From Dunny Walls to Hospital Wards (Part 1)
2 MIN READ
How does one go from painting dunny walls as a kid of the 90's, to creating art for hospital wards?
Circa school holidays 1990: Picture endless fights and chaos with my siblings, and a Mum at her wit's end with a suggestion: "Paint the outside dunny wall!"
So we did. And for the first time all holidays, we worked together - no fights!
Growing up barefoot, we made do with what we had. Everything had the potential to be made into something fun.
The most wonky, rusted sheet of corrugated iron made for the most epic treehouse - because we created it.
At one stage, I needed emergency surgery. The only parts I can recall:
The art, and how the nurses made me feel safe in hospital
Throughout 2014, my daughter needed a series of surgeries. Experiencing all this as a Mum waiting on the other side was equal parts blurry and terrifying.
Again, the only parts I can recall:
The art, and how the clinical staff made us feel safe and hopeful in hospital
In 2015, Wagga Wagga Base Hospital was redeveloped. As part of the arts strategy, local artists were asked to submit their interest in creating healing and hopeful environments throughout different healthcare settings.
Being both an artist and a frequent visitor over the past few decades, I applied to transform the Children's Ward and was successful.
I had to measure every corridor, every doorway, the place of every crash rail. I had an entire ward to transform into a space that made kids, their families, and staff feel safe, hopeful, and have a sense of belonging.