Wednesday, Sep. 01, 2010

Waiting area displays art's healing powers

The waiting area of an emergency room might seem like a strange setting for an art exhibit. But recently, about a half-dozen visitors surrounded artist Mary Brown as she painted a canvas at Johnston Medical Center in Clayton.

Once a month, a local artist does a demonstration at the hospital as part of Arts In Healthcare, a program of the Johnston County Arts Council.

The mix of health and art is a good thing, officials say. The program gives local artists a venue to show their work, and it's a unique public-relations tool for the hospital, which opened last year.

"It helps spread the word, but with a different twist," said Jim Perpich, a spokesman for Johnston Health, which owns the Clayton and Smithfield hospitals. "People can talk about their X-ray and art."

As Johnston Health leaders drew up plans for the Clayton hospital and the new patient tower in Smithfield, they emphasized local art. Instead of buying prints from an art-distribution company, they hired local artists to do paintings.

The Arts in Healthcare program fits in with that emphasis on local, Perpich said.

Last month, Brown brought several examples of her work to the hospital. Brown, 39, of Princeton, earned an associate's degree in fine arts from Johnston Community College in 2004.

Johnston County has few venues for artists to display their works, Brown said, so she was grateful for the chance to show off her art at the hospital.

Meeting an artist helps people connect with the work, Brown said. "It's more than just displaying your work and hanging it somewhere," she said.

Elizabeth Sawyer, 81, of Smithfield went to the Clayton hospital for Brown's demonstration. "I started painting three years ago, and I have such a passion for it," Sawyer said. "I just can't get enough of it."

Sawyer said she wanted to check out Brown's painting methods.

Art and physical and mental well-being are all connected, said Darlene Williford, executive director of the Johnston County Arts Council. "This is not what you would commonly think of in a hospital environment," she said. "When you come here, you have a calm, relaxed feeling."

Arts In Healthcare takes place from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. on the third Thursday every month at the Clayton hospital on N.C. 42 West.