Friday, April 27, 2012

where there's art, there's hope

Once again, this is a long overdue entry! I haven't posted in a while, but a lot has been going on: First Friday Art Walk was earlier this month, my website (www.brushstrokesbymaria.com) is under construction and getting a new look, I've been asked to participate in a show this summer at the Chocolate Church Art Gallery in Bath called "Summertime Whimsy", I'm about to start participating in Brunswick's Second Friday Art Walk pop-up group shows...but probably the biggest news item to report just happened.

Yesterday, I hung a solo show of paintings at the Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope and Healing! Everyone there was so wonderful, and I am really excited at the thought of my artwork giving a little hope, comfort, and positive energy to those who are fighting cancer. My work is hanging in their consultation room. It's a small space, but I really like it because you can feel the energy of the paintings more easily that way. It's a frequently used room and, as you can imagine, things in there can get emotional. Hopefully they will provide a little lift, a smile, or a much-needed distraction for those who could use it on a regular basis during the six weeks the show is supposed to run. So far, I have gotten nothing but positive feedback from the staff and the volunteers at the Dempsey Center, and I even received an email after I left saying that patients and family members were also giving favorable reviews.

The Dempsey Center staff asked me to provide a bio/artist's statement to display in the room with my paintings, which was no problem. They also asked me to write a little bit about my connection to cancer. This is what I wrote:

"Like countless other people, I have many relatives, friends, and loved ones who have fought cancer. Thankfully, the survivors’ list is longer, but even one life lost is one too many. Thoughts and memories of all these people were in my heart and my mind as I selected the paintings for this show, but one person in particular stands out: my cousin, Christopher Siegel, who passed away at the age of 19 after a 13-year battle with leukemia. I would like to dedicate this show to him."