Art in Healthcare

ART TALKS!

2011-10-11T06:43:00.001-07:00

We are currently running an exciting Art Talks programme following a successful ‘trial run’ in the Summer. This involves us going out to a wide variety of Care Homes and related healthcare settings to speak about Art, such as paintings they rent from us on their walls, copies of pictures and Art books or even paintings people have done themselves. The aim is to further engage people in Art, particularly those people in healthcare settings and to stimulate interesting discussions. To lead the talks, we are now training a talented group of people with prior experiences of working in Art and Education.

New Works for Waverly Gate

2011-09-06T08:10:00.000-07:00

Art in Healthcare are displaying 22 new paintings at the NHS Headquarters - Waverly Gate.

The response has been great and the staff really appreciate the new additions to there work space bring colour and new topics for discussion and debate.

Some of the artists include:
Andy Goldsworthy
Victoria Crowe
Barbara Rae
Wilma Dunbar
Will McLean
John Brown
Mary Paton
Ann McPhail

Our New Website!

2011-09-06T05:47:00.000-07:00

The new Art in Healthcare Website has finally been Launched!

Our long awaited new website is here and its jam packed with lots of interesting and exciting content, as well as some completely new features!

The new website allows you to read the history of our organisation, read about the staff and board of directors who work so hard to keep Art in Healthcare going.

Sign up to our e -newsletter and make a donation with the touch of a button.
View our collection using clear categories that are easily understood.

Have a look in our on line shop at our fantastic Prestigious Prints and keep an eye out for new Art in Healthcare merchandise in the future!

Join us on Facebook and Twitter and always keep up to date with all the latest Art in Healthcare news!

Coming soon...Art in Healthcare videos on youtube!!

We love it, we hope you will too! Please have a look, you wont be disappointed.

www.artinhealthcare.org.uk

A New addition to the team!

2011-07-06T01:42:00.000-07:00

We would like to give a warm welcome to our newest member of staff - Art in Healthcare Technician - Paul Mowat

Paul Mowat graduated in the nineties at Edinburgh College of Art with a BA Hons in painting and has continued to work and exhibit in the UK and abroad. Since graduating he worked for a number of years in London before returning to Edinburgh to teach on a part time basis at E.C.A. ‘I am delighted to be part of such an enthusiastic team who punch well above their weight producing an invaluable service to those in need’

New works for the Albion Trust!

2011-07-05T03:20:00.000-07:00

Art in Healthcare is very happy to announce a new contract for 7 works at The Albion Trust (Norton Park)

Landscape With Long-Eared Owl by Mary Paton

Butterflies by Mary Newcomb

The Albion Trust is an independent registered Scottish Charity formed in 1994 specifically to establish Norton Park as the first shared premises project for voluntary sector organisations in Scotland. In developing Norton Park, the Trust was seeking to provide high quality, affordable shared premises for voluntary organisations to enable the sharing of experiences and resources.

Light in the Thicket - Trees for Life exhibit

Wine Tasting at Majestic Wine

2011-05-25T06:20:00.001-07:00

We had a wonderful evening last night at Majestic Wine. After hanging the two Prestigious Prints in the fantastic space in the Leith Walk store we were invited to taste the fantastic range of 4 whites, 5 reds, 2 rosé, 2 gins and 3 lagers. We didn't taste them all but gave it a very good effort.

Click here for Majestic Wine details

Jupiter Artland

2011-05-25T05:44:00.000-07:00

Join Art in Healthcare Friday 10 June for a guided tour of one of the most magical gardens in Scotland!

Works by many of today's leading artists, sculptors and land artists have been commissioned and then constructed in situ.

The relationship of each artwork with its specific topographical location is a crucial feature of the artland, that is, art within the landscape.

The garden is a garden of discovery - an earthwork here, a copse of cradled rocks there, the entrance to a fathomless burrow right before your feet. We provide a map but no set routes. There are pathways, in places, but no path. Come and discover, contemplate and delight.

Images:

Top - Charles Jenks

Left - Marc Quinn, Love Bomb

contact admin@artinhealthcare.org.uk to book

Friday 10 June 2011
2:00pm
£20

Transport: The number 27 and x27 First bus from central Edinburgh takes 35 minutes. Entrance to Jupiter Artland is via the B7015

There is a cafe and shop open on the day to purchase refreshments and lunch can be prebooked.

