Tulane Health System and George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts announce partnership and plans for Paintfest 2017
- Category: News
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- Written By: Tulane Lakeside Hospital
Tulane Health System’s Arts in Medicine (AIM) program and George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts (GRFA) have partnered to present PaintFest at Lakeside Hospital for Women and Children (4700 S I-10 Service Rd W, Metairie, LA 70001) on July 22 from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. The event welcomes the general public to join patients and their families for a morning of artistic fun.
The main event at Paintfest will be the creation of two new murals for the hallways of Lakeside Hospital that will feature the late George Rodrigue’s famous Blue Dog. Attendees will also be invited to create their own works of art on blank canvases that they will be able to take home. Additionally, GRFA will donate a full set of Rodrigue books and catalogs as a raffle item at the event.
“This event encompasses everything AIM believes. We love bringing color and character to the halls of our hospital, making our patients’ day a little better,” said Julie Connelly, Coordinator of AIM.
Tulane Health System recognizes the integral role of arts in healing the spirit and transforming the hospital experience. Because of this, the Arts in Medicine Program was started in May 2010. PaintFest is another way to use engaging visuals and artwork to express comfort and love.
Similarly, GRFA recognizes the role of arts in healing as Rodrigue found his love for art as an ill child. In third grade, he was diagnosed with Polio and was bedridden. It was during this time that Rodrigue first picked up a paintbrush. From his experience as a child, he knew the importance art can have in children’s lives. In 2009 he founded GRFA, which emphasizes this very notion.
“This is a great event and one that my dad would have been proud to support,” said Jacques Rodrigue, Executive Director of GRFA. “GRFA was established to advocate the importance of the arts in children’s lives. It’s a perfect and meaningful partnership for our organization.”
The event on Saturday, July 22 is free and open to the public.