by Caleb Fort
Daily Lobo
An art display makes working in the Student Health Center more exciting, Dr. Steven Acostas said.
"It's nice to have something from outside give us a change of pace," he said. "We kind of get caught up in the clinical world, and it's nice to see art come in and change the environment."
The Vida Student Art Exhibition, which opened Tuesday, is a collaboration between the Student Health Advisory Committee and UNM art students.
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Janie Gonzales, the curator of the exhibit, said hanging art in the sterile clinical environment is meant to take people by surprise.
"We want to bring art into unexpected places," she said. "There are a lot of really talented students at UNM who have art in their closets or under their beds - so why not bring it out into the public?"
The show is called "One and Only," in honor of Valentine's Day. The title can have different meanings for different people, Gonzales said.
"It's about love, and it's also about one - It can be one person, one place, one feeling," she said. "It's good to have a general theme because it opens it up to lots of artists."
The art, which can also be purchased, ranges from oil paintings to photography to a wood carving.
Gonzales said 30 percent of the proceeds will go to Healthcare for the Homeless, and the rest will go to the artists.
The exhibit benefits everyone involved, she said.
"It helps the viewer. It helps the Student Health Center, because it's bringing attention to them. And it helps the artists, because it's bringing them exposure," she said. "A good thing is a win-win situation. There are like five wins here."
All of the art is done by students. It will be on display until March 31.
Kate Morton, a member of Student Health Advisory Committee, said she hopes the art will help calm patients during stressful situations.
"We're hoping that it will make this place feel less institutionalized," she said. "If someone's feeling really sick, maybe they can just lose themselves, even for a second, in the art."
Gonzales agreed.
"I've been in emergency rooms and hospitals before, with loved ones," she said. "And I thought it would be nice to have some art that could be like a friend."
She also said the committee wanted to provide a place for art students to show their work since the student art gallery in the SUB was replaced by a gym.
Student Tara Zalewsky, who has four oil paintings in the exhibit, said she appreciated the chance to show her work.
"I've definitely never had my work in a hospital before," she said. "I'm always trying to reach out of my studio and interact with people, and this is a way to do that."
The exhibit's theme holds together well, she said.
"The one thing I respond to, being a painter, is the color," she said. "The color consistency here is very vivid."
The exhibit features about 55 paintings from about 25 different artists.
Acostas said he was impressed with the art.
"I think the work's really amazing," he said. "All the pieces I've seen are very well done."
