Special Thanks to San Luis Valley Health

I have to give a huge "THANKS"  to the San Luis Valley Health Foundation for supporting ART in our valley, for recognizing it's importance to the health and well being of our entire community,  and for backing up that philosophy with the purchase of REAL art from local artists.
This past spring the Conejos County hospital did a much needed upgrade to the hospital entrance and the emergency wing, shown above in the last stages of completion.
Part of the renovation involved the purchase of ART for the lobby, front desk and hallway areas.  Above, you can see my piece "Last Lights"- 48x 24, leaning against the fireplace wall. Works by David Montgomery and Charles Ewing were also purchased for the Conejos County Hospital space.
Kelly Gurule, long time head of the San Luis Valley Health Foundation has championed artists in the valley by encouraging the symbiotic relationship between ART, HEALTH, and the local artist community.
This is not just a nice idea but a philosophy that the Foundation has backed with serious $$.
I know from travel to other areas of the country, and into Canada that large corporate health care facilites  seldon spend "a nickle" to support anything like local or REAL art but expect artists to DONATE work; under the guise of getting "exposure".
This practice devalues both patients and artists.
Nuff said- I will get off the soap box.
Thanks, again to the SLV Foundation for the purchase of "Last Lights".
The Conejos County Grand Opening and ribbon cutting will be on Saturday, June 22.  The community is invited.