Smithtown H.S. Art Students Create Art Exhibits Throughout St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center
Diane Shanian’s Smithtown High School Art students have made the walls of St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center an exhibit of hope, healing and beauty. Thanks to a collaboration between St. Catherine’s hospital and Smithtown High School art students, patients and visitors can view original artwork throughout the hallways of the hospital. A ceremonial ribbon cutting took place, on March 2nd, 2016, for hospital administration, staff, students and their parents, commencing the Revolutionary Healing Through Student Art program.
Art Teacher, Diane Shanian asked her Digital Media Art students at Smithtown High School East to design personal photo montages, with Adobe Photoshop. Each montage was then printed on acrylic to accentuate the vibrant colors. The Digital Media exhibit is on view throughout the ICU/CCU wing at St. Catherine of Siena. Additional student artwork in homage to Georgia O’Keefe’s bold and distinctive flowers, was designed to fill the ICU/CCU family waiting room.
Ms. Shanian’s painting I art students created a series of paintings combined to form one masterpiece, called a diptych (traditionally painted or carved on two hinged tablets). The students chose to create a theme for their creation, centered around the industrial revolution, allowing art to transcend wordplay. Student artists combined the name of the program (Revolutionary Healing through student art) and the exposed pipes in the hallway, reminiscent of the Industrial age to form an original masterpiece. Each student prepped with intensive research on the era and a number of sketches, before arriving at a genuine pièce de résistance. The Diptych is on exhibit in the tunnel-like hallway at St. Catherine’s where the hospital and rehab care center connect.
St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center foundation hopes to add a Serenity Plaza next. The area is intended to serve as a dedicated place of reflection, where patients, family members, staff can go to quietly think, meditate or pray.
The Foundation Office is actively seeking donations for this specialized area, for more information, please call (631) 862-3832.