October 9, 2015
Story by Kerri Robins; photo courtesy Donna Wuychuk
Donations come in many shapes and sizes, much like artwork, but both can touch the heart with the power of healing.
Staff, patients, long-term residents and clients here at WestView Health Centre can attest to that every time they look at one of the nine pieces of art recently donated to the health centre by local artist RoseAnn Janzen.
Adult day program client Claire Vince says she enjoys looking at the paintings whenever she walks down the halls of her health centre. “The bright colours are less depressing,” says the 79-year-old Stony Plain resident.
As both a visitor and former patient of WestView, Janzen says she donated her pieces to the health centre because she believes artwork creates energy.
“I think art is very healing,” she says, “and it gives your mind a place to go when the body needs time to regenerate.”
Site Director Ellen Billay says she agrees with Janzen and is grateful for the donation.
“Art is a great way to take patients away from the clinical setting for a moment in time,” says Billay. “It’s therapeutic and calming, and brings a lot of comfort to patients, staff and visitors to our health centre.”
Janzen’s themes include landscape abstracts of local scenes in surrounding Parkland County and around her home near Carvel, about 35 km west of Edmonton.
Spruce Grove resident and adult day program client Ernie Wakariuk says he enjoys her work because it reminds him of family.
“The picture of the farm field looks like the field where my Dad and I used to stook wheat,” says the 70-year-old. (Stooking is to gather and bundle bunches of wheat into upright sheaves.)
Ralph Westwood, Chair of the Tri-Community Health & Wellness Foundation, says he appreciates the priceless donation.
“RoseAnn’s art is a welcome addition to the walls of our health centre, and brings a familiarity of home to both staff and patients,” he says. “This is important not only to physical well-being and healing, but to our mental health as well.”
For more information, please visit tricommunityfoundation.org. To view Janzen’s artwork, please visit roseannjanzen.com
