Rust Medical Center Art Program Features NM Artists
New Mexico’s acclaimed art community emerges in support of the new Rust Medical Center in Rio Rancho! After an extensive search for healthcare appropriate art for the new facility, committee members are pleased to feature nearly a dozen New Mexico artists who have been selected to display their art in the hospital. Works by the following artists have been selected and will be unveiled at the opening of Rust Medical Center in October:
- Thomas Greer
- Jan Bartlestone
- Cathy Height
- Laura Robbins
- Pat Halloran
- Bill Tondreau
- Jeanne Hyland
- Martin Pavletich
- Peter Davies
- Bob Ayre
- Allen Maestras
The art program at Presbyterian Rust Medical Center is being created by the facility Art Committee in conjunction with Distinctive Art Source, a nationwide healthcare art consultancy. The program features a combination of varied art mediums including photography, batik, pastel, mosaic and watercolor. Local New Mexico artists’ works will grace the walls of public areas, treatment spaces, patient rooms and exam rooms. The artists were selected by the committee from more than 1,000 submissions received during the call for artists that issued in March 2011.
“We were positively overwhelmed by the incredible quality of work submitted by New Mexico artists,” explains Carol Tulenko, senior project manager, Presbyterian Healthcare Services. “We hope to be able to continue to grow the program and add pieces over time to build on the program and feature more local artists.”
Research shows that art depicting elements of nature and familiar landscapes can help to reduce stress while providing the possibility of improved patient outcomes. The selected artwork appropriate for the new Rust Medical Center is both healthcare and locale appropriate as it depicts New Mexico’s unique flora and fauna, glorious natural landforms, native wildlife and rich cultural history.