Technician Post

2011-05-18T03:38:00.000-07:00

Art in Healthcare

Technician

Art in Healthcare is a small, national voluntary organisation that works with healthcare organisations across Scotland. The charity owns a collection of more than 1300 works which are on display throughout Scotland.

We are looking for a Technician who will work with our Assistant Director to complete a conservation programme of the works in the Art in Healthcare collection.

This is a new post and we are looking for someone with

a good knowledge of modern and contemporary visual art
some knowledge or experience of art handling
proficiency in using Microsoft Office applications, the internet and email
experience of working with databases and preferably an understanding of Adobe Photoshop or similar software
a clean, current driving license

The post may involve travel throughout Scotland.

The post is part-time, 2 days a week for a fixed term of one year. The salary is £6000 for 2 days (equivalent to £15,000 a year full time)

Closing date for applications is 6 June 2011. Interviews are likely to be held on 14 June 2011. If you would like more information please contact

To apply please send a CV with covering letter.

Trevor Jones, Assistant Director

Art in Healthcare

32-36 Dalmeny Street

Leith

Edinburgh

EH6 8RG

Telephone: 0131 555 7638

Office Opening Hours: 9.30am-5.30pm, Monday-Wednesday

or email Admin@artinhealthcare.org.uk

For a job description follow the link below. To apply please send a CV with covering letter.

http://bit.ly/laHZLp

Attention Wine Lovers!

2011-05-11T03:40:00.001-07:00

Art in Healthcare is teaming up with Majestic Wine for a very special night of wine tasting!

Twice a year Majestic Wine on Leith Walk holds a fantastic and very busy open night of wine tasting, showcasing some of the most unique and exclusive wines available.

Tuesday, 24 May, Art in Healthcare will be displaying our two beautiful Prestigious Prints in the wonderful space of Majestic during their 7 – 9pm wine tasting open night.

The evening is a free event but you must call Majestic Wine at the contact number below to book your time.

We hope to see you there for a glass of wine!

Prestigious Prints:

L: Echo Basin by Ian McKenzie Smith
R: Flowers for Frida by John C. Brown

Dimensions: 77 x 56 cm
Limited edition of 75
£295 each

Contact Information

T:0131 5540 177
E: ltw@majestic.co.uk

Store Address
200 Leith Walk
Edinburgh
EH6 5EQ

Art in Healthcare go to the football!

2011-04-18T03:34:00.000-07:00

Hibernian Football club very generously gave Art in Healthcare 25 free tickets to the Hibs vs Hamilton match yesterday at Easter Road. It was absolutely brilliant weather-wise with not a cloud in the sky. Unfortunately our heroes didn’t have the best day losing 2-1 in an exciting match that had a little bit of everything in it. Nevertheless, all of us had a wonderful time. After the Hibs offered Art in Healthcare the tickets I sent out an email to various healthcare organisations we work with. The tickets were quickly snapped up and we had some very happy staff and residents from Inchview care home, Braeburn care home, St Columba’s hospice and Royal Victoria hospital. Thank you very much once again Hibernian FC for a wonderful day!

Help keep artwork in the Sick Kids

2011-04-13T01:02:00.000-07:00

It’s been front page news most every week for a couple years now and so it’s no surprise that public sector cutbacks are having a significant knock-on effect.

Unfortunately many of the healthcare settings that benefit from the wonderful artwork from the Art in Healthcare collection are struggling to find the small sums needed to continue to keep their pictures on display. When budgets are being drastically reduced, artwork is one of the first things to go.

This really is a shame as the therapeutic effect of art and a visually stimulating environment is well documented. How many of us would enjoy coming home with nothing on our walls but a few health brochures and a sign describing how to wash our hands properly? And the artwork that’s being scrapped to save a few hundred pounds from budgets isn’t only for hospital patients or residents of the care homes and hospices we work with but it’s also for the staff, who spend such a large part of their lives in high stress jobs caring for others. Additionally, we often receive letters from visitors who really appreciate the artwork, such as the one below:

“Good afternoon. I have been visiting my mother in the infirmary every day for the past week and I have found the pictures - particularly Wilhelmina Barns-Graham - very comforting and encouraging. Pictures like these make a big difference to visitors' and patients experience of the infirmary. Thank you and keep up the good work.”

