambier High School (MGHS) students could contribute to this idea.
“This is a mutually beneficial project because the hospital has wonderful pieces displayed the community will enjoy,” Mrs Elliot said.
“The advantage for the students is they can see how art can improve the mental health and wellbeing of patients, making people feel more comfortable and at ease in a hospital environment.
“It is beneficial for the students to learn from a community perspective what their contribution can do and hopefully as they grow and develop as individuals and adults, they will still have that sense of community and be able to understand about giving to the community and what it gives back.”
Following consultation with the private hospital, MGHS Art Teacher Heather Katsaparos developed concepts for students to develop.
However, Mount Gambier High School Public Relations Officer Amanda Lengyel said the original proposal fell through following the recent closure of the private hospital.
“Mrs Elliot worked closely with the public hospital to ensure the students’ hard work and preparation did not go to waste,” she said.
“We are now pleased to announce that a selection of art and photography pieces will be displayed in the public hospital’s front foyer from the beginning of next year whilst COVID restrictions are still in place.
“The hope is they will eventually be mounted in a selection of hospital hallways and patient rooms once strict cleaning routines are reduced.
“We would also like to thank Catherine McKenna, Director of Nursing and Midwifery at the Mount Gambier Public Hospital for facilitating this project.”
