Students display work in hospital garden
Students from the University for the Creative Arts (UCA) have had their work displayed as part of a hospital garden designed by TV personality Diarmuid Gavin.
Nine BA (Hons) Fine Art degree students from UCA Farnham were chosen to have their work used as part of the Time Garden at Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey for the use of terminally ill patients and their families.
The garden, which is the first of its kind in the country, was designed by international garden designer and Chelsea Gold winner, Diarmuid Gavin.
It is the second year that the project has been run in collaboration with UCA Farnham, and has once again been organised with the support of Paul Vivian, head of Fine Art, Andrea Gregson, senior lecturer in Sculpture, and Stephen Towns, artist and project arts co-ordinator.
Stephen Towns said: "The Time Garden project has presented the students with an opportunity to site their artwork in a very special environment, far removed from the normal gallery space.
"I believe that the project is a great success on a number of levels. It enables students to see their artwork in a new context, it has helped them to clarify their concerns, and it has presented a new challenge beyond the normal studio or gallery environment.
"For the hospital, it has brought in new and exciting contemporary student work, it has established a working relationship with their local university, it has extended the range of artwork in the hospital environment, and it has greatly enhanced the Time Garden environment."
The garden is part of the Kings Fund Enhancing the Healing Environment initiative.
Last year, it won first prize in the prestigious Building Better Healthcare Awards in the category Best External Space, announced in November 2011.
This year, BA Fine Art students were invited to apply for the project in May and in June 2012 the new artworks for the garden were chosen. The nine students whose work was selected were: Eleanor Genevier, Dominique Goodwin, Amy Howells, Anna Jordan, Adam Kelly, Morwenna Lake, Freya Morter, Louise Patey, and Erna Wolstenholme.
Amy Howells, 23 and from Yateley, Surrey, said: "I felt quite honoured to be involved because it was a really good project and it felt like it was giving you and your artwork the opportunity to actually help people.
"Also, we knew that our work was going to be out there and actually get seen and appreciated by people."
The Time Garden was officially opened on Friday 6 July where students were presented with a certificate and a book token.
A special book of their artwork is to be made and placed in the garden, and a copy given to each student involved.
For more information contact:
David Reilly, Press Officer, UCA
T: 01252 892939
E: dreilly@ucreative.ac.uk