The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Clinic, which is part of the Sick Kids in Edinburgh has 10 beautiful, colourful and fun pictures (4 of them shown here) chosen by their staff from our collection but, like many other healthcare settings, they’re struggling to raise funds to keep the artwork. Here at Art in Healthcare, we do everything we can to facilitate the brightening of spaces like the Sick Kids clinic with our artwork and we rent pictures from our fantastic Scottish art collection for only £35 a year regardless of the size or value of the picture. We’re currently looking to find ways to keep these pictures on the walls at the Sick Kids and we would love to hear from anyone who has any ideas as to how we can manage this.

We’re looking into the idea of corporate sponsorship with local businesses chipping in to pay for the rental and a small plaque could be placed next to each picture with a thank you to the sponsor.

Please feel free to comment or to give advice so that we can help the Sick Kids hold onto their art collection. Thanks!

Images:

Magic Casket by Alan Davie
Tugs by Alison Philp
Familiar Faces by Michael Forbes
Garden by Sarah Brown

Rabbie's Tours to the Rescue!

2011-04-06T06:23:00.000-07:00

When curator Trevor Jones needed to collect four artworks from Skye, he turned to the online phenomenon Twitter for help. The desperate charity worker tweeted his plight and within minutes Rabbie’s Tours rolled in to the rescue. Trevor Jones works for Edinburgh-based Art in Healthcare. The charity lends original artworks to hospitals all over Scotland. Last week they received a call from Dr McKinnon’s Memorial Hospital on the Isle of Skye. “The hospital wanted to return some pictures to us as their loan period had ended,” explained Jones. “I was facing a round trip of almost 500 miles and being away from work for two days to collect them, or the hospital was going to have to pay a lot for a courier. It was a long way to go to collect four pictures, so I sent out an SOS on Twitter.”

Almost immediately Rabbie’s Tours, who run small bus tours all over Scotland, had replied. “Rabbie's Trail Burners was the first to develop small tours for independent travellers. We aim to minimise the environmental 'footprint' left by our customers and maximise the economic and social benefits to local communities. We go to Skye every week, so it was no problem to help out a local charity in this way.”

By Friday the four pictures, which included work by internationally collected Scottish artists Barbara Robertson and Jila Peacock, were safely back in Edinburgh.

New works gifted to Art in Healthcare!

2011-03-30T02:09:00.000-07:00

Art in Healthcare have been kindly given new painting acquisitions from Norma Drummond, the wife of Les Drummond. Many thanks to Norma for her generous contribution.

Les Drummond D.A. (1920-1997)

Born in Edinburgh, Drummond served in the R.A.F., 1940-46. His love or art led him to study Drawing and Painting at Edinburgh College of Art, 1950-54 and at L’Ecole des Beaux Arts, Paris in 1955. After living in London, he returned to Edinburgh to continue painting and studying until he became a teacher of art with Lothian Region, 1965-85.

During these years he produced numerous paintings of landscapes and mythical themes with poetic figures, birds, animals and horses. In the 1970’s and ‘80s he turned his creative talent to metal sculptures, using arc welding in mild steel with horses, birds and figures dominating his work. Ager retiring from teaching, his work moved into a more creative style with poetic, imaginative, dream-world thoughts on figure painting, while his colours became more intense and vigorous, as show in his later work in the 1990’s.

Les exhibited paintings and sculptures in many Edinburgh galleries, including the RSA, SSA, City Art Centre, English Speaking Union, Commonwealth Institute, Kingfisher Gallery, Torrance Gallery and Hanover Fine Arts, where his memorial exhibition was held in 1998. Since 2004, a photographic record of his metal sculptures has been held at the archive of the National Museum of Scotland.

University Society Art Worshops

2011-03-21T05:38:00.000-07:00

Friends of Art in Healthcare University Society secured funds through Neighbourhood Partnership funded by Edinburgh City Council to do art workshops with the residents of 5 care homes in South Edinburgh. They are also paying the rental for 20 pictures for one year from our collection to be split between these care homes. The art workshops have been a big success.

Art in Healthcare Annual Spring Raffle Draw!

2011-03-15T03:22:00.000-07:00

Fabulous prizes include: 2 ipod nanos; restaurant dinners for two; beauty gift vouchers; an Insect & Butterfly World family pass; art exhibition private tours; and many more exciting prizes. Tickets are only £1 each.

The draw will take place on 31st March. So take a chance and make a difference to Art in Healthcare.
For tickets please call 0131 555 7638.

Paintings for Alcohol Focus Scotland

2011-03-14T04:34:00.000-07:00

Recenlty a few of our works found a new home at the Alcohol Focus Scotland national charity. Alcohol Focus Scotland is working to reduce the harm caused by alcohol, trying to ''create a culture where low alcohol consumption is the norm''! The paintings look fantastic in the new environment and they were warlmy welcomed! AiH is happy to contribute to such important cause.

