Paintings in Hospitals open new regional branch at West Suffolk Hospital

Time:              12.30pm

Date:               Wednesday 7 July 2004

Venue:             West Suffolk Hospital, Bury St Edmunds

West Suffolk Hospital has become the hub of a network for the east of England, which aims to brighten up hospitals by providing paintings to decorate public areas. Media are invited to visit the Hospital on 7^th July to see the paintings being hung in corridors, and interview Veronica Worrall, Trust chairman, about the initiative.

The charity Paintings in Hospitals is opening a new regional branch for the East of England serving the counties of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk, based at the West Suffolk Hospital. Paintings in Hospitals provides works of art on loan to over 250 hospitals, hospices and healthcare centres across the country and already operates regional branches in the Midlands, North of England, Ireland and Wales. At each of these centres, prospective borrowers choose from a collection of original paintings, prints, photographs, textiles and works in other media, all of which are available for loan to help improve the healthcare environment for the benefit of patients, staff and visitors.

“The West Suffolk Hospital is a vital part of the local community, and we are delighted to be able to give local people the chance to view works of art by artists from the region,” said Veronica Worrall, Chairman of the West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust. “It’s great to have the chance to make the hospital a more welcoming place, and the range of different styles of artwork will make a fascinating and colourful display.”

The launch exhibition on 7^th July will include over 60 works of art including paintings, prints and textile works by artists living and working in the east of England, many of which have been kindly donated or lent by the artists.

“We are really delighted to be opening this new regional branch with the support of West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust,” said Mary-Alice Stack, Director of Paintings in Hospitals. “We hope that it will encourage many more hospitals in the region to take advantage of the loan scheme and think more creatively about the positive impact that art can have in the healthcare environment.”

“We appreciate how important it is to provide attractive surroundings to help lift the spirits of patients, staff and visitors to the West Suffolk Hospital,” said Veronica Worrall. “Displays of artwork can help to raise staff morale and improve patient’s recovery, and Paintings in Hospitals is playing a very important role in making the hospital environment a little less clinical. We are very pleased to provide a venue for local artists here at the West Suffolk Hospital.”

In a separate initiative, 12 paintings by students from local upper schools have been chosen to decorate the rear entrance corridor of the main building at West Suffolk Hospital. Students from St Benedicts, King Edwards and County Upper Schools in Bury St Edmunds, and Sudbury Upper and Arts College, have had their work displayed thanks to the Suffolk Education & Business Partnership’s Arts in Corridors initiative. As well as making the hospital environment more welcoming, students are able to get their work shown in a public venue.

For further information please contact:

Mary-Alice Stack, Director
Paintings in Hospitals,
The Sheridan Russell Gallery
16 Crawford Street, London W1H 1BS
020 7935 0250

29 June, 2004