CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - Charleston Area Medical Center is reaching out to West Virginia artists to be considered for future commission or purchase of artwork to be installed in 2015 in a new cancer center.
“One of our goals all along has been to make this a community project,” said Gail Pitchford, CAMC Foundation president. “The cancer center will be the result of the Power of Many, the fundraising campaign name. We want this effort to include West Virginia artists.”
The art selection committee is seeking applications from a variety of artists who work in various media to be considered for future commission or purchase of artwork to be installed starting in the winter of 2015 at the new cancer center. Leading the effort will be Healthcare Art Consulting, EDAC Advocate Firm.
Artwork for the program is to evoke themes of nature and portray communities in West Virginia. Those who have fought cancer or had a personal connection with it are encouraged to participate.
The application process began May 1 with the deadline for completed applications set for 5 p.m. May 31. Questions may be sent by email to ArtistSubmissionCAMC@healthcareartconsulting.com with the subject header “Artist Submission Question CAMC.” Questions are to be submitted by May 16. Answers to questions of general interest will be posted by May 23.
Application information can be found at https://healthcareartconsulting.com/artistsubmissioncamc.
The new center will replace the current and crowded David Lee Cancer Center on the first floor of Memorial Hospital.
Architect for the new center is Stantec of Pittsburgh, an international company chosen for its expertise in designing cancer centers, Pitchford said.
Ground was broken for the new facility in July of 2013 and the center is expected to be completed by spring of 2015. MCS Construction of Charleston is working on the project being built on the site that was once Watt Powell Park property.
“You can see the great construction going on,” Pitchford said. “We lost a few days because of the weather and the water (crisis). If you look, they are now putting in the curbs for the parking lot. The floors are in and the walls are up.”
She has not yet been inside the facility to know further details.
She said more than $15 million has been raised through donations from individuals, businesses, and some foundations, including $1 million from the Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation. The final cost of the three-story, 100,000-square-foot facility is expected to be $50 million. The initial estimate of $39 million increased when the hospital decided to move the breast center from Women and Children’s Hospital to the new center, Pitchford said. It is to be located on the third floor with services such as mammograms, bone density testing, and outpatient procedures.
Meanwhile, the new cancer center will be a comprehensive facility with everything in one building, including chemotherapy and radiation treatments, oncologists, a wig shop, cafe and community room where classes may be held such as nutrition and yoga.
Pitchford said the artwork located in the new center will be an important addition.
“We want the art to be an important part of the interior of the building,” she said. “It will offer a sense of comfort. We want healing art to be part of the interior space.”
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Information from: Charleston Daily Mail, https://www.charlestondailymail.com
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