For more on the Alcohol Focus Scotland visit http://www.alcohol-focus-scotland.org.uk/

AiH in The Public Catalogue Foundation

2011-03-14T04:16:00.000-07:00

Last week AiH's oil and acrylic works started to get photographed by the team of The Public Catalogue Foundation. Their project is to catalogue all oil and acrylic paintings in public ownership in the UK. AiH will be benefitted by a fantastic publicity as the pictures will be published not only in a catalgue but also online. AiH is excited and happy for this opportunity which will hopefully make the collection more popular and widespread!
We look forward to seeing the amazing outcome!!

“Six of Scotland's Best” - Art Talks Making a Difference

2011-03-02T08:30:00.000-08:00

A little less than two years ago, notable Scottish art historian and Edinburgh University lecturer, Bill Hare was diagnosed with cancer.

It’s been a long and arduous journey back to health; however, Hare has, with great relief, recently been given the ‘all clear’ by his doctor.

Hare was so impressed with the excellent care from the Western General Hospital and also with the important services and facilities of the Maggie’s Centre he has been looking at ways of ‘giving something back’. And so, working with us, Art in Healthcare, in which Hare is also a board member, he has developed a programme of art talks to be held at the National Gallery of Scotland for others whose lives have been affected by cancer.

A free, six week art appreciation session is being offered by Hare looking at some of the best Scottish painting in the renowned collection of the NGS, including works by Ramsay, Raeburn, Wilkie and McTaggart.

In the end it’s hoped that those that participate in this course, who have or are going through a life changing recovery process, will be mentally enriched and spiritual uplifted by a deeper appreciation of the wonderful Scottish art that this country’s artists have created.

Sessions will run every Thursday for six weeks from 1:00 - 2:30pm beginning 19 May. Availability will be limited. Anyone who is interested in taking part in this programme should contact Art in Healthcare to book.

Inch View

2011-02-22T06:31:00.000-08:00

The latest state-of-the-art care home commissioned by the City of Edinburgh Council is to be called Inch View. Pupils at neighbouring Liberton Primary School drew up a list of possible names after carrying out research into the history of the area. The brand new care home already seems like an enjoyable and pleasant environment for the residents to live in yet in need of an artistic touch; along with Maggie Johnston, the Inch View manager, we managed yesterday to make the care home more colorful, bright and cheerful!

Works by Glen Scouller, Bruce McLean, Kate Downie, William Baille, Ann McPhail, Delia Baille and Kenneth Wilson can be found all around the care home! Putting the paintings up was definitely a fun experience with exciting outcome! A total of eleven of AiH's stunning artworks found therefore a new promising home and we're sure that they will be well loved and appreciated!

New Year Shenanigans

2011-01-26T06:22:00.000-08:00

Greetings Y'all

Art in Healthcare is delighted to wish you a belated Happy New Year and to invite you to buy a raffle ticket for our forthcoming Valentine's Prize Draw! We have a fantastic range of prizes, including tours and tasting around the Glenkinchie and Dalwhinnie Whiskey Distilleries, dinner out at Pizza Express and the Hard Rock Cafe, a family pass to Butterfly World and IPod shuffles! What more could you want.. Tickets cost just £1 and can be purchased from contacting the office on 0131 555 7638 or admin@artinhealthcare.org.uk. All funds raised go towards Art in Healthcare, a prominent Scottish charity that provides high quality, original Scottish artworks for all sectors of healthcare. Our vision is to improve the healthcare environment with our unique and culturally relevant art collection and by engaging patients, residents, staff and visitors with enjoyable and interactive art and health talks.

News now on our recent guitar raffle that gave one lucky winner the ownership of a uniquely hand-painted guitar that was autographed by members of Scottish indie bands Idlewild, We Were Promised Jetpacks, and Frightened Rabbit along with brilliant jazz guitarist Graeme Stephen, members of Canadian superstars the Barenaked Ladies, and the legend, Jon Lord, of Deep Purple! 11 year old, Jordan Chatt, photographed left, was over the moon with his big win!

