University Hospital Waterford, continues until mid-February 2022
Artist Donna McGee was selected as 2021’s A Better Place artist at University Hospital Waterford (UHW). Donna’s solo exhibition at UHW runs from 01 December 2021 until mid-February 2022. The A Better Place exhibition, which aims to make the hospital ‘a better place’ for all, is managed by Waterford Healing Arts Trust (WHAT).
Now in its sixth year, A Better Place has been a consistently popular exhibition among staff, patients and visitors to UHW, humanising the clinical space and helping to alleviate stress and worry. Any visual artist can submit two samples of their work for consideration. Voting is anonymous, with each artwork identified by a number, rather than the artist’s name. Previous winners include artists Anne McLeod (2020), Deirdre Dunne (2019), Sinead Hehir (2018), Barry Edwards (2017) and Gemma Hodge (2016). This year, submissions were received from 55 artists, with Donna McGee receiving the highest number of votes.
Donna is a self-taught artist who has been working from her studio in Dublin for over 20 years. Observing and capturing the restless elemental forces of the Irish landscape, and celebrating its timeless beauty, are central to her work. Her landscapes reflect the allure of stormy skies, vibrant sunsets and the rugged Irish coastline. She invites the viewer on a mystical journey of ethereal mood and atmosphere, to a happy and a better place. Donna has had many successful solo shows and group exhibitions throughout Ireland, in addition to Art Source, the well known art fair, where she enjoys great success. Her paintings can be found in many collections in Ireland and across the world. A member of Visual Artists Ireland, Donna is also the recipient of numerous international awards.
On hearing she had been selected for A Better Place, Donna said “I am very honoured to have the opportunity to exhibit my paintings at UHW. It is important to me that my work as an artist is uplifting and inspirational to viewers. It’s my hope that my paintings deliver some lightness and release. Imagine strolling through the countryside or feeling the sea air on your face, just for a moment – a promise to return to a memorable place! The beauty of the Irish landscape brings together the past, present and future and creates togetherness within our community”.
Waterford Healing Arts Trust (WHAT) is Ireland’s leading arts and health organisation. Established in 1993, WHAT brings arts experiences to the bedsides of patients at University Hospital Waterford and other healthcare settings. WHAT believes that the arts contribute to the wellbeing and vitality of society and that engaging with the arts stimulates the participant’s sense of identity and creativity. WHAT is core funded by the Arts Council, supports the development of arts and health in Ireland and manages the national website www.artsandhealth.ie
All info and images from: http://www.waterfordhealingarts.com/artist-donna-mcgee-selected-to-make-uhw-a-better-place/
University Hospital Waterford, Dunmore Road, Waterford City Tel. 051 842 664