Finally, a reminder that we continue to seek venues for our wide-ranging collection of pictures by highly esteemed Scottish artists for Care Homes, Hospitals, Health Centres and other healthcare-related contexts. Do you know of anyone that might be interested in renting a picture from us? Have you seen a spare bit of a wall in your local Hospital/Health Centre that could benefit from a bit of colour? Get in touch! We liaise with organisations to find out the most suitable picture for a location and deliver to the very spot. You will find full contact details on our website at http://www.artinhealthcare.org.uk/.

'A Picture of Health'

2010-11-16T06:07:00.000-08:00

Art in Healthcare's New Works Exhibition, 'A Picture of Health'

Art in Healthcare is delighted to put on an exhibition showcasing some of the works added to the collection this last year, including pictures from the Royal Bank of Scotland.

Featuring works by exceptional professional artists such as Jock McInnes, Marjorie I.Campbell, Colin Black and others, the exhibition will be held in the Atticsalt Gallery. This will be a great opportunity to view a selection of the pictures of Art in Healthcare's growing collection before they are sent off to their new homes in healthcare facilities throughout Scotland.

As Art in Healthcare's purpose is to improve the healing environment, director Margaret Hucombe explains that "we believe art has a powerful role to play in the health service and with these kind donations of artwork we can continue to provide a stimulationg environment for patients staff and visitors".

The exhibition will be open on the following days and times:
Friday 3rd December, Opening 18.00-20.30
Saturday 4 December, 10.30-16.30
Sunday 5 December- Saturday 11 December, 14.30-16.30

Attic Salt Gallery
50 Thrisle Street Lane North East,
EH2 1DA

Edinburgh, United Kingdom
http://www.atticsalt.co.uk/

More on Facebook event!

Flowers For Frida by John C Brown

2010-11-02T08:04:00.000-07:00

Flowers of Frida, 2010, screenprint, 77x56 cm

Acclaimed artist John Brown created the new Prestigious Print, Flowers For Frida, for Art in Helathcare's annual art fundraising drive. Inspired by a trip to Mexico, flowers for Frida exemplifies Brown's distinctive, colourful and expressive style. Warm hues of red, orange and yellow, reflective of the Mexican landscape and culture intermingle and balance with darker colours, while sketch of Frida Kahlo, an exceptional artistic and social figure of 20th century Mexico, sits to the right of a vase overflowing with flowers.

As seen in the Flowers for Frida, colour is an important element of his work and usually its intense use is a direct response to travel, during which he collect information by drawing translated later into paintings. His solo exhibitions, with the latest one being held in London, October 2010, are inspired by visits to various places such as Tuscany, Kerala, Zanzibar, Spain, Vietnam, Mekong Delta and Cambodia.

In Novermber 2009, in the Sense of Fate catalogue entry he writes: "my work is inspired by visits to foreign parts (mostly where the sun shines brightest)… I draw with pencil in square sketchbooks in front of the subject, trying to establish what is essential and discarding the unimportant. These drawings inform the paintings executed in my Edinburgh studio…The sense of place is all important…I search for ways in which to communicate the reason-a subject makes me stop to look-the why and the how."
More work by the artist can be viewed in his personal website.

Get a print:

Although John Brown is mainly a painter working with a mixture of acrylic paint, washes, and collage, printed by hand at Edinburgh Printmakers Workshop from 15 screens, the Flowers for Frida is an exception to his overall painting practice, therefore unique and Prestigious.

The print is available in a signed and limited edition of 75 and those purchasing it will acquire a picture by an artist of the highest quality, whose appears in various public and private collections throughout the world.
The print may be purchased for £295 and there are framing and delivery options available. For more information please contact Art in Healthcare.

The work will also appear in the Silent Auction event at the Hard Rock Cafe, Edinburgh.

John C. Brown:

Born in Scotland 1945, he trained in Drawing and Painting at the Glasgow School of Art (1963-68) and won a major travel scholarship from RSW and GSA resulting in one man show in the museum of GSA. Brown taught for 25 years while continuing to paint and exhibit in Edinburgh, London and Truro. Further detailed biographical information can be viewed in the artist's website.

Charity Fundraiser Silent Auction

2010-10-26T01:36:00.000-07:00

Art in Healthcare is auctioning twelve lovely artworks to help raise money for the charity.

The Hard Rock Cafe, Edinburgh, is providing a 'gallery space' in the restaurant to showcase the pictures next week from Monday to Sunday.

We will also have on display Art in Healthcare's two latest Prestigious Prints AND, possibly the most sought after guitar in Scotland - a custom painted Gibson Les Paul Epiphone that has been signed by a load of great musicians including Frightened Rabbit, We Were Promised Jetpacks, the Barenaked Ladies and Jon Lord of Deep Purple!

Come on down to the Hard Rock Cafe to pick up some raffle tickets and check out some lovely artwork. You never know, you may just go home with a beautiful painting!

You can see all the pictures to be auctioned here in our slide show. For details and prices of works check our facebook page.

Become a friend of Art in Healthcare if you're not already!

Details:
Auction starts November 3rd 7-9 pm until November 7th
Hard Rock Cafe
20 George Street
Edinburgh, United Kingdom

What a prize!

2010-09-14T08:51:00.000-07:00

This guitar is becoming more and more unique and valuable! The custom painted Gibson Les Paul Epiphone has now been signed by Rod Jones, guitarist from Idlewild (left), exceptionally talented jazz musician Graeme Stephen (top), the members of Frightened Rabbit and also rising stars We Were Promised Jetpacks (centre)! For more details about the guitar or to get raffle tickets (£1 each) please go to http://www.trevorjonesart.com/

[fi-lan-thruh-pee]

2010-08-11T02:25:00.000-07:00

Philanthropy

noun; an activity performed with the goal of promoting the well-being of fellow man.

There has been a lot of interest of late concerning philanthropic activity. Bill Gates for example has managed to persuade 40 other American billionaires to give at least half their fortunes away to good causes. Gates established a foundation in 1994 and since then he has donated nearly $23 billion for health and development in poor countries and to improve access for Americans to opportunities they need to succeed in school and life.

(photo: Hard Rock Cafe staff member, Mike Hawker, promoting his 'Tour for a Cure' fundraiser)

However, as the definition above suggests, philanthropy is not only about giving away one's monetary wealth. It also incorporates the ‘altruistic concern for human welfare and advancement’ and therefore, any kind act with intent to better another individual or group’s situation or lives could be considered a philanthropic act.

On that note, I would like to draw your attention to the huge amount of energy and resources that a local business is expending to help our charitable organisation. Like many charities at the moment, we are struggling financially to make ends meet. I approached Dave Pellow, the General Manager at the Hard Rock Café, Edinburgh near the beginning of the year to ask if he would be interested in helping raise money for Art in Healthcare. Mr. Pellow thought it was an excellent idea as, although the HRC regularly raises money for various causes around the world, this would be the first opportunity for the Edinburgh restaurant to help a local and very ‘visible’ charitable organisation.

Since then, we have been working closely with the Hard Rock Café on a fundraising project involving a hand painted Gibson Epiphone guitar. Prize draw tickets to win the guitar have been printed and can be picked up at the restaurant as well as at the UNIONgallery. With the Edinburgh Festival taking place this month, the Hard Rock Café is, as usual, heaving with thousands of people from far and wide. I’ve been told the entire staff at the restaurant (and there are a lot of them!) have all been working exceptionally hard letting the visitors from around the world know about this guitar prize draw and also about the charity behind it. A special mention goes out to Mr Mike Hawker, who has taken this almost as a personal crusade to raise money for our charity.

Interestingly, Mr Hawker ‘Edinburgh’s Hard Rock Café leading philanthropic ambassador', organised his own charity event to raise awareness for Prostate Cancer Research, last Father’s Day. Including a day with fun filled activities for the whole family, he also drummed up support from the Harley Davidson’s Dunedin Chapter to provide rides along George Street for the guests. Then, Mr Hawker himself, toured around the UK on his ‘Tour for a Cure’ road trip to continue to raise awareness and funds for his cause.

This just goes to show that we don't all have to be like Bill Gates or other billionaires, offering up half our fortunes to make a difference. Whether it's one business, like the Hard Rock Cafe helping a local charity or even one person, such as Mike Hawker, taking it upon himself to make the world just a little bit better - we can all do something that counts for an act of philanthropy. It doesn't have to be big; it doesn't have to be worth billions, it just has to be about spending a little time doing something worthwhile for someone else.

If you would like prize draw tickets for the Epiphone guitar please visit this link HERE

photos courtesy of the Hard Rock Cafe Edinburgh Facebook Page

Win a custom painted Epiphone guitar by Gibson!

2010-08-09T02:50:00.000-07:00

The ballot cards for the Art in Healthcare charity fundraiser have arrived from the Hard Rock Cafe! So who wants to win this guitar?

Oh, and good news for all our overseas friends, this prize draw is open not just to UK residents but to anyone.

No purchase is necessary but donations to Art in Healthcare would be greatly appreciated. Just click on these links to donate at the Art in Healthcare website or at the artist, Trevor Jones' website.

Draw Date: 31 December 2010

Good Luck!!

GET INVOLVED with Edinburgh University Art in Healthcare Society

2010-04-13T05:39:00.000-07:00

Are you full of bright ideas? Organised and committed? Keen to enhance your CV? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, Art in Healthcare needs YOU!

An exciting new society, associated with the Scottish charity Art in Healthcare, will be launched at the University of Edinburgh in September 2010. The Edinburgh University Art in Healthcare Society is currently advertising for the positions of President, Secretary and Treasurer. The only condition is that you must be a matriculated student at the University of Edinburgh. If you think that you could be the one for the job, get in touch!

If you are interested in fulfilling one of these roles on the committee or in becoming an active member of the society, please come along to an information meeting at the end of April to find out more.

6.30pm
Thursday, 29th April
Balcony Room, Teviot, University of Edinburgh

If you cannot make it to the meeting, but are still interested, please get in touch.

This is a fantastic opportunity to make a real difference and gain valuable experience at the same time. We look forward to hearing from you!

AiH x

The Thrill of it All

2010-03-30T03:46:00.000-07:00

We were delighted to see many of our members at Ingleby Gallery on Tuesday 16 March for another stimulating HEART Event. Thank you all for coming!

The exhibition of Peter Liversidge's latest work at Ingleby Gallery was well worth the visit and made even better by the opportunity to view the exhibition in a group and discuss the artwork afterwards.

David Mackay, who works at Ingleby Gallery, gave us an excellent introduction to the exhibition and shed a great deal of light on Liversidge's artistic process, which is quite unique. We were then free to explore the artwork displayed throughout the gallery, which we had all to ourselves, before reconvening to ask David lots of questions and have a good chat about the exhibition.

The breadth of Liversidge's creative practice is striking, as is his limitless imaginition. Reading through the framed proposals, which are arranged in a single line at eye level in the downstairs gallery, we spotted some highly amusing ideas, as well as some very simple, personal and moving suggestions. David also treated us to some hilarious anecdotes relating to the realisation of certain proposals. I don't think any of us will be asking Peter Liversidge to cook us a fish pie in a hurry!

The HEART Event at Ingleby Gallery provided a fascinating insight into all of the stages of Liversidge's creative process and I can safely say that we all left the gallery with big smiles on our faces, having been touched and tickled by Peter Liversidge's work.

Thank you very much to David Mackay and everyone else at Ingleby Gallery for hosting this event and allowing us to stay after closing time!

AiH x

Tynepark Resource Centre

2010-03-24T07:15:00.000-07:00

An exciting project has been underway at the Tynepark Resource Centre over the last three months. Art in Healthcare has donated nineteen artworks from the permanent collection for no charge to this resource centre dedicated to mental health for a period of one year. This effort was undertaken by Art in Healthcare to further the aims of the Scottish government in reaching a healthier and happier Scotland, particularly regarding mental health. The goal is to get patients, staff members and visitors to engage with the artwork in the centre to improve the experience of those who find themselves in healthcare centres on a regular basis. To encourage interaction between art and viewers, Art in Healthcare asked ten people to help select a variety of paintings, prints, and other works to display at Tynepark. Since staff members and patients got to choose what artworks were selected, they showed greater interest in and appreciation for the art.

An informal art talk was presented by an intern with Art in Healthcare as well as Trevor Jones, the assistant director, in order to provide as much information as possible to the patrons to help them find different ways to connect with the art. Overall, this project has been a huge success! The feedback from staff, patients, and visitors has been very positive, and Art in Healthcare hopes these results will impact other healthcare centres throughout Scotland as they see the benefits of displaying artwork in a healing environment.

The images below are a sampling of the works selected by a group of staff members and patients from Tynepark Resource Centre:

Sara Beevers, Sopwith Camel

K. Hayes, The Lighthouse

Gill Tyson, Doubtful Spring

Carol Robertson, November the 5th

Michael Forbes, What's For Tea?

Expanding the Collection

2010-03-24T06:43:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a generous donation from the Marjorie Ina Campbell Estate, Art in Healthcare has expanded its permanent collection with sixteen works from this respected Scottish artist.

Campbell (1936-1999) was a prolific artist with experience as a painter, illustrator, graphic designer, quilter, printer and glass designer. She began drawing and painting when she was a young girl and later studied under Sir William George Gillies at Edinburgh College of Art. If you or anyone you know is interested in displaying these beautiful works, contact Art in Healthcare at admin@artinhealth.org.

Enjoy a sneak peak!

Feel free to contact Art in Healthcare with any queries about these and other artworks by Marjorie Campbell.

AiH

Project with Edinburgh World Heritage and St. Crispin's School

2010-03-24T03:47:00.000-07:00

We're very excited to be asked by Edinburgh World Heritage to work with them on a project to reach out to the young in Edinburgh. As part of World Heritage Day that EWH is organising in April, we will be bringing some beautiful pictures of Edinburgh from our collection next week to St Crispin's School. Using these pictures and a couple of prints by Scottish artist Jane Hyslop, several students will create works of art that show what Edinburgh means to them. The works will then be mounted and exhibited at a venue in Central Edinburgh, in conjunction with World Heritage Day. That's from April 15 to 22, so mark your calendars and watch this space! It's going to be fantastic.

St Crispin's School is a special school that provides education to primary and secondary-age children, and meets the additional needs of pupils with more severe, complex learning difficulties, according to its Web site. We visited the school last week to observe their learning, and are so moved by the dedication and patience shown by its teachers and helpers in making a difference in the children's lives. And they love art!

Similarly, EWH aims to make a positive impact on these children's lives by inspiring them to think about their environment and the city's architecture creatively. This is a pilot project for EWH to reach out to the young and other groups that have traditionally not been audiences of heritage. EWH's mandate is to build awareness of the city's World Heritage Site - consisting the Old Town and the New Town - by promoting enjoyment, understanding and appreciation of its value and significance, it says on its Web site.

This collaboration, we believe, will yield pretty great results. We'll be writing again after the event next week to show exactly what came out of it, so please do come back!

Have a great week ahead!
AiH

HEART Events - Tuesday 16 March

2010-03-09T04:59:00.000-08:00

Thank you to everyone who attended the HEART Event on Wednesday 24 February! It was a great success and we were all delighted to have the opportunity to hear Mark Eischeid talking about his artwork.

The next HEART Event will take place next Tuesday at Ingleby Gallery. David Mackay from the gallery will give a tour of the current exhibition of Peter Liversidge's work, entitled 'The Thrill of it All'.

Peter Liversidge is an artist whose imagination knows no bounds, so prepare to be tickled and surprised! His exhibitions always begin as a set of proposals – ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous – which are written on his old typewriter and then sent to the gallery. The 'Thrill of it All' features his suggestions for Ingleby Gallery, as well as the realisation of a selection of them.

As always, this HEART Event will be followed by drinks and discussion at a nearby bar.

5-6pm
Tuesday 16 March
Ingleby Gallery, 15 Calton Road, Edinburgh, EH8 8DL

Put it in your diary!

AiH x

Let's be friends!

2010-02-09T04:38:00.000-08:00

As well as reading our blog, why not add us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter?

Get in touch on:

Facebook (Art-in Healthcare)

Twitter (www.twitter.com/artinhealthcare)
MySpace (www.myspace.com/artinhealthcare)
Bebo (www.bebo.com/artinhealthcare)

AiH x

HEART Events - Wednesday 24 February

2010-02-09T04:25:00.000-08:00

We've just announced our next speaker for HEART Events (Art in Healthcare's series of monthly talks on health and art). Drum roll please!

MARK EISCHEID - an award-winning American artist - will be talking about his time as artist in residence at QMRI (Queen's Medical Research Institute).

Eischeid was the 2009 recipient of the ‘British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence Artist in Residence Award’ and is currently completing a postgraduate degree in Art, Space & Nature at Edinburgh College of Art. He also has a professional background in geology and landscape architecture.

It promises to be a fascinating talk and will be followed by drinks and mingling at a nearby bar.

5-6pm
Wednesday 24 February
Lecture Room 1, Minto House, 20-22 Chambers Street, Edinburgh

Put it in your diary!

AiH x

Allow us to introduce ourselves...

2010-02-09T03:18:00.000-08:00

We're new to this blogging business, so excuse us if it takes a little while to get the hang of it!

Art in Healthcare is a Scottish charity, which believes in the healing power of art. Our main aim is to put artwork into healthcare settings and improve the physical environment for patients, visitors and staff. We currently have over 850 stimulating works of art on display around Scotland.

We also run a series of talks on art and health. More information on HEART Events coming shortly...

Until later!

AiH x